Uzbek autumn melon “Granny”

Melon Grandmother attracts attention with its unusual appearance. It is very different from the fruits we are used to. Grandmother, Old Maid, Old Woman, Kampir Kovun - these are just a few of her other names.

Delicious, aromatic, having beneficial properties, it ripens in the fall and pleases with its fruits from September to December. They buy it when other fruits of this crop are already disappearing from store shelves. Let's get to know her in more detail and find out why she is so good.

Description

Because of its wrinkled appearance, the melon is called “kampyr kovun” (sometimes “kampyr kovun”), or Grandmother melon. Scientific name: Cucumis melo ssp. orientale Sageret var, or "Dutma". Its homeland is Asia, now it grows in the Syrdarya and Samarkand regions.

It belongs to the Uzbek branch of pumpkin plants. It was bred in the Middle Ages and received the name “Kampir”, which means “grandmother” in Uzbek. This name suits her perfectly. The skin of the fruit is hard, covered with deep grooves, reminiscent of senile wrinkles.

Distinctive features

In addition to appearance, a distinctive feature of the variety is late ripening. In Asia, these melons are harvested only in September. If you decide to grow it in Russia, it will ripen even later.

Melon has an unusual taste, similar at the same time to melon, cucumber and pumpkin with a fresh aroma. This is a real delicacy from the east, which is rare in our country - Babushka is difficult to transport and is poorly stored.

Composition and properties

In addition to its original appearance and unusual taste, the Kampir variety contains micro- and macroelements, vitamins and minerals. Late varieties of melons are considered the lowest in calories and help fight cholesterol and diabetes.

Nutritional value of the Babushka variety per 100 g:

• water – 88.5 g;
• proteins – 0.6 g;
• fats – 0.3 g;
• carbohydrates – 10.3 g;
• dietary fiber (fiber) – 0.6 g;
• pectins – 0.4 g;
• organic acids – 0.12 g;
• ash – 0.5 g;
• energy value – 38-42 kcal, depending on ripeness.

Vitamins, mg:

• A (beta-carotene) – 0.4;
• B1 (thiamine) – 0.04;
• B2 (riboflavin) – 0.04;
• B3 (vitamin PP) – 0.4;
• B9 (folic acid) – 0.006;
• C (ascorbic acid) – 20;
• E (tocopherol) – 0.1.

Macroelements, mg:

• potassium – 118;
• sodium – 32;
• calcium – 16;
• magnesium – 13;
• phosphorus – 12.

Microelements, mcg:

• iron – 1000;
• zinc – 90;
• copper – 47;
• manganese – 35;
• fluorine – 20;
• iodine – 2;
• cobalt – 2.

Useful properties of Campir Kovun:

• strengthens the immune system;
• promotes blood cell regeneration;
• normalizes hemoglobin;
• has a positive effect on the heart and cardiovascular system;
• thins the blood and promotes the resorption of blood clots;
• cleanses the gastrointestinal tract;
• improves bowel function;
• flushes the kidneys, adrenal glands and urinary system;
• helps prevent the formation of kidney stones;
• improves intestinal microflora;
• has a positive effect on the brain and nerves.

There will be no harm from melon if you do not eat it in large quantities. When overeating occurs:

• bloating;
• gas formation;
• loose stool.

Fruit characteristics and yield

Melon yield is 2.3-3.1 kg per 1 m². The fruits weigh 2-3 kilograms, up to 30 cm in diameter. They are covered with a hard, dense crust resembling wrinkles. The color of the peel is from gray-green to green-yellow.

Near the peduncle there is a convexity similar to a cone or cap.

The pulp is light, white around the peel, in the center of the seeds it is light orange, juicy and watery. The juice of this melon is useful; when cutting it, it is better to collect it and drink it.

How to choose fruits when purchasing

When purchasing, you should remember the ripening time of the variety. It is useless to look for grandma on the shelves in July. It is also necessary to take into account that, even if the melons are removed from the melons unripe, then at a temperature of +30-40°C they quickly ripen, deteriorate and rot.

Secrets of choosing a ripe melon:

1. The surface of a ripe Babushka melon is uniformly light green and pale. The dark green color on it indicates that the melon is not ripe, the rich yellow color indicates that it is already overripe, but if there are brown spots, it is beginning to rot. To avoid mistakes, you should look at a photo of a ripe melon on the Internet in advance. It is better not to purchase cracked or scratched ones - dirt accumulates in these places and microbes develop.
2. If veins are visible on the cut, the fruit has been overfed with nitrates and fertilizers. They are also indicated by a yellowish stripe between the peel and the pulp. A green stripe indicates immaturity.
3. Farmers often treat plants with urea. A sign of this is the beautiful appearance of the fruit: glossy skin, no odor on the outside, but a strong aroma on the inside.

How to grow your own

To enjoy Grandmother, you will have to grow it yourself, because it will not be possible to bring melon from the south. To obtain a good harvest, the nuances of planting and care are observed.

Growing in stages and care

Planting begins with choosing a place for sowing. In the garden, it is recommended to set aside the southern, sunny side of the plot for melon beds. If you plant in open ground, then the plant needs to equip warm beds.Melon does not like acidic soils. Reduce acidity by adding wood ash to the soil.

It is advisable to install electricity in the greenhouse so that the bushes receive light even in bad weather. Due to limited space, you will have to arrange vertical beds and raise the vines.

It is impossible to plant melons and melons in the same place for two years - the rules of crop rotation must be followed. The best predecessors of melon:

• cabbage;
• beans;
• beet;
• potato;
• onion.

Babushka is planted when the risk of spring frosts has passed. The exact time depends on weather conditions and region. It is wise to postpone planting in the soil until mid-May. Water for irrigation must have a temperature of at least +20°C. In the central and northern regions, melons are grown using seedlings.

The seeds are heated on a radiator or dipped in hot water and treated against diseases and pests.

They are sown to a depth of 10-12 cm. The distance between the bushes should be 70 cm, but it is better to leave one meter each. Melon roots spread along the ground and go deep, they need a lot of space. It is difficult to create such conditions in a greenhouse due to lack of space.

Important! After planting in open ground, the crop needs additional protection from the wind. To do this, it is fenced off with low fences made of plastic or cardboard.

Water the plant 1-2 times a week in hot weather and less often if there is precipitation. To do this, use a drip system or sprinkler. If this is not possible, then use warm water that has been standing for 24 hours.

Advice. Be sure to monitor the condition of the soil. Do not overwater the melon as this will cause the roots to rot.

In temperate climates, growth accelerators are used for melons, which can be nitrogen-containing fertilizers. They are used no more than once a month.If you do this more often, the fruits will accumulate nitrates, lose their beneficial properties and become unpleasant in taste.

In addition to nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied monthly before harvest.

To get a good harvest, it is important to form bushes and remove weak shoots. No more than five lashes are left on one plant. This procedure is carried out so that the bush does not waste energy on growing stems, but transfers them to fruit ovary.

The soil is weeded and loosened after each watering. Young plants need mulching.

If the melon is planted in a greenhouse, then artificial pollination and the formation of lashes on trellises are additionally carried out.

Diseases and pests

Kampir melon is susceptible to the following diseases:

• fusarium - bushes are treated with a solution of potassium chloride or superphosphates;
• powdery mildew - disinfected with a solution of sulfuric acid;
• verdigris - shoots are sprayed against it with 1% Bordeaux mixture.

These measures are combined with preventive treatment of seeds before planting with solutions of formaldehyde or potassium permanganate. Damaged shoots are destroyed at the first sign of disease.

In addition to diseases, insects can also harm melons:

• melon aphid;
• wireworm;
• melon fly;
• spider mite

Measures to combat them:

• treatment with a soap solution (100 g of grated soap per 10 liters of water);
• use of "Karbofos" (60 g per 8 liters of water);
• adding “Bazudin” to the soil before planting (mix 15 g with 0.5 liters of river sand and spread over one hundred square meters of land).

Harvesting and application

The harvest is harvested even in Uzbekistan in the fall, not earlier than September. The ripeness of the fruit is determined by the dried tail and the color transition from light green to yellow.

Since storage of melons of this variety is poorly tolerated, it is recommended to eat them immediately or preserve them in the form jams, jams, marmalade.

Storage

Proper storage involves packing fruits one at a time into nets and hanging them. Melons should not come into contact with walls or other fruits.

Fruits can be stored in hay, sand, straw, creating an additional substrate for them. But this method does not allow you to preserve the Babushka melon longer than expected.

Important! About two months after being removed from the ridges, Kampir melons begin to rot, even if all storage conditions are met.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the Babushka variety:

• unusual appearance;
• ease of cultivation, which does not require special knowledge from beginners;
• unusual taste.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• sometimes the disadvantages include an unusual taste - due to the fact that it bears little resemblance to the one to which we are accustomed;
• poor keeping quality.

The main disadvantage is considered to be the problem of transportation and storage. It can be solved by growing melon in your area.

Conclusion

Grandma melon is an unusual variety, which until recently could only be tasted in Central Asia. This is due to the difficulties of its transportation and storage. Now the problem has been solved due to the possibility of growing the variety in greenhouses in different regions of our country. Grandma is a late variety whose fruits you can enjoy in the fall. The taste is not for everyone, but the melon will definitely not leave you indifferent.