Melons (watermelons, pumpkins and melons) belong to the pumpkin family and morphological characteristics very similar to each other. They are grown to produce juicy fruits with high taste. The fruits of melons, especially watermelons and melons, contain a lot of sugar (6-13% or more), vitamins B, B3, C, PP, etc. Watermelons contain a lot of iron salts and folic acid. In addition to being used fresh, they are raw materials for the processing industry: the production of watermelon honey (nardek), jam, marshmallows, and for pickling.
Melon is used mainly fresh. According to various recipes, candied fruits, jams, honey (bekmez), compotes, mousses are made from melon pulp, and the fruits are also dried and dried.
Pumpkins with yellow and orange pulp rich in phosphorus salts and carotene, contain many phytoncides. Pumpkin fruits are used for cooking, pickling, pickling, as well as making candied fruits, honey and other products. Pumpkin seed oil tastes like Provençal; it is widely used as food in the western regions of Ukraine.
Melon crops have great medicinal value. They contain the most important physiologically active substances who participate in important functions body, in regulating the processes of protein and fat metabolism. Eating melons improves the functioning of the heart, liver, stomach, kidneys, lungs, and increases the overall vitality of the body. For example, folic acid, which is found in the fruits of watermelon and melon, has anti-sclerotic and hematopoietic effects. Watermelon fruits with increased content pectin substances have high radioprotective properties, capable of removing radionuclides, heavy metals and other toxic substances from the body.
Fodder pumpkins and watermelons have high feeding qualities: 100 kg of fodder watermelons correspond to 9.3, and fodder pumpkins - 10.2 feed, units. and contain 4.0 and 7.0 kg of digestible protein, respectively. Ripe fruits of forage melons can be stored fresh for a long time. They are a valuable milk feed.
The fruits of melons are widely used for ensiling together with corn stalks, for preparing combined silage, and improving the taste of roughage.
Melon crops are of great agrotechnical importance, as they help clear fields of weeds and are a valuable precursor for winter and spring crops.
All melon plants come from sandy and rocky deserts of subtropical regions globe. The birthplace of watermelons is the Kalahari semi-desert ( South Africa), pumpkins - South America, and melons - Asia Minor and Central Asia. The first historical information and finds about melons recorded in Egyptian tombs, that is, 4 thousand years ago (plant parts and drawings). From Africa, watermelons penetrated through India and Iran to Central Asia and Transcaucasia. Watermelon and melon entered the Northern Black Sea region from the Volga region, as well as from the Greek colonies. Pumpkin appeared in Ukraine in the 19th century. and spread as a garden crop in household plots.
The main area of commercial melon growing has become the south-eastern zone of Ukraine, especially the current territory of the Kherson region, where the soil and climatic conditions are most favorable for growing melons. Commercial melon growing is developing in the Kherson, Nikolaev, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Odessa regions and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Melons contain sulfur, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium. They also contain riboflavin, thiamine, carotene, and vitamin C. For the most part, these plants are distinguished by long stems creeping along the ground, large leaves and large yellow flowers. However, there are also bush melons (the photo illustrates their characteristics). Plants are characterized by high resistance to drought. This is due to the presence of a powerful root system. To obtain high-quality melons and vegetable crops, you need a lot of light and heat. During fruit ripening, the weather should be dry and hot. Such conditions exist in the Lower Volga region, Central Asia, the south of Moldova and Ukraine, and the North Caucasus. IN central lane RF can also be planted with melons. The species of these plants are diverse.
The main feature of the varieties is their resistance to environmental conditions. For example, early-ripening and cold-resistant melons (watermelons, pumpkins) are suitable for the central strip. When choosing seeds, attention must be paid to the duration of the growing season - the number of days from the beginning of growth to full ripening. Early varieties should have time to go through the full cycle in no more than 90 days.
The climatic features of the central zone of the country do not allow the cultivation of large fruits. In this regard, it is best to give preference to medium-sized varieties. In terms of taste, they are in no way inferior to large southern fruits. High yields can be obtained from such varieties of watermelons as:
As for melon varieties, the following are of interest:
Caring for cold-resistant and early-ripening varieties is practically no different from the rules that apply to growing cabbage, beets or carrots. All these plants are planted by directly sowing seeds in open land in mid or late May. Melon crops of other varieties can develop in greenhouses or through seedlings. In the latter case, the period of their stay in open ground is reduced. The popular Astrakhan varieties “Honey”, “Pineapple”, “Kolkhoznitsa” are classified as mid-season.
IN open ground, as mentioned above, early ripening melons and melons are sown in the central zone. To obtain the harvest, 2 and 3 year old seeds are used. As practice shows, they bloom earlier, which speeds up the ripening process of their fruits. If fresh seeds are used, they must first be dried at 30-35 degrees for 2-3 days. Planting is carried out using the nesting method. The distance between the holes depends on the plant variety. Short-climbing melons (melon, pumpkin and others) can be sown more densely, long-climbing ones - less often. Optimal distance a gap of 1 m is considered. Before sowing, 1-1.5 kg of compost or humus should be added to each hole. It is recommended to fertilize the soil under watermelons with potash and phosphorus. mineral mixtures. Seeds are planted to a depth of about 5 cm. The first watering of melons and melons should be generous. In this case, the water should be taken warm. The first shoots appear approximately 8-10 days after sowing. Watering melon crops during the growth process should be abundant, but not frequent (about once a week).
This process, according to many experts, has great importance for plant development. Due to pinching they develop better female flowers on shoots of the 2nd order. It is better to carry it out when 5-6 leaves appear on the seedlings. Re-minting of plants is carried out when the same number of leaves develop on shoots of the 2nd order.
Melon crops planted in this way give good harvest. In this case, the growing season does not exceed 90 days. Seedlings should be grown in pots to prevent damage to the root system. Within approximately 30 days, the seedlings will be ready to be transplanted into open ground. Before sowing in pots, the seeds can be soaked so that they germinate a little. This will reduce the time it takes for seedlings to emerge.
It has a number of features. First of all, it is necessary to ensure conditions in which the air temperature will be at least 20 degrees. In this case, good seedlings will be obtained. On cloudy days and at night, it is recommended to lower the temperature slightly. This will prevent the plants from stretching. It is also necessary to ensure that the seedlings do not touch the leaves and move the pots apart from time to time. Additional lighting for seedlings is not needed, since seeds are sown for seedlings in mid or late April. During this period, natural light intake is quite sufficient.
When using fertilizing, care should be taken, since melons and melons are poorly adapted to the synthesis of microelements. They absorb and accumulate nitrates and heavy compounds like a sponge. In this regard, all fertilizers during the growing season should be in an easily digestible form in the form of green, ash and humic concentrates. As for active organic matter with granular minerals, it should be added during the autumn digging of the earth. If minerals or manure are used in natural form when growing watermelon, for example, the fruits will be oversaturated with nitrate compounds, the pulp will be tasteless, mottled with inedible white streaks, with unripe seeds and a very thick rind.
The finished seedlings should have 3-5 leaves. Melon shoots have some peculiarities. On the side shoots, female flowers form earlier than on the main shoot. In this regard, the tops of seedlings ready for planting should be pinched. Approximately a week before the day on which it is planned to move the seedlings into open ground, the daytime temperature should be reduced to 15 degrees, and the night temperature to 12. It is also necessary to periodically ventilate the plants. This way the seedlings harden and quickly adapt to open ground.
There are no female flowers on the main stem of the melon. In this regard, the first pinching should be done over the third leaf. Do not rush to plant seedlings, otherwise you will have to equip a greenhouse or greenhouse. Often, good weather sets in in the central zone by the beginning of May. But by the middle of the month it noticeably worsens, there may even be frosts. Under such conditions, the seedlings will inevitably die. Experienced breeders recommend planting plants at the end of May. You should first familiarize yourself with the weather forecast for the near future.
Before planting seedlings, depressions are made at a distance of a meter from each other. Two plants can be placed in one hole with the condition that subsequently the shoots will develop in different sides. You should first add fertilizer to the recesses (compost or humus, at least 2 kg). It is more advisable to do this 7-14 days before planting the seedlings. Before placing the plants, the recesses are watered generously with warm water. The seedlings should be carefully removed from the pots and planted in the slurry in the holes. It is not recommended to bury the seedlings, otherwise root system will begin to rot. The seedling ball is positioned so that it protrudes above the surface of the ground.
Usually there is no need to carry out any special events during the first week. Watering is carried out as the soil dries. In this case, enough water is required to wet the ground by at least 50 cm. Watering is carried out carefully. During this, you need to make sure that the hypocotyledon and plant leaves do not get wet. If necessary, weed and loosen the soil. To prevent plants from directing energy to the development of tops, but to spend them on the growth of fruits, the tops must be regularly pinched. It was said above that for the first time this is done while growing seedlings or after 5-6 leaves appear. After the fruit ovaries appear, pinching should be repeated, leaving 2-3 leaves. Unfruitful vines must be completely cut off. After processing, the tops are laid so that the plants do not interfere with each other. When the size of the ovaries reaches the size of an apple, you need to remove the weakest ones.
To obtain a high yield throughout summer period should be added several times complex fertilizers. In addition to them, you can also feed the plants with bird droppings or slurry. Before the fruits ripen, you should stop fertilizing and watering the crops. Otherwise, they will begin to crack and lose their taste.
The most dangerous to plants are wireworms, spider mites and aphids. Some birds also pose a threat. Wireworms, including false wireworms, are the larvae of darkling beetles and click beetles. They damage young shoots and gnaw through the underground stem part. melon aphid- small greenish-black or yellow insects. They settle in groups, damaging the vines, ovaries, flowers, and the lower part of the leaves. Insects suck the sap from the plant, causing it to dry out and die. Spider mites cause damage in hot and dry summers. Insects settle on the lower parts of the leaves. The mite weaves a thin web around their surface. First, light dots begin to appear on the leaves, then some areas of the plate become discolored, after which these parts of the plants die. One more dangerous pest considered tobacco thrips. This insect has a proboscis with which it pierces the skin of the leaf, usually from below near the veins. Thrips suck the juice from the plate. In this place, light shiny stripes and spots appear, which subsequently become dark brown. After sowing, damage is immediately caused by birds (rooks, crows and others). They select seeds from the fields, peck the ovaries, and damage young plants. Loosening the soil and spraying plants are used as means of control.
Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew, and anthracnose are considered the most dangerous. These diseases are especially intense in cloudy, humid weather, and also when melons are often planted in one place. Bacteriosis also poses a threat. Fusarium wilt is characteristic of all melons and melons. Young shoots become lethargic and depressed, grow poorly and eventually die. On an adult plant, first 1-2 lashes are damaged, and then the disease affects all other parts. On a section of the stem, browned vessels are visible, they are especially clearly visible at the root collar. At high humidity at the base of the lash there is a pink or white coating- fungus. The plant is affected through the soil, infected seeds, and crop residues. The mushroom can remain in the ground for up to 15 years. The fungus poses the greatest danger to plants in humid conditions at low temperatures. Withering of crops can also occur due to suffocation due to lack of air. As a rule, this is observed on compacted soil, especially in hot weather or after a cold rainy day. Powdery mildew very dangerous for pumpkins and melons. Spots with a white coating appear on the upper and then lower parts of the leaves. Over time, they merge and cover the entire surface. Subsequently, the leaves become yellow, gradually drying out. Powdery mildew damages crops due to sudden temperature changes. For example, when it is too hot during the day and very cold at night. With downy mildew, leaves are damaged in all phases of development, starting with the cotyledons. Angular or round yellow-green spots appear on the plates. They grow quite quickly and cover the entire surface.
Melons are true champions among vegetables in terms of fruit size. The weight of a ripe watermelon or pumpkin is at least 5-6 kilograms of juicy pulp, and often 10-15 kg. Moreover, melon fruits are famous not only for their size, but also for their excellent taste. This is especially true for melon and watermelon. The bulk of melons are grown on large farms in the south of the country, but if desired, they can also be grown in your own garden.
Melons, or simply melons, are a group of large-fruited vegetables, mainly from the botanical family Pumpkin, which have similar external characteristics.
IN in a broad sense The melon family usually includes watermelons, melons, zucchini, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins. But more often the term “melons” is used in relation to a narrower group, including only two species - watermelon and melon. Further in the article we will talk about melons only in this narrow sense, leaving out zucchini, pumpkins and cucumbers.
The common watermelon is an annual herbaceous plant, one of two cultivated species of the botanical genus Watermelon, which is part of the Cucurbitaceae family.
Melons have thin, flexible stems that creep (“crawl”) along the ground. The length of the stems can reach several meters. Leaves planted on long petioles may have different configurations depending on the variety, but always triangular shape and consist of three pinnately divided lobes.
Flowers (usually pale yellow) appear in the first year. Subsequently, fruits are formed from them - pumpkins or watermelons themselves, filled with juicy red pulp and many flat black seeds. There are many varieties of watermelon, so the fruits can differ significantly in shape, size and color. The classic watermelon fruit is a green ball weighing from 3 to 15 kg or more. Since the structure of the fruit has much in common with berries, formally watermelons are also considered berries.
The homeland of watermelon is South Africa, but this fruit came to the Mediterranean region back in the days Ancient Egypt or even earlier. It is known that the ancient Greeks knew about it, but the watermelon was truly discovered by Europeans only in the Middle Ages, when the crusaders brought it from the Middle East. The Tatars brought watermelons to our country during their conquests Kievan Rus and his subsequent stay here.
As for melon, it belongs to a slightly different botanical genus - cucumbers. Like other melons, melon is an annual herbaceous plant with a vine-like stem creeping along the ground, which can reach a length of 3 meters. The leaves of the melon are larger than those of the watermelon and have a solid (not cut) heart-shaped shape. The flowers are yellow, bisexual.
The melon fruit weighing from 1 to 15 kg or more has the shape of a ball or oval. The outside of the fruit (pumpkin or berry) is covered with a thin peel, which, when fully ripe, often becomes yellow (less often brown, or remains green). Inside the fruit there is pale yellow juicy pulp. The seeds are cream or pale brown, elongated oval. Unlike watermelon, melon seeds are collected in the center of the fruit, and not distributed throughout the pulp.
Like any melon plant, melon comes from a hot region. Its homeland is considered to be Central Asia, namely northern India. It is likely that it was there that the wild melon was domesticated, and subsequently it spread both to the west and to the east. It is known that the ancient Egyptians were definitely familiar with this vegetable crop. Melon, like watermelon, was first brought to Europe by the Crusaders, and from that time on it began to be cultivated in the south of the continent. Melon came to Russia directly from Central Asia about 500 years ago.
Like everyone else natural products, watermelons and melons are very beneficial for the human body.
Thus, watermelon has a very positive effect on the kidneys, helping to remove stones and sand from them. This vegetable is also useful for men, as it improves sexual potency. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of watermelon for those who suffer from heart disease, since its pulp contains a lot of potassium and magnesium, which are important for maintaining the cardiovascular system in normal condition.
A ripe watermelon is several kilograms of juicy sweet pulp, which will appeal to both children and adults. The taste of watermelon is so outstanding that as a dessert it easily replaces any confectionery product.
The main way to consume watermelon is raw in kind. The fruit is simply cut into slices with a knife and its juicy red pulp is eaten. No other flavoring additives are required.
And although, like zucchini, melons of this type are not usually subject to heat treatment, this is by no means the only option for how to use watermelon.
Firstly, it is great for making fruit salads. Moreover, you can even use a hard green peel, which, with proper skill, can easily be turned into an original salad bowl filled with watermelon salad with other vegetables or fruits.
Secondly, due to the fact that watermelon pulp contains a huge amount of sweet juice, you can easily prepare a natural refreshing drink from watermelon, or make homemade wine.
Thirdly, sweet watermelon makes wonderful jam. Moreover, you can use not only the pulp, but also the hard skin, which after heat treatment easily turns into jelly.
Watermelon honey, or nardek, which is cooked without the use of sugar, deserves special mention.
Finally, watermelons can be pickled for the winter, after which they make an excellent side dish for meat or fish. You can also use them to prepare completely unique sauces for meat dishes.
Sweet types of melons are primarily healthy desserts. Thus, ripe melon fruits are rich in sugar, carotene, provitamin A, vitamins P, C and B9, as well as iron, folic acid, salts, pectins and fiber.
It is recommended to eat melon for diseases of the blood, cardiovascular system, nervous disorders, problems with urination and intestines. In addition, melon is good for those who are on a diet, useful during pregnancy, good remedy in the fight against dehydration. Melon is also in great demand in cosmetology. Toning and healing melon masks have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin.
Ripe melons and watermelons are excellent dessert vegetables that can replace any confectionery sweet. It is worth noting that the taste and level of sweetness of melon greatly depends on the variety.
Traditionally, melon is eaten in its natural form as a completely independent product. Like watermelon, melon is simply cut into wedges and the sweet flesh is eaten away, while the tough skin is discarded.
Although melon also contains a lot of water, unlike watermelon, it lends itself well to drying. In Central Asia, dried melon is often used as a dessert when drinking tea. In addition, melon makes wonderful jams and preserves. Like watermelon, it goes well in salads and various soft and alcoholic drinks.
Interestingly, in some Mediterranean countries, melon is a side dish for other dishes. For example, in Spain it is served with jamon and shrimp, and in Italy it is eaten with mozzarella and other cheeses.
Since watermelons are grown all over the world, wherever agroclimatic conditions allow, the abundance of existing varieties is simply enormous. In addition to purely geographical varieties, it should be separately mentioned that there are watermelons with unusual pulp yellow color and seedless watermelons.
In Russia, melon fields are planted with our most famous Astrakhan variety, which is famous for its very sweet pulp, although it ripens already in the last ten days of August. Another very sweet, but earlier variety is the Crimson Swift variety.
Melon is slightly less popular than watermelon, which is why it has fewer varieties. But those that exist are quite enough to satisfy the needs of gourmets and gardeners. In melon farms in Russia, melons of the “Kolkhoznitsa” variety are most widespread. They are the ones cultivated in the Volga region. The variety is easily recognized by its bright yellow skin, small size and spherical shape of the fruit.
In Europe and America, the Cantaloupe variety is most widespread. They are not so sweet and less juicy, but much more aromatic.
The best Uzbek variety is “Torpedo”. These melons have an elongated, cigar-shaped shape and big sizes. Uzbek melons are famous for having perhaps the best taste characteristics.
In the Mediterranean, where Uzbek melons are not available, their analogue is the Moroccan variety “Honey Melon”. These fruits do not have characteristic grooves on the skin, and the color varies between ocher and greenish. The taste is actually almost honey.
Watermelons and melons are heat-loving crops. Moreover, they love warmth so much that a really good harvest can only be obtained in the southernmost regions of our country. Already at the level of the 50th parallel (Belgorod, Voronezh, Tambov) and further north, growing melons loses its meaning, since here watermelons simply cannot ripen and the fruits are small (maximum 2-3 kg) with insipid pulp. Melons are less picky and in hot summers they can produce quite decent-sized and sweet fruits even north of Volgograd.
However, in general these crops prefer hot, dry weather. Drought is more preferable to them than rain and high humidity. In order for melons and watermelons to gain the desired mass and sweetness, they require a lot of heat and light. In the post-Soviet space, optimal conditions for these crops are found in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, the Black Sea regions of Ukraine, Moldova and especially in the countries Central Asia. In other regions, growing melons is not commercially profitable.
Watermelon prefers sandy loam soils warmed by the sun and protected from the wind. Waterlogged and heavy soils with high level groundwater.
Before planting, prepare the seeds by soaking them in warm water(50 °C) and kept in it until they hatch. After this, the seeds are ready for sowing. The timing of planting in open ground depends on the region. It is optimal when the ground temperature reaches from 12 to 14 °C, which in the south of our country usually occurs in late April - early May.
The first shoots should appear in the second week: 8–10 days is considered the norm. If a cold spell occurs after sowing, the timing of emergence of seedlings may shift significantly, and the seeds themselves may well die or become infected with pathogenic flora. For this reason, in the central regions of the country, where spring frosts and cold snaps are a common occurrence, it is better to postpone sowing watermelons until the end of May or even the beginning of June.
You need to sow melon seeds in individual holes 5-8 cm deep. Since watermelons are plants that creep along the ground, the distance between the bushes should be significant - at least half a meter in a row and at least 1.5 meters between rows. To increase the chances of successful germination, it is advisable to add a tablespoon of ash and a little humus to each hole.
To increase the growth rate of watermelons, mulch is often used in melon patches. Film shelters and agrofibre are best suited for this role. This simple technique can speed up the ripening of watermelons by 15-20 days.
Although watermelons are a drought-resistant crop that does not like excessive moisture, it is impossible to do without watering at all. It should be carried out on initial stage growing season until the moment when fruits begin to set. You need to water no more than once a week.
Until the melon crops cover the entire bed, you also need to take care of loosening the soil and weeding.
In this matter, melon has a lot in common with watermelon. It also requires a well-warmed area of sandy loam soil protected from the wind. In the fall, you need to add 4-6 kg of humus per each to a pre-dug bed. square meter. If the soil is loamy, then you should add half a bucket here as well. river sand. In spring, the soil needs to be fed with superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium salt.
The peculiarity of melon is that from last year’s fresh seeds, mainly male plants grow, and from old ones, evenly male and female, but the fruits are much smaller. For this reason, it is better to combine last year’s seeds and seeds of 2-3 years ago in one sowing.
The timing of planting melon seeds generally coincides with the timing of watermelon. True, it is better to wait for slightly warmer days: when the soil warms up to 16 °C. The seeds are planted in the soil to a depth of about 3-5 cm. The planting density is higher than that of watermelon: 10 seeds per square meter. This is done in such a way that not all seeds will sprout.
The bed with newly sown melons must be moistened with warm water. Shoots should be expected in the second week. As soon as five full leaves are formed on the shoots, the plants need to be hilled up and the soil around them must be carefully loosened.
As in the case of watermelons, melons need to be watered only until the ovaries appear, and even then not very often. After the fruits appear, watering should be stopped. But this is not enough. Since melons do not like moisture, to increase productivity it is advisable to cover the bed with growing fruits with film whenever it rains.
) belong to the pumpkin family ( Cucurbitaceae), which includes 114 genera and 760 species. There are tree and shrub forms. Melon crops come from tropical and subtropical countries of Asia, Africa and America. Their fruits are eaten fresh and used as fodder crops, as well as in medicine. They contain potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur. Melons and melons also contain vitamin C, carotene, thiamine, and riboflavin.
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MELOON CROPS- a group of cultivated plants of the pumpkin family (watermelon, melon, some types of pumpkin). Food, fodder, oilseeds, medicinal, ornamental and honey plants. On all continents... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Melons- a group of cultivated plants of the pumpkin family (watermelon, melon, pumpkin). Creeping or clinging plants. They come from tropical and subtropical countries in Asia, Africa and America. Heat-loving, quite drought-resistant, have a long life... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
melons- a group of cultivated plants of the pumpkin family (watermelon, melon, some types of pumpkin). Food, fodder, oilseeds, medicinal, ornamental and honey plants. On all continents. * * * MELOON CROPS MELOON CROPS, group... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
MELOON CROPS- a group of cultivated families. pumpkin (watermelon, melon, certain types of pumpkin). Food, feed, oilseeds, medicines, decor. and honey fields. They grow on all continents... Natural science. encyclopedic Dictionary
MELOON CROPS- a group of cultural families. pumpkins cultivated for food, feed and technical purposes. goals. B. to. include watermelon, melon, and pumpkin. They come from the tropics. and subtropical countries of Asia, Africa and America; cultivated on all continents, in the northern USSR... ... Agricultural Encyclopedic Dictionary
MELOON CROPS- plants grown on melons (watermelons, melons, pumpkins) ... Dictionary of botanical terms
melons- Group of plants of the family. pumpkin (watermelon, melon, pumpkin, etc.) Planting melons. Plant the plot with melons... Dictionary of many expressions
forage melons- Agricultural crops of the Cucurbitaceal family used for animal feed. [GOST 23153 78] Topics of animal feed General terms field feed production ... Technical Translator's Guide
VEGETABLES, MELONS, ROOTS AND TUBERS- 8 VEGETABLES, MELONS CROPS, ROOTS AND TUBERS English. VEGETABLES, MELONS, ROOT AND TUBER CROPS German. GEMUSE, MELONEN, WURZEL UND KNOLLENKULTUREN French. LEGUMES, MELONS, CULTURES À RACINES ET À TUBERCULES … Phytopathological dictionary-reference book
Melons- pl. Melon crops. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern Dictionary Russian language Efremova
Melons and pumpkin crops belong to heat-loving plants. Germination of pumpkin seeds begins at a temperature not lower than 12°C, melon 13-15, watermelon 16-17°C. In years with a cold, long spring, shoots of melon plants appear on the 19-27th day after sowing, in favorable years on the 10th day. At temperatures below 12°C, plants develop poorly, pollen does not ripen, and fruits do not set well.
To form a normal harvest, even the most early ripening varieties watermelons, a frost-free period of 90 - 100 days is required for mid-season varieties 120-130 days. For early ripening varieties of melons, a frost-free period of 80 - 90 days is sufficient. The best temperature for growth, development and maturation is 22-30°C.
Pumpkins and squashes can cope better with cooler, wetter summers. Frosts are detrimental to melon plants, although there have been cases where seedlings in the cotyledon and first true leaf phases survived light, short-term spring frosts without damage.
Watermelons and melons are especially demanding of heat and sunlight during the period of fruit formation and ripening. Cool, cloudy, rainy weather during this period, it delays ripening, reduces sugar content, taste and reduces yield. Pumpkins are lighter and tolerate moderate temperatures.
Melon plants, especially watermelons, are relatively resistant to air drought in the presence of moisture in the soil. They do not tolerate soil drought well due to intense evaporation with large leaf surface. Pumpkins are the most moisture-loving. Watermelons can extract moisture from deep layers of the subsoil because... their root system is well developed. The main root grows almost vertically and goes to great depths. The lateral roots branch strongly and penetrate the soil in all directions in a layer of 5-40 cm.
Melon plants are especially demanding of moisture during the period of seed germination and emergence of seedlings. About a month after the emergence of seedlings, the root system begins to grow rapidly and the plants can take moisture from the lower layers of the soil. Lack of moisture in the soil and dry air during flowering and fruit growth have a negative effect. Excess moisture during this period reduces the sugar content in fruits, taste quality, and contributes to the spread of diseases.
Melon crops grow well on virgin, fallow lands, as well as on layers of perennial grasses. Using these predecessors, the yield is higher, harvesting starts 7-12 days earlier, and the plants are less affected by diseases. In the absence of a layer, melon crops can also be placed on old arable lands.
When choosing areas for melons, especially for watermelons and melons, it is necessary to give preference to areas with a gentle southern or southwestern slope, if possible, protected from cold winds. These slopes are better warmed up, well lit by the sun, and there is less chance of spring frosts and weaker fluctuations in night and day temperatures, plants suffer less from anthracnose.
Melon crops grow better on light-textured, well-warmed soils with a sufficient content of organic matter. It also grows well on heavy loamy soils when organic fertilizers are applied.
Watermelons and melons develop well on pine sands located along the edges of ribbon pine forests or in clearings in the forest. On soils with light mechanical composition, ripening is accelerated and the sugar content of fruits increases.
Melon crops are responsive to the application of fertilizers. Good results are obtained by adding 300-500 g of humus, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt into the hole. Large doses of manure applied to watermelons and melons delay the ripening of fruits, deteriorate their quality, and also increase disease damage. Pumpkin tolerates increased doses of manure best of all.
Techniques pre-sowing preparation diverse. For sowing, it is better to use seeds that have been stored for 2 - 3 years. When sown with seeds from the previous year, the plants produce female flowers later and in smaller quantities, and the yield is lower. However, if prepared accordingly, they are not inferior to seeds stored for 2-3 years.
In this case, pre-sowing heating of seeds at a temperature of 40-50°C for 5-7 hours or at a temperature of 60-70°C for 2 hours is effective. In this case, the temperature must be increased gradually, and the seeds must be scattered in a layer of no more than 10 cm. Seeds from the previous year, stored in a cold room in winter, when heated for 5 hours at a temperature of 50°C, increase the yield by 20-30%, and the productivity of the first harvests by 1.5-2 times.
Air-thermal solar heating of seeds before sowing significantly reduces the period before emergence, increases field germination and seed germination energy, accelerates seed ripening and increases yield. Positive results are obtained by soaking seeds in a 0.05% solution of manganese sulfate for 16 hours.
Experienced melon growers know that a good harvest can be obtained from large, full-bodied seeds. The most accessible way to select such seeds is in a 9% saline solution, in which the seeds are kept for 2-3 minutes, then washed with clean water.
In some cases good results obtained by treating seeds with variable temperatures - seed hardening, which is carried out in the following way: seeds in gauze bags are soaked in water for 12 hours, after which they are placed in glass jars and leave for 12 hours (day) in a room with a temperature of 15-20°C.
For the next 12 hours (night), the seeds are buried in the snow. Thus, the seeds are processed for 10 days. In cold, protracted spring conditions, sowing seeds in unheated soil does not give positive results. Under such weather conditions, it is better to postpone sowing to a later date, and store the seeds this time on a glacier, in a refrigerator at a temperature of 1-3°C. Treatment of seeds with variable temperatures, as experiments have shown, is best carried out in this mode: maintain for 8 hours at a temperature of 15-20°C and 16 hours at a temperature of 1-3°C.
At low temperatures and high soil and air humidity, melon seeds do not germinate for a long time (up to 3 weeks). Therefore, at very early sowing In unheated soil, seedlings do not appear for a long time, and in prolonged cold weather they may not appear at all or will be sparse. If planted late, the fruits may not ripen. top scores obtained by sowing watermelons in mid-May, melons on May 15-20, and pumpkins on May 10-20. Pumpkins tolerate better than other melon crops early dates seva.
Depending on the weather conditions deadlines may change. With an early friendly spring on the southern slopes, sowing can be done earlier. The depth of seed placement depends on the mechanical composition of the soil. On light soils, seeds are sown deeper than on heavy soils; taking into account the conditions, watermelon seeds are sown to a depth of 4-8 cm, melons 3-6, pumpkins 7-10, zucchini, squash 6-8 cm.
To obtain an earlier harvest, 20-25 day old seedlings should be grown in the same way as cucumbers. Seedlings are planted after the end of frost (June 10-15). The distance between the holes is 50-70 cm; two to three plants are planted in each hole. The technique for planting seedlings is the same as for cucumbers. Sow seeds in holes of 5-8 pieces, and after thinning, leave two to three plants. Watering is carried out regularly and only with warm water. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil well. Long-climbing pumpkin varieties are best placed along the edge of the garden, while short-climbing pumpkin varieties can be grown inside the garden at a distance of 1 m.
Zucchini and squash are cut regularly, preventing the fruit from overgrowing. The pumpkin is harvested when completely ripe. Zucchini fruits are harvested when they are no more than 10-15 cm, they are cut with a knife. Melons and watermelons are harvested selectively. The onset of removable ripeness of watermelons is determined by the drying of the stalk, melons by a change in color, free separation of the stalk from the fruit, and a strong aroma.
Due to proper storage the fruits of melons and melons can significantly extend the period of their fresh consumption. It has been established that it is better for storage to take fruits grown on light sandy loam soils. If the area is irrigated, then watering must be stopped for 2-3 weeks before harvesting. Fruits of mid-late and late-season varieties are stored better late varieties, collected in dry sunny weather.
For storage, ripe fruits with a stalk are collected. They must be transported to the storage location carefully, laid in one layer on a soft bedding made of straw, chaff or other materials.
Watermelons and melons are stored on racks in one layer; they can be stored in containers in 4-5 layers at a temperature of 8-10°C and a humidity of 80-85%. The fruits are placed on a bed of dry straw, chaff, peat, and dry sand. It is better to lay it on the side that faces the sun (the bark is the strongest on this side). IN refrigeration chambers should be stored at a temperature of 4-6°C; at lower temperatures (0-2, 2-4) the fruits freeze slightly.
Unlike watermelons and melons, pumpkin of almost all varieties is suitable for long-term storage. IN room conditions stored until the next harvest. Optimal conditions are temperature 3-10°C and humidity 70-75%. In damp, cold rooms, the storage period is sharply reduced.
This is interesting
The pumpkin genus is large and diverse. The largest or main pumpkin, the table pumpkin, has three types: hard-barked from Asia Minor, large-fruited from South America, nutmeg from Central America. The most common in our country is hard-barked and large-fruited pumpkin. Pumpkin has been introduced into culture since time immemorial. It has been grown in Russia since the 16th century.
Watermelons and melons, the fruits of these crops are highly nutritious, have a pleasant, refreshing taste, they can be equated to the best fruits. berry crops. They contain from 7-21% sugar, mainly fructose, sucrose, iron salts, necessary for the formation of blood.
Pumpkin fruits contain a lot of vitamins B2, E, T. Pumpkin products are easily absorbed by the body. From it you can prepare more than 30 delicious dietary dishes. Zucchini, squash, crooknecks, zucchini are boiled, fried, marinated, stewed, cooked with caviar, stuffed. Products made from them are easily absorbed by the body, preventing obesity and the accumulation of cholesterol in the body. Contains 4-6% dry matter, 2.0-2.5% sugar, iron salts, potassium, calcium, magnesium.
