What are the types and varieties of melons?
Melon is a popular crop that came to us from Asia. It has spread widely in Russia, and is now successfully cultivated in our country. Therefore, with the onset of spring, summer residents begin to choose varieties for planting. Let's consider what varieties and varieties of melons are common, how to grow them depending on the area of growth, and also how to preserve the grown crop.
Classification of melon varieties
According to ripening period varieties of this crop are divided into early, mid- and late-ripening. Here are examples of each type of melon with photos and names of varieties.
Early
Early varieties ripen from 50 to 70 days. They are ideal for planting in areas with short summers, low temperatures and short daylight hours.
A sybarite's dream
Melon Sybarite's Dream is considered a rare Korean variety. The fruit has an unusual greenish color with small emerald stripes. The pulp is white, crispy, with a honey taste. Fruit weight – from 300 to 700 g.
Dune
Melon Dune - a well-transported species. The fruits are dark yellow, with a mesh pattern, and oval. The pulp is dense, light cream, slightly grainy. Weight – 1.5-2.5 kg.
Raymond F1
Melon Raymond f1 – pineapple-type hybrid. The fruits are oblong, ocher-yellow in color, dotted with a net. The pulp is creamy yellow, sweet. Fruit weight – 4-5 kg.
Aikido
Unpretentious, has increased resistance to diseases. The crust is rich yellow, dense.The pulp is light green, aromatic and sweet. Weight – 2 kg.
Cinderella
The variety is unpretentious, high-yielding, ultra-early ripening. The fruits are elongated spherical, the skin is yellow with a white mesh. The pulp is white or with greenish streaks, not sugary, but juicy and aromatic. Weight – 1.5-2.5 kg.
Credo F1
French high-yielding hybrid. The skin is dull yellow with an indented mesh. The pulp is milky, aromatic. Fruit weight is 2-2.5 kg.
Dakaro
Oval pineapple type hybrid. The peel is bright yellow, covered with a web of patterns. The pulp is oily. Weight – 3-5 kg.
Mid-season
Mid-season varieties ripen in 80-90 days. In warmer and sunny weather, ripening may be reduced to 70-80 days.
Altai
The variety is intended for the Ural, West Siberian, East Siberian regions, as well as other cold locations. The fruit is elliptical in shape with a golden-colored skin, with fine cobwebs on the surface. The flesh is cream or white in color and sometimes has a pumpkin flavor. Weight – 1.5-2 kg. According to reviews from gardeners, Altai melon has low shelf life and transportability.
Cossack woman
The fruits are oval, the skin is smooth, bright yellow.. The pulp is fibrous, white, crunchy. Weight – 1.3-1.8 kg.
Golden
The surface of the fruit is smooth, bright golden in color, oblong in shape with rounded ends. It arose thanks to Krasnodar breeders. When cut, the flesh is cream-colored. Weight – 1.5-2 kg.
Black Prince
Melon Black Prince – high-yielding variety of Dutch selection. The oval-shaped fruits are green in color. The pulp is white, juicy. Weight – 4-5 kg.
Ameri cream
Fruits are yellow, cream or green. The flesh is white or reddish-white, with the taste of pineapple, vanilla and pear. Weight – 2 kg.
Piel de Sapo
Oval melon, developed in the Canary Islands. The peel is marsh-green, uneven, with cracks. It has a fresh aroma and light creamy taste. Weight – up to 2 kg.
old lady
The shape of the fruit is round, diameter – no more than 30 cm. Color Old ladies light yellow or greenish. The peel is thick and dense. The pulp is juicy and watery. The smell is fresh, the taste is melon-like with hints of cucumber, figs, and pumpkin. Weight – 2-3 kg.
Other melon varieties:
What is good about Kassaba melon, how to choose and grow it
Melon "Vietnamese" with an unusual appearance and interesting taste
Late
Late ripening melons completely ripen 95-110 days after sowing. They are stored for a long time (up to six months) and have a bright and distinct taste.
Two types are considered the most delicious.
Fig
Fruit weight – from 100 to 200 g, oval shape. The color of fig melon is orange with yellowish-cream stripes. The pulp is pumpkin-colored and sweet. The weight of the fetus is up to 3 kg.
Glory
The crust is smooth, yellow-green in color, with a coarse-mesh continuous mesh. The shape is round, the flesh is white, juicy, with a rich sweet taste. The weight of the fetus is from 1.5 to 4 kg.
Melon varieties similar to pumpkin
Among the unusual types of melons, pumpkin-like varieties are distinguished. Some of them even have a characteristic taste.
Ethiopian
The variety was bred in Russia. Ethiopian has excellent transportability. The fruits have a round oval shape. The peel is orange or yellow, covered with a fine mesh. The pulp is oily, light honey in color, with a pronounced honey aroma. The fruits can reach 7 kg.
Galileo F1
Resistant to low temperatures. The peel of the fruit is light orange, dense, with vertical dark green stripes. The pulp is aromatic, greenish-white.Fruit weight – up to 1.5 kg.
Ribbed melon
The fruits are large, ribbed, somewhat “plump”, in a pale green or yellow hue with orange elements. The pulp is juicy and crunchy. The maximum fruit weight is 5 kg.
Varieties of Kuban melons
Several popular varieties have been bred in Kuban.
Tamanskaya
The fruits are oval, covered with a yellow peel, speckled with cobwebs. The pulp is tender, grainy, creamy in color, with a honey flavor. Weight – 500-1300 g.
Scythian gold
Mid-early hybrid, resistant to powdery mildew. The fruits are yellow, oval, with a net. Weight – about 1 kg.
Iroquois
A hybrid with oval fruits that are covered with a green mesh skin. The pulp is aromatic, dense, yellow-orange in color. Productivity – 6-8 kg/m².
Princess Svetlana
Fruits are round, white-cream, without mesh. The pulp is milky and sweet. Fruit weight – 1.3-1.6 kg. Productivity – 6.2-6.5 kg/m².
Varieties of green, red, yellow and white melons
In addition to the classic yellow melons, there are a variety of melons on the market, colored in other colors.
Green melons
Mabel F1 has a dark green color. The oval-shaped fruits are dotted with small cracks.
Banana melons look like large, plump zucchini.. They have an elliptical shape and a light marsh color, complemented by a yellow mesh. The length of a mature specimen is from 0.5 to 1 m. It is recommended to grow them in greenhouses.
Reds
According to some external characteristics, the Pineapple melon variety can be classified as red. The fruits are red-brown in color with small, vertically located, dark yellow-orange stripes. Fruit weight - no more than 300 g. The taste of the pulp is similar to the taste of pineapple.
Yellow
80% of all melons are represented in this color, and among them there are unusual specimens.
Momordica or Indian bitter melon
It got its name because of its specific taste. Momordica grows on vines. The fruits are small, elongated, the surface of a rich yellow color is covered with growths. The inner side of the crust is covered with a layer of pulp no more than 1.5 cm wide, and in the cavity of the fruit there are large seeds and a jelly-like mass.
Pepino
The fruits of this variety are slightly larger than a goose egg. The crust is pale yellow, with eggplant-colored stripes. The pulp is juicy, yellow or cream in color. The fruit tastes sweet, with a pear flavor.
White
A few representatives of this category are varieties Princess Svetlana and Muscat White Melon. The latter has a round shape, a smooth creamy-white crust. The pulp is juicy, with a greenish tint. Belongs to early ripening varieties, the fruit weighs 1.5-2 kg.
How to choose the right melon variety
The key point in selecting a melon variety is purchasing seeds. Basic rules for choosing seed:
- Melon varieties are selected depending on the climatic conditions in which the plant will be grown. For the middle zone and northern regions, frost-resistant hybrid crops and early varieties are chosen.
- Buy seeds in specialized stores.
- They check that the planting material is certified. The packaging must indicate: the name of the variety, information about it (size, shape, weight, color of the fruit), information about the scheme and method of planting, harvest time, etc.
- Before planting, the seeds are checked: a few days before sowing, they are soaked and any that float are thrown away, as they will not germinate.
Read also:
Rules for growing melon
Melon is a heat-loving crop. Specially bred frost-resistant varieties are grown in Russia in greenhouse conditions and in open ground.
Growing in a greenhouse
Greenhouse cultivation begins with the construction of a greenhouse. It is located on the south or south-east side of the site and is made of a special transparent material - polycarbonate or glass.
Teplichnoe the room is equipped with devices for climbing plants and other crops are not planted there.
The soil in the greenhouse should be moist, loosened and fertilized. before planting the crop in the ground. Growing seedlings before planting is not required; seeds are planted from April to early May directly in the greenhouse.
Reference.The best varieties for growing in greenhouses are considered Collective farmer, Lada, Sympathy, Gerda, Canaria, Ozhen, Amal, Sharena, Galia, Muscat white, Cinderella, Titovka, Star in the garden.
When planting a crop, the soil temperature should be +17…+27°C. It is important to water daily and provide 14 hours of daylight. You can use ultraviolet lamps for this.
When harvesting, one fruit is picked first, and then, making sure of its maturity, they collect others. After this, all plants, weeds are removed and the soil is loosened.
Growing in open ground
Growing in open ground differs from greenhouse at the stage of seed preparation. They are pre-soaked and germinated; when planted in cold regions, they are hardened off.
Reference. The seed hardening process is carried out as follows: the planting material is wrapped in damp gauze and put in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then it is placed in a warm place for 12 hours. The procedure is repeated for 3-4 days.
For germination of seed material use cups, containers or peat pots with soil. Before sowing, the soil is disinfected with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Seeds are immersed in prepared soil 4-5 cm deep. The crops are watered with a small amount of warm water and covered with film. Germination lasts on average 5 weeks in good light. Additionally, use phytolamps and water them daily.
Reference. The varieties Titovka, Rannyaya 133, Ananasnaya, Zolotistaya, Kolkhoznitsa, Blondie F1 are suitable for growing in open ground in the southern regions and the middle zone. In the northern regions - Sybarite's Dream, Cinderella, Altai, Zimovka.
Melon planting in open ground carried out at a temperature not lower than +20°C. The place should not be shaded. The seedlings are covered with damp newspaper for 2-3 days and removed periodically. Water the crop once a week with warm water.
Soil between the rows loosen after watering or rain.
Fertilize crops three times:
- 2 weeks after planting;
- during the period of bud formation on the bushes;
- 20 days after the previous feeding.
Yellowed melons with a network of cracks are ready for harvest. It’s time to remove fruits that are easily separated from the vine.
Melon storage conditions
Early and some mid-season varieties do not store for a long time, they are immediately eaten. Late and mid-season varieties are stored for up to 6 months.
For storage the fruits are removed from the bush along with the stalk at least 30 cm long. The fruits are collected in the morning or evening. Then leave it on the site for 3-4 days, turning it over periodically. Then store in a cool, disinfected place, preferably hanging, at an air humidity of no more than 80% and a temperature of +2...+3°C.
Attention! You can't keep melons next to apples and potatoes.
Conclusion
The future harvest depends on the correct choice of melon variety. To find a suitable option, they focus on the characteristics of the crop: the ability to withstand low temperatures, drought resistance, fruit taste, keeping quality and transportability. In our country, in different regions, it is possible to grow melons in open ground or in greenhouses.