Hybrid watermelon “Karistan” with large and sweet fruits
Until recently, it was believed that watermelons were a very capricious and heat-loving berry. They were grown only in the southern regions. For residents of other areas, the chances of waiting for the fruit to ripen were close to zero. Everything changed with the development of new hardy varieties and hybrids. Among them is the cold-resistant Karistan watermelon, which produces crops in almost every corner of our country.
Description of watermelon
This early ripening hybrid was bred by Dutch specialists just a couple of decades ago. In Russia, Karistan began to be tested in 2007, and since 2012 it has been officially approved for cultivation in open ground in the Volga region, the Urals and other areas.
The pulp of the fruit is unusually sweet and juicy. The early maturity of the hybrid eliminates the use of fertilizers containing nitrates and other chemical compounds unsafe for health.
Karistan f1 is suitable for industrial cultivationand for personal consumption.
Distinctive features
Features of the hybrid:
- oblong fruits of an elongated elliptical shape with juicy pulp, an unusually sweet taste for those grown in the middle zone;
- the fruits have time to ripen 65–70 days after planting the seeds in the ground;
- Karistan tolerates cool summers well, unlike other varieties.
The last two properties allow you to grow watermelons in areas with short and cool summers without the use of greenhouses.
Composition and properties
Despite its sweetness, watermelon is low in calories (27 kcal per 100 g), so it is included in dietary rations.
Nutritional value of pulp per 100 g:
- proteins - 0.7;
- fats - 0.1;
- carbohydrates - 5.8;
- dietary fiber - 0.4;
- water - 93.
Fruits are rich in vitamins A, C, group B and minerals (potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium).
The benefits of watermelon:
- normalizes the functioning of the nervous system;
- improves brain activity, memory;
- normalizes heart rhythm;
- has diuretic and laxative effects;
- restores the body's water balance, eliminates dehydration;
- fights high cholesterol;
- removes toxins;
- used in home cosmetology for skin care.
Watermelons treated with chemical fertilizers cause the main harm to the body. and containing nitrates. They are the ones who cause poisoning. The consumption of juicy berries is limited for diabetes, urolithiasis, gastrointestinal problems and for children under 3 years of age.
About other varieties and hybrids of watermelon:
Popular watermelon "Crimson Sweet": pros, cons and cultivation
Characteristics
Fruit shape oval or oblong. The berries are large or medium in size, with thin or medium green bark, stripes of medium width, from light to dark green. The average weight of the fruit is from 3 to 5 kg, but according to the originator - up to 16 kg.
The pulp is unusually dense, juicy and crispy, red and even dark red. The taste is sweet, sugary (6–8% sugars).
The bushes are very elongated, with thick strong lashes. The leaves are slightly dissected, green, medium in size. Protect fruits from the scorching sun.
High-yielding hybrid. When grown in the field without additional irrigation, 150–250 c/ha are collected.With drip irrigation and regular fertilizing, productivity increases.
Seeds of watermelon
Karistan seeds are small black. The fruits ripen well, but are unsuitable for further planting: the qualities of the hybrid will not be preserved in the next generation.
The manufacturer himself treats the grains with a special solution (“Tiram”) to make the crop resistant to fusarium and anthracnose. The product colors the seeds in a rich red hue.
How to grow your own
Cultivating Karistan is not difficult: he is unpretentious in care. Plants are planted both in open ground and in greenhouses. To speed up ripening time, the seedling method is used. Plants that are immediately sown in open ground take root best, but in the northern regions this is impossible.
Step-by-step cultivation and care
The first stage is seed preparation. They are germinated in damp gauze until shoots emerge and must be heated at +50...+55°C. Then they are laid out in containers with pre-mixed peat-humus soil and sprinkled with light soil. Sowing depth is 3–5 cm.
The containers are placed on window sills under the rays of the sun, and the top is additionally covered with film or glass. After the sprouts appear, the temperature is lowered to +20°C, and then to +15°C, ensuring a sufficient amount of sunlight.
Seedlings are planted in the ground a month later in well-heated beds. Seedlings are not kept in containers for longer than this period: the root system is already ready for new conditions. If the weather does not allow planting the crop in open ground, additional insulation from covering materials will be installed. The optimal temperature for watermelon growth is not lower than +20°C.
Bushes are placed at a sufficient distance from each other (preferably after 1 m2) so that the roots receive sufficient nutrients, moisture and oxygen.
In warm regions, sowing in open ground is carried out in May, when the soil warms up to +12…+15°C. The seeds are buried by 8–10 cm (with drip irrigation - by 1–3 cm), maintained at intervals of 0.6–1 m.
Water the crop 1-2 times a week, in the evening. At the flowering stage this is done less frequently, and during fruiting it is stopped. Over the entire season, 2 feedings are applied: after planting seedlings in open ground, use a solution of mullein (1:10), after 15 days - ammonium nitrate (20 g per 10 liters of water).
The soil is regularly loosened and weeded. The excess lashes are pinched off and the main stem is left. After 2-3 watermelons have formed, the central shoot is also pinched.
Important! To ensure uniform heating and prevent fruit from rotting, they are periodically turned from one side to the other.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Required conditions for obtaining a rich harvest from Karistan:
- good lighting, especially when growing seedlings;
- compliance with temperature conditions and the use of covering material;
- abundant humidity - the volume of the harvest directly depends on it;
- soil fertility, but without the abuse of chemicals.
Diseases and pests
Karistan is prone to fungal diseases. This is facilitated by low temperatures, cloudy weather, rain, and dampness.
The most common hybrid diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- olive spot;
- blackleg.
The following methods are used to prevent and combat them::
- control humidity without flooding the plants;
- often weed and loosen the soil;
- follow the rules of crop rotation;
- remove the affected parts of the bushes;
- treat the bushes with biological preparations.
Pests that pose a danger to watermelons are::
- aphid;
- sprout fly.
Insecticides and ash infusion are used against them.
Harvesting and application
The harvest is harvested in clear sunny weather, not earlier than 4-5 days after rain. This will preserve the fruits longer and allow them to be transported over long distances.
The readiness of watermelons for harvesting is determined by:
- dried stalk;
- yellow spot;
- increased crust hardness.
The fruits are consumed fresh, prepared from them jam, candied fruits, fruit juices and smoothies, various exotic snacks.
Read also:
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of a hybrid:
high yields for any planting method;- sugar-sweet taste of the pulp;
- high seed germination, uniform fruit ripening;
- resistance to cold weather, sunburn;
- long-term storage;
- high transportability;
- excellent presentation.
Flaws:
- reduction in the sweetness of watermelons during prolonged cloudy weather;
- lack of seedlings when planting in unheated soil.
Reviews
Farmers note the excellent taste of the fruit, the unpretentiousness of the crop and high yield:
Alexey, Krasnodar region: “We grow Karistan from seedlings using irrigation systems. The hybrid has shown itself well: productive, transportable, with excellent fruit taste and small seeds. We cultivate for sale and get a good profit from it.”.
Veronica Moscow region: “I planted Karistan in a greenhouse and it took root well, despite the fact that we had a cool May. We got several watermelons from one bush. The largest one weighs about 4 kg. They taste sweet and are not at all like store-bought watermelons.”.
Conclusion
Watermelon Karistan is a godsend for the Urals, Siberia and Central Russia. The hybrid is unpretentious in care and produces a rich harvest in greenhouses and in the open air. Additional protection under covering material, abundant watering and several feedings per season will increase the productivity of the crop. Delicious berries are used fresh and various snacks are prepared from them.