Gourds - watermelon, melon and pumpkin - are cultivated to produce juicy fruits that are distinguished by high taste. The fruits of table watermelon and melon contain 6-12% sugar, vitamins B, B 3 , C, PP, etc. There are a lot of iron salts and folic acid in watermelon. In addition to direct consumption of these fruits, honey (from juice), candied fruit, jam, marshmallow and other products are prepared from these fruits in the canning and confectionery industry.
Pumpkin with yellow flesh is rich in phosphorus salts and carotene, contains a lot of phytoncides.
For livestock feed, fresh fruits of fodder varieties of pumpkin and watermelon are usually used. They are considered a valuable dairy feed. 100 kg of fodder pumpkin contains 10 fodder. units and 70 g of digestible protein; in 100 kg of fodder watermelon - 9 fodder. units and 40 g of digestible protein.
from seed gourds, especially pumpkins, produce edible oil.
yield the best varieties watermelons on non-irrigated lands is 25-30 t/ha, and on irrigated lands - 40-50 t/ha and more. The yield of melon is from 16-18 to 50 t/ha and pumpkin from 35 to 70 t/ha and more.
Gourds belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes three of the most important genera in the culture: watermelon (Citrullus), melon (Melo) and pumpkin (Cucurbita). Plants of these genera are annuals, very similar to each other in the structure of vegetative and generative organs.
Watermelon. It is represented by two species: table watermelon (Citrullus edulus Pang.) and candied fodder watermelon (Citrullus colocynthoides Pang.).
Root table watermelon rod, highly branched, reaches a depth of 3-5 m and spreads to the sides up to 7 m. The stem is creeping, long-braided (2-5 m), with 5-10 branches, pubescent with hard hairs. The leaves are strongly dissected into pinnately incised lobes, stiffly pubescent. Flowers are quinary, yellow, dioecious; female flowers larger than m^bkskih (Fig. 22). Cross-pollination by insects. The fruit is a multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin) on a long stem, spherical, oval or oblong, painted white-greenish or dark green, often with a marbled pattern. The bark of the fruit is leathery, fragile, with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 cm. The pulp is of various textures, carmine-red, pink, less often white or yellow, tastes sweet or slightly sweet. The pulp contains from 5.7 to 13% sugar. Fruit weight from 2 to 20 kg. Watermelon seeds are flat, ovoid, 0.5-2.0 cm long, with a scar along the edge and a hard peel of white, yellow, gray, red and black, often with a spotted pattern. Weight of 1000 seeds 60-150 g.
feed watermelon in its structure is somewhat different from the dining room. Its root system is more powerful. Leaves with larger shortened segments. The flowers are large, with pale yellow veins.
Rice. 22.
1 - female flower; 2 - male flower; 3 - pollen; 4 - part of the escape
chick. Male flowers are located on long pedicels, female - on short ones. Fruit various shapes- spherical or oval-oblong, green or light green in color with dark stripes, marble pattern. The pulp of the fruit is pale green, contains 1.2-2.6% sugar. Fruit weight from 10-15 to 25-30 kg or more. Feed watermelon seeds without rib. The weight of 1000 seeds is 120-130 g and more. Table watermelon is one of the heat-loving, heat-tolerant and very drought-resistant plants. In moist soil, its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 16-17 ° C. Shoots appear on the 8-10th day. Frosts -1 * C are fatal for them. The most favorable temperature for the growth of stems and leaves is 20-22 °C, and for the development of fruits 25-30 °C.
Table watermelon is a photophilous plant of a short day. The best soils for it are sandy and sandy loam. loamy and clay soils unsuitable, as they firmly retain moisture and do not warm up well.
Fodder watermelon, compared with table watermelon, is less demanding on growing conditions.
The following varieties of table watermelon are common: Astrakhansky, Borchansky, Zemlyanin, Lotus, Extraordinary, Spark, Rose of the South-East, Sinchevsky, Kholodok, Shironinsky.
Of the varieties of fodder watermelon, Diskhim is the most famous.
Melon. Represented by many species. We have common melons with soft pulp: handalak (Melo chandalak Pang.), adana, or Cilician (Melo adana Pang.), cassaba (Melo cassaba
Pang.), and with dense pulp: charjou (Melo zard Pang.), ameri (Melo ameri Pang.), cantaloupe (Melo cantalypa Pang.). These species are very similar.
The root system of a melon is less powerful than that of a watermelon, it consists of the main root, penetrating to a depth of 3-4 m, and superficially located numerous lateral branches. The stem is creeping, cylindrical, hollow, strongly viscous, hard-haired. Leaves are kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, on long petioles. Flowers are orange-yellow. The fruits are large, of various shapes and colors. The pulp is loose or dense, contains 12% sugar. Seeds are ovoid, flat, white-yellow, 0.5 to 1.5 cm long, contain 25-30% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 35-50 g.
In terms of its biological characteristics, melon approaches watermelon, but is more thermophilic and less drought-resistant, it is easier to put up with loamy soils.
Varieties: Kolkhoznitsa 749/753, Kazachka 244, Koi-bash, Khandalyak Kokcha 14, Dessert 5, Ameri 696, Tavria, Golden, Livadia, Dream, Golyanka, Hoarfrost, Samara, Amber.
Pumpkin. In culture, it has three types: common table (Cucurbita rero L.), large-fruited fodder (Cucurbita maxima L.) and nutmeg (Cucurbita moschata Duch.).
The root system of all types of pumpkin is well developed. Stem common pumpkin creeping. Some of its varieties are characterized by a bush form (zucchini). The leaves are five-lobed, with coarse styloid pubescence. The male flowers are collected several times in the axils of the leaves, the female flowers are solitary, located on the side branches. The fruit is obovate, spherical or oblong, with fibrous sweet pulp containing 4-8% sugar. Seeds of medium size and small, oval, with a clear rim, white, cream or darker in color, contain 36-52% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 200-230 g.
fodder pumpkin large-fruited has a cylindrical hollow creeping stem. The leaves are reniform, weakly emarginate, pubescent with coarse hairs. The flowers are very large, orange-yellow. The fruits are spherical, flattened or elongated, reaching 50-70 cm in diameter, of various colors. The flesh of the fruit is loose, juicy, orange, less often white, contains 4-8% sugar. Seeds are large, smooth, with an indistinct rim. Oil content in them 36-50 %. Weight of 1000 seeds 240-300 g.
Butternut squash has a creeping branched stem. Leaves are reniform, cordate-notched or lobed, pubescent with fine hairs. The flowers are green or reddish-orange. The fruit is elongated, with interception, the pulp of the fruit is dense, contains 8-11% sugar. Seeds of medium size, dirty gray, with a clear rim, contain 30-46% oil. Weight of 1000 seeds 190-220 g.
Pumpkin is less thermophilic and drought-resistant than watermelon and melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 12-13 °C. Seedlings are less affected by frost. Pumpkin works best on loamy soils.
Varieties: Bashkirskaya 245, Biryuchekutskaya 27, Hybrid 72, Gribovskaya winter, Donskaya sweet, Zorka, Almond 35, Prikornevaya, Troyanda, Khersonskaya, Khutoryanka.
Cultivation practices. Gourds are demanding on soil fertility and cleanliness of fields from weeds. They work well on virgin and fallow lands, on a layer of perennial grasses and on floodplains. In field crop rotations, winter cereals, corn, and annual grasses are good predecessors of melons. For specialized melon-growing farms, crop rotations are recommended with the following alternation of crops: 1 - winter rye + grasses; 2 - herbs of the 1st year; 3 - herbs
2nd year; 4 - herbs of the 3rd year; 5 - gourds; 6 - melons; 7 - spring wheat; 8 - corn for silage. In such a crop rotation specific gravity gourds is 25%.
It must be remembered that the fields on which herbicides were used in the crops of previous crop rotations are unsuitable for the placement of gourds.
The correct use of mineral and organic fertilizers increases productivity, accelerates ripening and improves the quality of gourds. As an organic fertilizer for watermelon and melon, manure is applied (with deep autumn tillage) in the amount of 15-20 t/ha and for pumpkin - 30-40 t/ha. Higher doses of manure for these crops can cause a delay in fruit ripening and deterioration in their quality.
At the same time with organic fertilizers contribute minerals. It is recommended to apply per 1 hectare n^PcLo or N 60 P 45 K 50 for autumn tillage and N IO P 15 K, 0 in rows when sowing. Mineral fertilizers increase the yield of watermelons by 25-30%, and the sugar content by 2-3%.
In addition to the main and sowing fertilizer, it is also desirable to feed plants before flowering - N ^ R ^ K ^.
Soil tillage for melons and gourds includes autumn (8-10 cm plowing and plowing with plows with skimmers to a depth of 25-30 cm) and spring tillage, consisting of harrowing and cultivation (at least two), followed by harrowing. In the northern areas of melon growing on highly compacted soils, the first spring cultivation is often replaced by plowing. When the topsoil dries out, rolling is applied.
For sowing, seeds are taken from fully ripened healthy fruits. Seed germination should be at least 90%. Before sowing, the seeds are subjected to air-thermal heating in the sun for
3-5 days or heated for 4 hours at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, soaked in water room temperature within 24 hours 1-2 days before sowing. Warming up the seeds increases the yield of watermelons by 11-20%.
Seeds of gourds are treated in advance against diseases with 80% sp. TMTD (4-5 g per I kgeemyan). The seeds are treated with a suspension of the drug - 5-10 liters of water per 1 ton of seeds.
The optimal sowing time is the establishment of soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm for watermelon and melon 12-14 ° C, for pumpkin
9-10 °С. Watermelon seeds sown under these conditions sprout after 9-10 days, melons - after 8-9, pumpkins - after 6-7 days.
When sown in insufficiently warmed soil, the seeds of melons and gourds can rot and give sparse shoots. Late sowing also greatly reduces their yield.
Sowing of gourds is carried out with gourds seeders. For sowing, corn and cotton seeders are sometimes also used on farms.
The feeding area depends on the variety, climatic conditions, soil fertility. The following sowing schemes are recommended, m: watermelon -
2.5 x (1.5 ... 1.7); 2.1 x (2.1 ... 1.4); 1.8x1.8; melon - 2.5 x (0.8 ... 1.0); 2.1 x(0.8...1.2); pumpkin - 2.5x (1.8 ... 2.0); 2.8x (1.5 ... 1.8).
The seeding rate for watermelon seeds is 1.5-3.0 kg/ha, pumpkins 3-5, melons 2-4 kg/ha. The sowing depth of watermelon and pumpkin seeds is 6-8 cm, melon 4-6 cm.
Care of crops of gourds and melons includes harrowing and loosening with rotary hoes until shoots appear to break the crust and destroy weed seedlings, as well as inter-row tillage to a depth of 12-15 cm during the first and 8-10 cm during subsequent loosening. When processing row spacings, overgrown lashes of plants must be removed to the side so that they are not damaged by tractor wheels and tillage implements.
To do this, in the same unit with the cultivator, a lash layer is installed, which pushes the lashes from the middle of the aisle to a width of 50-60 cm, sufficient for the passage of the wheels of the tractor and the cultivator.
For inter-row tillage, cultivators KRN-4.2, KRN-5.6 and melon cultivator KNB-5.4 are used, for weeding in rows - weeding unit PAU-4.
To prevent tangling of the lashes by the wind, they are sprinkled with damp soil. This causes the formation of additional roots, which improves plant nutrition. Good results are obtained by pinching (chasing) the ends of the lashes during the flowering of male flowers.
In the fight against peronosporosis, crops are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, a 1% solution, according to blue vitriol(600 l/ha), against powdery mildew dusted with ground sulfur powder (15-30 kg/ha). The processing of melons is stopped 15 days before the start of the harvest.
Irrigation is of great importance in the cultivation of gourds in Russia. Under melon crops, 3-5 vegetation irrigations are given with an interval of 10-15 days. They begin long before flowering, then temporarily stop and resume when fruit is set. Irrigation rate is 600-800 m 3 /ha.
Cleaning. Gourds do not ripen at the same time. Therefore, table watermelon, melon and zucchini are harvested in 2-3 doses (as they mature), and pumpkin and fodder watermelon - in one go, before the onset of frost. Signs of ripening watermelon fruits are drying of the stem, coarsening of the bark and the appearance of a clear pattern on it. Ripe melons acquire the color and pattern characteristic of the variety. The ripeness of a pumpkin can also be determined by the color and density of the peel.
For selective harvesting of gourds, a wide-cut conveyor TSHP-25 is used. Ripe fruits are plucked and placed in the meshes of a conveyor belt, which guides and stacks them directly into the body of a nearby vehicle. During the last continuous harvesting of watermelons, one-time harvesting for seeds and pumpkin harvesting, mechanized harvesting of fruits into windrows with a UPV-8 windrower, picking up windrows with a PBV-1 pickup and soft laying them in vehicles give a great economic effect.
The described harvesting technology reduces labor costs by 5-6 times compared to the technology of harvesting with the removal of fruits to the side of the field.
When transporting melons and gourds, the container method of transportation should be more widely used, which reduces manual labor in loading and unloading operations, improves product quality and reduces transport downtime.
For storage, fruits are selected without damage. Watermelons are stored at a temperature of 2-3 °C, melons - at 0-2 °C and an optimum air humidity of 75-85%, pumpkin - at 10 °C and a relative humidity of 70-75%.
Watermelon melon © Photo: Yulia Belopukhova
General information:
. watermelon is one of the oldest cultures. It was known in Egypt 4 thousand years ago. Its images were found on ancient Egyptian tombs, in which the seeds and remains of the leaves of this plant were found.
From Egypt, watermelon came to Arabia, Palestine, Syria, then to Central Asia. In Russia, he first appeared in the VIII-X centuries. in the Volga region, but wide use This culture received only from the beginning of the 17th century.
The main areas of cultivation of watermelon we still have the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. However, in the XVI-XVIII centuries. it was grown near Voronezh, Kursk, Vladimir, as well as in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan as a greenhouse crop;
. watermelon fruit valued for their juiciness, sweetness, refreshing taste. The fruits contain a lot of easily soluble digestible sugars (up to 8%), citric, malic, succinic, nicotinic acids, pectin substances (1-2%), lean fiber (1.5%), carotene, a lot of vitamin B9, a lot of alkaline minerals. salts. There are few proteins in fruits, but all essential amino acids are presented;
. use it in fresh, and also make molasses, and watermelon peel is processed into candied fruit
The soil:
6.5-7.5 (neutral)
mechanical composition of the soil: light soils
predecessor:
specific cultural requirements:
.watermelon prefers sandy and sandy loamy soils, light in mechanical composition, not picky about fertility;
. plot for watermelon should be well protected from cold winds. Southern, southeastern and southwestern slopes are preferred. The root system of a watermelon penetrates the soil to a depth of 1 m or more, so areas with closely standing groundwater unsuitable;
. for autumn deep digging of 25-30 cm per 1 m2, 2-6 kg of humus or compost are added, 30-50 g of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, 100-150 g of dolomite flour or wood ash
Landing:
planting method: seedling
seedling age:
30-35 days (seedlings ready for planting should have at least 3-4 true leaves)
sowing seeds for seedlings:
mid April
sowing depth:
sowing / planting scheme:
seedlings are planted on ridges 100 cm wide with row spacing 50-80 cm, in checkerboard pattern in two rows, distance between rows 50 cm, between plants in one row 100-150 cm
Care and problems with growing:
top dressing:
3 feedings are carried out per season:
. the first - 7-10 days after planting seedlings with a complex mineral fertilizer type Kemira-lux or nitrophoska at the rate of 50-60 g / 10 l of water;
. the second - at the beginning of the formation of lashes with infusion of mullein (1:8) or bird droppings (1:20), for every 10 liters of which add 20 g of superphosphate;
. the third - during the formation of the first ovary - 25 g of ammonium sulfate, 10 g of superphosphate and 35 g of potassium sulfate are taken per 10 liters of water, 2 liters of solution are spent per plant
watering:
Due to the high sucking power of the roots and leaves watermelon is drought tolerant, however, it is responsive to watering;
. watering is carried out rarely, but plentifully, at the rate of 10-25 l / m2.
. from the beginning of flowering, water frequently, twice a week, and when the fruits begin to ripen, stop watering altogether, as they can delay ripening and worsen the quality of the fruit
temperature regime:
watermelon is more thermophilic than melon. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature not lower than +16-17°C, and the optimum temperature for germination is +25-30°C. For successful fertilization of the ovaries, a temperature of at least + 18-25 ° C is required, for normal growth and development of plants + 25-30 ° C.
At air temperatures below + 15 ° C, the growth and development of plants slows down, the yield drops sharply, with a prolonged cold snap, the plants fall ill
Ripening time:
early:
65-85 days from emergence of mass seedlings: Dumara, Earthling, Crisby, Spark, Nitsa, Southeast Rose, Trophy, Photon, Yarilo and others
medium:
85-110 days from the appearance of mass seedlings: Astrakhan, Bykovsky-22, Lotus, Stimulus and others
later:
more than 110 days: Volzhsky, Kustovoy-334, Kholodok and others
medicinal properties:
Medicinal raw materials:
in traditional medicine use juice, pulp, rind and seeds
Chemical composition:
Watermelon pulp contains highly digestible sugars (mainly fructose and glucose, less sucrose), pectins, fiber, carotene, vitamins B, C, PP, folic acid, trace elements (potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium, calcium, phosphorus), 89% water;
The seeds contain 25-30% fatty oils
Action: cardiotonic, diuretic, choleretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antidiabetic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, detoxifying, hematopoietic, hypocholesterolemic
Diseases:
urolithiasis (except for phosphate stones), diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract, liver, gallbladder, poor intestinal motility, arthritis, gout, anemia, diabetes, uterine and other bleeding, disorders of the cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis, edema, disorders of water-salt metabolism, cystitis, pyelonephritis, obesity, skin pigmentation
Contraindications:
A bit of botany: table watermelon- an annual herbaceous melon plant of the Pumpkin family, belongs to the genus Citrullus, mind Citrullus lanatus(woolly watermelon). This species, in addition to table watermelon, also includes fodder watermelon. There are quite a few varieties of table watermelon, and they all belong to the same botanical variety - var. vulgaris, which includes 10 ecological and geographical groups: Russian, Asia Minor, Western European, Transcaucasian, Central Asian, Afghan, Indian, East Asian, Far Eastern, American.
All varieties of watermelon zoned in Russia belong mainly to the Russian, partly to the Central Asian and Transcaucasian groups.
root system at the watermelon rod, powerful. It consists of a relatively short, up to 1 m long, branched taproot and highly branched lateral roots located in the arable horizon. Lateral roots can reach a length of up to 7 m. When the stems come into contact with moist soil, watermelon is able to form adventitious roots. The root system of watermelon has great suction power. According to V. I. Edelstein, the total length of only the main roots in an adult watermelon plant reaches 57.5 m.
The stem of a watermelon long, can reach a length of up to 5 m, creeping, highly branched, rounded-pentahedral, densely pubescent, with antennae. Watermelon is a creeping liana, however, there are short climbing and bushy forms of watermelon.
Watermelon leaves, like other plants of the Pumpkin family, they are divided into grassroots - they are characterized by a small length and a simple outline, the middle ones are the bulk of the leaves, and the top ones, designed to protect the flowers. The lower and upper leaves are underdeveloped, weakly dissected.
The bulk of the leaves are split, have 3-5 lobes, each of which is divided into smaller segments, without stipules, located on long petioles, roe-green in color, densely pubescent at a young age, which is a sign of drought resistance. The main leaves are large, the length of the leaf blade is 10-22 cm, the width is 10-18 cm.
The arrangement of the leaves is alternate. Some varieties of watermelon have uncut leaves. A lot of leaves are formed, their total surface can reach 32 m 2.
There are three types of watermelon flowers: male, female and bisexual (hermaphroditic). In most varieties of watermelon, male and bisexual flowers. There are also monoecious plants that produce male and female flowers.
The female flower has a three to five-parted pubescent ovary, a short three-parted pistil and a pentagonal or rounded stigma covered with papillae. Hermaphroditic flowers, in addition to the ovary and pistil, have underdeveloped anthers. The flowers are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, yellow color. The female flowers are larger than the male ones. Female flowers are usually placed on the main stem and side shoots of the first order singly, rarely in bunches.
In early ripening varieties of watermelon, the first female flowers are laid in the axils of 4-11 leaves on the main shoot, in mid-ripening ones - in the axils of the 15-18th and in late-ripening ones - on the 20-25th leaf.
Watermelon is a cross-pollinated plant.
watermelon fruit- multi-seeded false berry (pumpkin). The shape of the fruit can be spherical, oval or cylindrical. Weight ranges from 0.5 to 25 kg. The bark is white-green or dark green in color, monophonic or with a marble pattern in the form of meridian stripes, nets, spots. The flesh is pink or red, rarely white, yellow or orange, often sugary-sweet, sometimes tasteless.
seeds oval, flat, 0.5-2 cm long or more, the shell is woody, hard, the color is white, brown, red, black or variegated. The weight of 1000 seeds is from 40 to 140 g.
Fruit maturity is determined by the drying of the peduncle and tendril next to it and the sonorous sound with a light blow to the bark, as well as by the characteristic crackling of the bark when squeezed by hands.
Thanks to the iron content, watermelon is useful for anemia, liver disease, atherosclerosis. It is indispensable for metabolic disorders, insufficient blood circulation. Of all plant species, watermelon is the best diuretic, it cleanses the kidneys and liver well, without irritating the kidneys and urinary tract. Recommended for cystitis, nephritis, well helps against constipation. Nutritionists use it in the treatment of overweight patients, for fasting days.
Melon crops are represented by fruit vegetable crops grown on melons and belong to the gourd or Cucurbitaceae family. This family includes both cold-resistant and very heat-loving species.
Features of gourds
Cultivation of gourds has some features, since these plants are from tropical and subtropical countries and high yield can only be obtained by creating optimal indicators of temperature conditions and a stable low level of humidity. This combination of temperature and humidity can only be achieved in a greenhouse equipped with special equipment, but on the territory of the southern regions of our country melons grow well and bear fruit also in conditions open ground.
The list of main gourds includes such food crops as melons and watermelons, as well as zucchini and pumpkin. And if you grow good harvest pumpkins and zucchini is not difficult even for beginner vegetable growers, it is quite difficult to get high-quality fruits of heat-loving watermelon and melon.
The harvest of these crops is eaten fresh, but is also used as fodder plants and for medicinal purposes. Despite some botanical features and a similar structure of fruits, melon pulp contains a significant amount of potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and sulfur, as well as essential vitamins.
A significant part of melons and gourds has a creeping and rather long stem part, and is also characterized by big leaves and major yellow flowers. However, relatively compact, bushy forms of gourds also exist and are widely used in home gardening. The presence of a powerful root system allows plants to easily tolerate drought.
How to grow gourds (video)
Types of gourds
In the conditions of household vegetable growing, several types of melons and gourds are most often grown. Agrotechnics of such plants is somewhat different from traditional ways growing other popular vegetable crops.
| View | Latin | Popular varieties and hybrids | Peculiarities | Description of the fruit |
| Watermelon | Citrullus lanatus | "Astrakhansky", "Spark", "American", "Siberian Lights", "Blessed", "Siberian Rose", "Crimson Suite" and "Gift to the North" | Annual thermophilic herbaceous plant | The fruits are spherical, oval, flattened or cylindrical in shape with a white, yellow or dark green bark and a pattern represented by a grid, stripes or spots. |
| Melon | Cucumis melo | "Cinderella", "Dessert-5", "Dubovka", "Iroquois", "Golden", "Northern Cantaloupe" and "Kharkov Early" | An annual heat-loving and light-loving plant, resistant to soil salinization and drought. | Fruits are spherical or cylindrical in shape, dark green, yellow, brown or white, with green stripes on the surface |
| Pumpkin | Cucurbita | "Acorn", "Smile", "Spaghetti", "Freckle", "Almond", "Altai", "Golosemyanka", "Bush Orange" | An annual herb that creeps along the ground from the gourd family | The fruits have a hard outer layer or bark, and are also characterized by the presence of numerous flattened, thickly bulging seeds. |
| Zucchini | Cucurbita pepo var. giromontina | Gribovsky-37, Ball, Tsukesha, Iskander-F1, Roller, Zebra and Aeronaut | A bush variety of the common pumpkin well-known in our country | It has oblong fruits that are green, yellow, black or white color. Long lashes are missing |
| Squash | Patisson | "White-13", "Cheburashka", "Disk", "Umbrella", "Rodeo", "Sun", "Fuete" and "UFO orange" | Cultivated annual herbaceous plant of bush or semi-bush form | Fruits can have a different shape and color. The shape can be bell-shaped or plate-shaped, and the coloring of the surface is white, yellow, green, sometimes with spots or stripes. |
Melons and watermelons belong to the category of plants that are particularly demanding in terms of growing conditions, and have a long growing season, which makes them popular mainly in the southern regions of the country.
AT central Russia early maturing and cold-resistant varieties are planted, and seedlings are also grown. Sowing seeds involves preliminary and mandatory preparation, as well as the use of a film to protect plants from spring, return frosts . The main condition for obtaining a high yield is right choice crop varieties, as well as compliance with the rules of planting and growing technology.
Landing Rules
As the long-term practice of amateur vegetable growers shows, sowing is best done with two- or three-year-old seeds, which are able to bloom earlier and are characterized accelerated process harvest ripening. Sowing fresh seed material involves a mandatory preliminary three-day drying at temperature regime within 30-35ºС.
It is recommended to plant seeds in a nested way. Beforehand, deep digging of the soil, application of basic fertilizers, removal of weeds, as well as preparation of planting holes, the distance of which from each other depends on the varietal and botanical characteristics of the sown gourds, must be carried out. Fertilizer in the form of phosphorus-potassium complexes, as well as humus or compost, can be applied directly to the planting holes.
Of particular importance is the correct choice of a site for planting and growing. thermophilic plants the group in question. It is best to place landings on some hill, in areas that are as well lit and warmed up as possible. sunbeams, without the presence of stagnant moisture and cold air masses.
How to plant zucchini (video)
Growing technology
Many compatriots prefer not to buy vegetable and fruit products at the collapse or the market, but to grow popular and useful gourds on their own, in the conditions of home gardening. In this case, it is possible to hope for obtaining not only a high, but also a high-quality crop only with strict observance of agricultural technology:
- transplanting seedlings is undesirable, due to the too tender root system, therefore, the cultivation of seedlings should be carried out directly in peat seedling pots;
- when caring for seedlings, plants should be provided with good sunlight and regular irrigation activities;
- seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place in the last decade of May or in early June, and planting dates vary depending on the region of cultivation;
- to prevent rotting of fruits lying on the ground, it is necessary to add sand to the root neck of the plant or put straw under the fruits;
- it is very important to cut the extra lashes in a timely and competent manner, which will not allow the gourd culture to waste strength and direct the main flow nutrients for the ripening of the crop;
- on each plant, it is desirable to normalize the number of ovaries and leave, depending on the type and variety, no more than 3-8 ovaries.
It is important to remember that absolutely all gourds have an increased susceptibility to heat and light, so they are planted and grown exclusively in open spaces without shading.
Diseases and pests of gourds
It is for this reason that it is necessary to regularly inspect plantings for damage and lesions, as well as observe crop rotation and timely fight weeds. If necessary, melons and gourds are processed during the growing season chemicals, among which such modern products as Inta-Vir, Aktellik, Karbofos, as well as Fitoverm or Topaz have proven themselves well.
How to protect gourds from melon flies (video)
Their distinctive feature is long stems with antennae. In the event that supports are placed next to these crops, the whips will begin to “climb” along them. In order to correctly apply the cultivation technology, which will be described below in the article, you need to know exactly which crops are melons.
These are melon, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, zucchini and some others.
Two-year-old seeds are considered the most suitable for sowing in gourds. If possible to get such planting material No, you can use annuals as well. However, in this case, they need to be heated to 60 degrees for 2 hours. In order for the seedlings to be more friendly, the seeds of gourds are also germinated. To do this, they are wrapped in gauze and dipped in warm water for four hours. Then they are placed in a damp burlap and kept for a day or two.
Most melons and gourds prefer sunny places, warm weather and are resistant to a long absence of moisture. The thing is that the homeland of all these cultures are the hot regions of the planet. Watermelons, for example, wild nature grow in South Africa, and melons and pumpkins - in Asia.
Melons not only tolerate dry air well, but also produce tastier and sweeter fruits under such conditions.
Seeds are planted in the ground only when the summer weather becomes stable, that is, in early June. In order to get a harvest a little earlier, gourds can be grown seedling way. For this, peat cups are used, because these plants do not tolerate transplantation well. Melons are planted in the ground either in a nested way or in rows. Each such plant requires a lot of space. Firstly, they have long lashes that need space to develop, and secondly, they have large fruits, which is why they require a huge amount of nutrients.
Melon crops are planted in 2-3 pieces. Melons and watermelons - to a depth of 4 cm, pumpkins - 6 cm. In warm weather, seedlings appear on the tenth day of sowing, and the first real leaf - a week later. Depending on the variety, the main shoot may begin to form in 15-40 days.
Then shoots of the second order, the third, etc. branch off from it. The flowers of these plants are of different sexes - both female and male specimens bloom on the same plant.
As for top dressing, during the season melons in the early stages of development can be fertilized with mullein infusion. In the autumn, after harvesting, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied for digging, and nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring when preparing the beds. Although the plants of this family are drought-resistant, they still give a higher yield when watered. During the season, the soil under them is well moistened 9-12 times. However, during the ripening of the fruit, watering the plants should be as rare as possible. Otherwise, the fruits will grow watery and not too sweet.
Growing gourds is a rather complicated matter, since the climate in Russia is not very suitable for them. Often, even with proper care, the gardener does not receive a crop. The result largely depends on weather conditions. If you still want to grow watermelons or melons on your site, then you should try to do it. If you're lucky, you can diversify your diet with delicious and unusually healthy fruits.
Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with the nine the best materials for mulching garden strawberries.
Mint was used by the Egyptians as far back as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils with high volatility. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will consider the most interesting varieties of mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in open ground.
Looking at the variety of varieties of tomatoes, it is difficult not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. He sometimes confuses even experienced gardeners! However, it is not so difficult to understand the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself”. The main thing is to understand the peculiarities of culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest tomato groups to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been appreciated by those gardeners who do not have much time and energy to care for the beds.
Once very popular under the name of room nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleuses today are one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. They are not in vain considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are looking primarily for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.
Salmon backbone baked in Provence herbs is a "supplier" of delicious pieces of fish pulp for light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. Mushrooms are lightly fried in olive oil, and then poured over apple cider vinegar. Such mushrooms are tastier than ordinary pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Ramson and fresh dill coexist perfectly in one salad, emphasizing the flavor of each other. Garlic sharpness of wild garlic will saturate both the flesh of salmon and pieces of mushrooms.
Conifer tree or a shrub on the site is always great, and a lot of conifers is even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils secreted by plants not only flavor, but also make the air cleaner. Generally, most zoned adults coniferous plants, are considered very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require competent care and attention.
Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics under the canopy of flowering trees have long been an integral attribute of the meeting of spring in the Country rising sun. Financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent sakura blossoms. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese pass under the sign of their flowering. But sakura grows well in cooler regions - certain types can be successfully grown even in Siberia.
It is very interesting for me to analyze how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and traded lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century BC. e. about 6 varieties of quince were known and even then the methods of its reproduction and cultivation were described.
Make your family happy and make themed Easter egg-shaped cottage cheese cookies! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - they will sift the flour, combine all the necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration as the pieces of dough turn into real ones. Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to do this original cookie for Easter, read in our step by step recipe!
There are not so many decorative and deciduous favorites among tuberous crops. And the caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of the interiors. Not everyone can decide to start a Caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all - to care. But still, the rumors about the unusual capriciousness of the Caladium never justify. Attention and care allow you to avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And a plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.
We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it will suit every side dish: vegetables, pasta, and anything. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can make this ahead of time to keep it hot), add gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.
Among the many different varieties of these most popular vegetables, we will talk about three that are distinguished by excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of eggplant varieties "Diamond", "Black Handsome" and "Valentina". All eggplants have a medium density pulp. In "Almaz" it is greenish, and in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united good germination and excellent yield, but different time. Everyone's skin color and shape is different.
Agriculture refers to such types of human activity, the successful outcome of which is not always directly proportional to the efforts made. Unfortunately, nature does not necessarily act as our ally in growing plants, and often, on the contrary, throws up new challenges. Intensified reproduction of pests, abnormal heat, late return frosts, hurricane winds, drought ... And one of the springs presented us with another surprise - a flood.
With the advent of the summer season, the question arises of growing strong and healthy seedlings of our favorite vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant and many other crops. Along with this, the question arises - how to grow decent seedlings and get healthy plants and a decent harvest from it in the future? For example, I have been growing seedlings for more than one season and protecting my garden from diseases with the help of biological preparations Alirin-B, Gamair, Gliocladin, Trichocin.
Let me confess my love today. In love with... lavender. One of the best unpretentious, evergreen and flowering shrubs that can be successfully grown in your garden. And if someone thinks that lavender is a Mediterranean or, at least, southern inhabitant, then you are mistaken. Lavender grows well in more northern regions, even in the Moscow region. But in order to grow it, you need to know some rules and features. They will be discussed in this article.