An exotic fruit with an unusual appearance and interesting taste - Vietnamese melon
Early ripening Vietnamese melon is grown in regions with an unstable climate and cool summers - in the Urals or Siberia. The compact fruits take several months to ripen; summer residents harvest in August.
Vietnamese shows stable yields in open beds, greenhouses or greenhouses. Let's take a closer look at the process of growing a small striped melon.
Description of the melon variety
The heat-loving crop ripens within 80-90 days from the moment the first shoots appear. It is planted in seedlings.
Distinctive features
The fruits ripen in compact beds. The melons are small, so there is no need to tie up the plant. Vietnamese is suitable for growing in small beds. The main thing is that the land is fertile. The plant is immune to diseases and insect pests.
Composition and properties
100 g contains only 34 kcal, so melon is used to make dietary sweets. The pulp of the fruit is also used for cosmetic purposes - masks, tonics and facial lotions are prepared from it.
Melon juice smoothes out fine wrinkles, makes the skin radiant and elastic.
The product contains:
- vitamins group B, which are necessary for eye health;
- vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and has an antiviral effect;
- dietary fiber, which activates digestion and metabolic processes.
The product also contains calcium, phosphorus and iron.
Fruit characteristics and yield
Round melons have a smooth, striped skin. Their color is yellow-brown. The weight of the fruit varies from 100 to 200 g. The pulp is orange, with a milky tint, sweet and honey-like. Summer residents remove up to 15 fruits from one bush.
How to choose fruits when purchasing
Vietnamese is rarely found on store shelves; most often it is bought from gardeners at the market. Ripe melons have a pleasant aroma, elastic thick skin and a dry stalk.
There should be no scratches or cracks on the surface of the seeds. If the melon is soft, it means it is overripe.
Important! It is not recommended to buy melon near the road or on the highway. Exhaust gases from cars negatively affect the taste and quality of fruits.
How to grow a variety yourself
Melon cultivation requires basic knowledge and skills. Vietnamese melon is grown by seedlings. Seedlings are prepared at the end of March. Let's take a closer look at what is needed for this.
Planting and growing seedlings
Seedlings require seeds, a seedling container and soil. They buy all this in specialized stores or use improvised means.
When growing seedlings, follow these recommendations:
- For planting, select large seeds: they need to be disinfected with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.
- Soak the seeds for a day in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulator. The seeds will swell, the stimulant will strengthen their immunity.
- Harden the material in the freezer by placing the seeds in it for 10 hours.
Peat tablets or pots, cardboard boxes, and flower pots are used as containers. The container is washed with soda and filled with earth. The depth of the holes for planting is at least 1 cm.
Place 2 seeds in each, cover with soil and slam down.Immediately after this, water generously with warm water. The next time the seedlings are watered only after 6 days.
Important! For melons, use a mixture of soil from the garden and soil from the store. Take equal parts and add peat, humus and river sand as a natural leavening agent. The soil is placed in the freezer for a day - low temperatures destroy larvae and microbes.
Planting in the garden and caring for melon
Seedlings are planted in May after the last spring frosts. The best predecessors for Vietnamese are cabbage, legumes, onions, herbs, potatoes or peppers. It is not recommended to plant melon after melons - watermelons, pumpkins or other melon varieties.
The beds are dug up to the full extent of the shovel, cleared of leaves and debris, and large clods of earth are broken up. Vietnamese planting pattern - 70x70. The seedlings are carefully moved into the holes and sprinkled with earth. The bushes are covered with film until the first three leaves appear.
Water the melon as the soil dries. Use water that has been preheated in the sun. Once every two weeks, instead of water, use nettle infusion or Bordeaux mixture - they improve the taste of the fruit and strengthen the immune system.
Two weeks after planting, the first feeding is organized. Saltpeter, superphosphate, and the mineral complex “Magic Leika” or “Zdraven” are added to the beds. The interval between feedings should be at least 15 days.
Important! Manure, humus, compost, and bird droppings are used as organic fertilizers. Thanks to organic matter, shoots and leaves become healthy and strong. Add food after watering.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Before each watering, the soil is loosened.The procedure saturates the earth with oxygen, which has a positive effect on the development of the root system.
After loosening, the bushes are hilled up and sprinkled with peat chips. As soon as 5 ovaries are formed on one stem, the top of the plant is pinched. Pinching will speed up the ripening time, the fruits will grow large and sweet.
Pay close attention to the amount of mineral fertilizers. Nutrition should be balanced. A lack or excess of elements leads to disease and drying out.
Vietnamese melon needs:
- Nitrogen — stimulates the growth and development of plants. If it is deficient, the plant withers.
- Potassium – protects melon from diseases and pests, strengthens the immune system, and participates in the setting and formation of fruits. An excess of potassium leads to yellowing of the leaves.
- Phosphorus — strengthens the roots and saturates them with nutrition. Due to a lack of phosphorus, melon develops root rot.
Diseases and pests characteristic of the variety
Among the diseases, tobacco mosaic is noted. It appears as a yellow pattern on the leaves. The virus disrupts metabolic processes, slows down the development of ovaries and fruits. Appears both on young seedlings and on adult plants during the fruiting period.
The cause of the disease is contaminated soil, sudden temperature changes, and improper watering. As a preventive measure, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of iodine or onion peels. For treatment, the drug “Quadris” or “Maxim” is used.
Another disease is fusarium wilt. Causes of appearance: an excess of mineral fertilizers or non-compliance with crop rotation rules. The plant becomes covered with a gray coating, the fruits lose their taste and become deformed. For prevention, spraying with Bordeaux mixture or HOM is used.
Important! The melon fly and melon aphid love to eat melon. Small midges suck nutritious juice from the leaves, and the bushes do not have enough strength to develop. They get rid of pests using the drugs “Iskra” or “Maxim”.
Harvesting and application
The ripeness of Vietnamese is determined by its honey aroma and firm peel. The fruits should be elastic, the stalk should be dry. When struck lightly, a ripe melon produces a dull sound. The early ripening variety is not suitable for storage; the fruits are consumed immediately after harvest.
Smoothies are made from melon, jam, jelly. Its taste goes harmoniously with other fruits and berries - watermelon, pear, bananas, apples.
Vietnamese is also used for preparing salads and side dishes. Housewives prepare a salad with chicken fillet, melon pulp and avocado, or make the famous Italian appetizer of melon and Parma ham.
Interesting. Roasted melon seeds are a common snack in African cuisine.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The advantages include the original appearance of the fruit - round striped balls look beautiful both in the garden beds and on the dining table. Compact melons are convenient to take with you - for example, on a visit or on a picnic.
The pulp is juicy and sweet, suitable for individual consumption and for preparing fruit salads, baked goods, and snacks. The variety is cold-resistant and unpretentious in care. It is successfully cultivated in both southern and northern regions.
Among the disadvantages, the short shelf life of fruits is noted. The crop is consumed or processed immediately after harvest. The maximum period is no more than one week.
Reviews
Some summer residents love Vietnamese for its small fruits, others for its unpretentiousness in growing. However, some gardeners were disappointed in this variety.
Maria, Perm: “I recommend Vietnamese to everyone for boarding! Beautiful and tasty fruits grow quickly and do not suffer from any disease. We eat melons with the whole family - the taste is soft and sweet.”
Pavel, Moscow region: “I’m planting Vietnamese for the second season in a row. I use the seedling method and feed it with manure during the growing season. The variety is not bad, it bears fruit consistently. The taste is pleasant, the aroma is honey.”
Anastasia, Ufa: “I planted Vietnamese for the first time. I planted seeds in open ground, which may be why the plants did not set well. There were also frosts, so the harvest turned out to be meager. I will grow more resistant varieties.”
Read also:
Review of the sweet and juicy melon variety “Slavia”.
Methods for preparing dried melon at home.
Is it possible to freeze melon and how to do it in different ways.
Conclusion
Green and yellow striped melon fruits are loved by gardeners all over the country. They have an attractive decorative appearance; the delicacy is used in the preparation of various dishes.
Breeding begins with preparing seedlings. After planting in the garden, water the melons with warm water as the soil dries. Organic and mineral fertilizers, timely formation of bushes, and loosening of beds help to obtain a harvest.