Small seedless watermelon. Sweet varieties of watermelons

Watermelon is a great dessert for picnics, barbecues, and just a good snack on a hot day. The most common types of watermelons are seedless varieties. Growing seedless watermelons requires the use of various techniques germination and pollination.

Some information about seedless watermelons

Seedless watermelons require the plants to do something contrary to their nature - they must stop producing seeds to spread. To produce sterile triploid seed species, a female tetraploid plant and a male diploid plant are combined. These are specific variants in the watermelon's chromosomal structure that are manipulated to produce certain properties. Removing the seed production function makes the watermelon sterile, so you must plant a pollinator with sterile seeds in order for the plant to bear fruit.

Seedless watermelons are triploid hybrids that have an oblong shape. Typically, they weigh between 5 and 10 kg. Although the name suggests that this fruit does not have seeds, there are still some, but they are so underdeveloped that you won’t even notice them. Seedless varieties contain red, sweet flesh and edible seeds. Seedless watermelon varieties include Queen of Hearts, King of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, Millionaire, Crimson Trio and Nova. Harvest time for seedless watermelons is approximately 85 days after planting.

Planting seedless watermelons

Watermelons grow best in sandy clay soil with good drainage. Unlike regular watermelon varieties, whose seeds germinate at a temperature of +13 degrees Celsius, seedless varieties germinate when the temperature rises above +25 degrees Celsius.

It is recommended to start sowing seeds in a special germination tray with a 3-5 centimeter layer of sterile substrate. During the germination process, keep the plant moderately watered. The seedlings will be ready for transplanting within three to five weeks.

Pollinating diploid plants should be planted on outdoors, while triploid seedless varieties are planted indoors. Organize your planting so that every third plant in the row is a pollinator. It is important that pollinators are available to diploid plants during flowering so they can set fruit.

Conditions for growing watermelons

Watermelons need plenty of sun (the whole fruit should be in the sun) and organic matter in the soil. Using mulch in the form of black plastic film helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, warm the soil and keep plants clean. Drip irrigation is a good watering method for watermelons as the soil will be moist but not wet. Kill weeds around plants and inspect them for pests.

How to properly harvest seedless watermelons

When watermelons ripen, the tendrils near the stem darken and dry out. The spot on the bottom of the fruit turns from pale green to white or cream. When you tap the watermelon with your finger, you should hear a muffled sound. When tapping on unripe fruits, the sound is louder.

Problems when growing watermelon

Watermelons are sensitive to frost. If there is a sudden drop in temperature, protect the plants with fabric. Aphids, cucumber beetles and mites can attack your plants. Anthracnose and Fusarium wilt are fungal diseases that can damage the plant and disrupt fruit production.

Watermelon is a great dessert for picnics, barbecues, and just a good snack on a hot day. The most common types of watermelons are seedless varieties. Growing seedless watermelons requires a variety of germination and pollination techniques.

Some information about seedless watermelons

Seedless watermelons require the plants to do something contrary to their nature - they must stop producing seeds in order to spread. To produce sterile triploid seed species, a female tetraploid plant and a male diploid plant are combined. These are specific variants in the watermelon's chromosomal structure that are manipulated to produce certain properties. Removing the seed-producing function makes the watermelon sterile, so you must plant a pollinator with sterile seeds in order for the plant to bear fruit.

Controlled pollinations in the field

The bag should be secured in such a way that it supports the entire weight of the fruit instead of the fruit hanging from the stem. Figure 10 Fruit is packaged to support the weight of the fruit. About 2-3 weeks after sowing, the seedlings should be hardened off for 5-7 days before transplanting into the field. Follow recommendations in current local publications, e.g.

Commonly collected traits include yield, fruit weight, fruit shape, and rind thickness. In addition, sugar content is usually measured with a refractometer and flesh hardness with a penetrometer. Coat color is usually assessed visually. The size and color of the seeds are important features that need to be assessed.

Data should be collected every 7 days for 4 weeks after inoculation. Data analysis is carried out by comparing the severity of the disease from the tested genotypes. Experiments are being conducted to select grass genotypes that can later be released as a variety. There are three potyviruses that infect watermelon, yellow mosaic zucchini; Papaya ringpot virus - watermelon strain and watermelon mosaic virus-2.

Watermelon seedlings can be easily inoculated by mechanical inoculation with infected squash or zucchini leaves in phosphate buffer 02M. Enzyme-linked immunoassays should be performed to confirm the visual assessment and, with proper monitoring, can be used to obtain quantitative resistance data.

Planting seedless watermelons

Once the fruit is ripe, it can be removed from the vine and the seed harvested. Before extracting the seed record, all the necessary data about the fruit. The seed can be extracted by cutting the fruit and selecting the seeds by hand. The seeds are then washed and washed using a sieve. Make sure all flesh is removed and seeds are clean. Surface sterilize the seeds for 10 minutes in 10% bleach, then rinse with water, and then lay out the seeds on a piece of paper to dry. The tag must accompany the seeds throughout the entire process.

Once the seeds are dry, place them in clearly labeled paper envelopes or bags. For each cross, the following data must be collected. All data should be added to a database for easy access. Variety and origin of artificial and citrus watermelon. Mapping connections in a watermelon population that share resistance to Fusarium wilt. High resolution genetic map anchoring the forests of the sequenced watermelon genome. 10% discount is applied if you order more than 10 items and 15% discount if you order more than 25 items of this item.

Pollinating diploid plants should be planted outdoors, while triploid seedless varieties should be planted indoors. Organize your planting so that every third plant in the row is a pollinator. It is important that pollinators are available to diploid plants during flowering so they can set fruit.

In addition, we offer inexpensive, high-quality microscopes from and smaller. Educational digital images also available for purchase with magnification high resolution. Serial Sections = Thus, the slide shows successive sections of the body.

Individual plants are self-sufficient but require a pollinator for pollination, even within a hermaphroditic flower. Seedless watermelon varieties are triploid and produce harmful pollen. They must be replanted with a diploid pollen variety because viable pollen is required for successful fruit set.

Conditions for growing watermelons

Watermelons need plenty of sun (the whole fruit should be in the sun) and organic matter in the soil. Using mulch in the form of black plastic film helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, warm the soil and keep plants clean. Drip irrigation is a good watering method for watermelons because the soil will be moist but not wet. Kill weeds around plants and inspect them for pests.

Brushless watermelon requires even more pollinator visits to display marketable fruit because the pollen must be transferred further from the pollinator diversity. Visiting bumble bees have also been found to produce a higher set of seeds per visit than honey bees.

It is likely that wild pollinators may pollinate commercial watermelon fields. However, if they are not enough, honey from bees or bumblebees should be added. Returns are better near large fields than in the center, suggesting that wild pollinators nesting in these habitats are playing important role. Producers can improve pollination and reduce costs by encouraging wild pollinators in and around their fields, in addition to using managed pollinators.

How to properly harvest seedless watermelons

Pollination Tips: Bees Bees remain the pollinator of choice for watermelon, easily providing a large number of visits required to install high quality fruit. In larger fields, at the very least, honey bees should be added to improve pollination at a rate of 1-5 colonies per hectare. Shade and water should be provided for bees on hot days. Watermelon has also been shown to be an effective pollinator. Further study of their effectiveness in commercial watermelon production, as well as other wild solitary bees, is warranted.

Problems when growing watermelon

Pollination requirements for watermelon seed production. Maximize potential vegetative and floral production and fruit performance of watermelon pollinators. Using commercial dust collectors to optimize triploid watermelon production.

Importance of bees in watermelon production. Wild bee abundance and pollination in cultivated squashes: Farm management, nesting behavior, and landscape effects. Agricultural practices affect populations of expert pollinators on squash and squash. Pollination of melons in greenhouses.

Seed production in watermelon: a comparison between two commercially available pollinators. Diurnal activity, flower visits and pollen deposition of honeybees and bumblebees in field cucumber and watermelon. Beekeeping experience requirements for triploid watermelon.

Sometimes nature itself shows amazing care for the inhabitants of a particular area, presenting them with its gifts that help them survive in especially extreme conditions. This happened in Africa, where many thousands of years ago a wonderful berry appeared that could quench the thirst of a traveler in an arid, desert area with its aromatic and sweet juice. We are, of course, talking about watermelon - a representative of the pumpkin family. In the hottest areas globe, in the Kalahari and Namib deserts, the founder of the entire “watermelon genus” still grows - the wild watermelon, which to this day serves as one of the most significant sources drinking water for the Bushmen and other African peoples.

Botanically speaking, a berry is a fruit with several fruits, each of which has many seeds. Blueberries and cranberries fit this definition. This is how grapes are made, although many grapes in stores are now without seeds. A real berry will have a dense inner flat wall. To understand the true botanical fruit, we need to look inside the tomato.

Tantalizing tomato: fruits, vegetables or berries?

There's a tiny part with tiny seeds. Outside there is a wall of fruit called a pericarp. In a tomato, the outermost part of the pericarp is the exocarp, the middle is the mesocarp, and the inner part- endocarp. The endocarp is quite difficult to distinguish in a tomato, but the exocarp is obviously the skin, and the mesocarp makes up most of the fruit wall.

The wild ancestor of the watermelon has another name - wild colocynth. It is bitter and inedible, so it is not eaten. It is mainly used in medical purposes, namely, in the treatment of tumor diseases. Other varieties of wild watermelon have a pleasant, sweet taste. There are completely tasteless wild colocynths. Typically, their white, juicy flesh is used as a source of water. This wild watermelon is called Kardofansky.

The round parts are called loculi, but the loculi begin as a carpenter. The ovary contains several different fruits. Each Carpathian also contains several seeds. So, we have several berries, each with many seeds, and the entire fruit wall is fleshy. This, botanically speaking, means that the tomato is a berry. There are two more berry options.

Find out why so many of the foods we eat carry deceptive generic names. For me, watermelons are one of the most amazing crops to grow. From the skinny ones grape vines and small light yellow flowers appear the fruit, whose juiciness and sweetness accentuate the summer experience. Across our country, we tend to have different experiences when it comes to growing and eating watermelon.

Watermelon - tumbleweed

An unusual feature of the wild African watermelon is that it melon culture It is not an annual plant, but grows in one place for many years.

By sending branched roots deep and wide, the plant can survive for a long time without rain and tolerates drought well. One vine can ripen up to thirty fruits, the size of a small tennis ball. Wild animals of the desert, languishing from the heat, are not averse to eating such tiny watermelons.

Watermelon loves warmth and a lot of it. In most cooler parts of the country, such as the Northeast, the large, oblong, weighty melons do not ripen. Round, short-season varieties of watermelon, sometimes called ice-frame watermelons, generally perform well depending on the weather, latitude and elevation. A slightly cooler summer or higher altitude will prevent melons from fully ripening in some areas. In northern coastal or mountainous areas, growing watermelon outside of a greenhouse may not be possible.

When the tails that hold the fruits on the vine dry out, a gusty south wind tears wild watermelons from the plant and carries them into the desert. Watermelon balls roll across the expanses of Africa and, bumping into each other or obstacles, break, and the pulp falls out onto the sand. The sticky sap attaches to the soil, where a new melon perennial then grows.

Here the small melon becomes wild, known as tsamma or tsama, which is considered the ancestor of our modern watermelon. These melons form a "cluster" of closely related varieties, although they vary widely in the tastes and needs of indigenous peoples. Many are bitter and roasted over a fire before eating, while others are slightly sweet and eaten fresh.

The tsamma melon was used as a source of water for people crossing the desert and it is said that it could only be crossed during the tsamma season. Watermelon fruits are round, oval, somewhat or distinctly oblong with a light-dark green background with darker stripes or spots, or large and small yellow "spots" in the case of watermelon. The color of the flesh varies from red to pink, yellow and white.

Watermelon varieties - variety of berries

Varieties of wild watermelon have spread throughout the world over time. The ancient Egyptians and Romans cultivated this crop from time immemorial. IN Western Europe Watermelons were introduced during the Crusades. The Chinese appreciated the taste of the juicy African berry back in the 10th century and even held holidays in honor of the “melon of the West,” as they called watermelons in those days. According to some sources, they were consumed in Russia in the 8th-10th centuries as gourmet delicacies, although some believe that the Tatars first brought southern fruit, and the Russians learned about them only in the XIII-XIV centuries. Be that as it may, the “South African guest” fell in love and took root in many countries.

A small number of varieties of heirloom watermelons are common, but a rich supply of perennials and reappearers can be found. open varieties heritage if you diligently learn. Perhaps the most famous watermelon of the heirloom seed movement is the aforementioned Moon and Stars watermelon.

The moon and stars are oval to oblong, dark green, usually with a slight to pronounced ridge. The varied, seemingly random pattern that gives these melons their name consists of small yellow dots and spots different sizes with one or more larger round yellow spots. The leaves are also mottled with bright yellow spots. The skin is thick and the tasty, moderately sweet flesh varies in color from yellow to pinkish to bright red.

Breeding work

Having appreciated the taste and healing qualities of watermelon, breeders from different countries actively began to develop new varieties of “African berries”. Today, the common watermelon is represented by a huge variety of varieties, which differ in ripening time, growing conditions, shape and color of the fruit, color and sugar content of the pulp, as well as many other parameters. I especially liked the Astrakhan watermelon.

Fruits typically grow between 15 and 25 pounds, although some companies claim they can reach 40 pounds with the right conditions. The seeds are brown with black spots, and like all types of heirloom watermelons, the fruit is relatively seedy. This is one of the archetypal oblong watermelons, 2 feet long and weighing 25 to 30 pounds, sometimes as much as it gets from the dark green, snake-striped pattern laid out on a light green background.

The flesh is bright red-pink and quite sweet. The crust is tough, although not thick, making it an excellent shipper. These characteristics, coupled with its stackable shape, have made it a favorite for both home and market growers. It takes about 90-100 hot days to ripen.

Astrakhan watermelon

Watermelon varieties based on the properties of pulp and seeds

Watermelons with yellow flesh

The most familiar external sign watermelon is its green, striped rind and pinkish-red flesh. But they have already been withdrawn and quite exotic varieties berries. For example, there are watermelons that are unremarkable in appearance. However, if you cut the fruit, you can see yellow flesh inside.

How did the watermelon turn yellow?

This unusual yellow watermelon was obtained by crossing modern striped berries with their wild relatives.

Such an experiment was successfully carried out by Russian breeders. The Thais and Spaniards loved the yellow-fleshed watermelon even more than the classic one, so residents of these countries happily grow “baby” (the popular name for the variety) in a jar. Yellow watermelon tastes sweeter than red watermelon and contains virtually no seeds. Some lovers of exotic watermelons claim that the yellow pulp of the fruit has a mango flavor, while others felt a pumpkin or lemon flavor.

The benefits of yellow watermelons Yellow watermelons contain a large amount of vitamin A, ascorbic acid

, calcium and iron, which makes them a useful product for maintaining good vision, beautiful hair, nails, teeth, as well as strengthening bone tissue and preventing blood diseases, such as anemia.

Watermelons with blue flesh: do they exist or not? There is a lot of disagreement about the question: does the blue watermelon exist or is it just a fiction, or maybe not a very successful commercial move? This dilemma is constantly discussed on the Internet. On one of the popular commercial sites in the Middle Kingdom, they offer to buy Chinese watermelon, the flesh of which is a bright neon blue color (this is confirmed by the photo of the product). Naturally, there were people who decided to check the accuracy of the information. They ordered seeds, planted them and received an ordinary watermelon, and Blue colour

attributed to the “miracles of Photoshop” or the effects of chemical dyes. Who knows, maybe in the future there will be watermelons with blue flesh, but for now you shouldn’t trust this kind of advertising ploy.

Sometimes white pulp is considered a sign of an unripe or “stuffed” fruit with chemicals. But breeders have created varieties whose characteristic feature is white flesh. The result of crossing wild and modern African berries is a white watermelon with a delicate flavor of strawberries and fresh cucumber. The peculiarity of this variety is its very thin rind and light, translucent flesh.

Snow-white watermelon

Seedless watermelons are a sweet tooth's dream

Everyone enjoys watermelon, but sometimes its seeds prevent you from tasting the fruit’s sweet pulp to the fullest. The Japanese decided to eliminate this minor nuisance, bringing major inconvenience, and in the 40s-50s they bred the first seedless watermelon, and their example was followed by scientists from the USA, Venezuela, Bulgaria and Russia. Today, seedless watermelon is not such a rarity, and the Israelis have completely abandoned stoned watermelons. The best varieties of seedless watermelons are considered to be the Dutch hybrids Aramis F1 and Stabolit F1.

Watermelon varieties by rind color

The classic color option for watermelon rind is green with dark stripes. But modern varieties African berries can surprise you with the variety of rind colors: uniform green, yellow, white, black.

"White American"

Another variety related to white watermelons was bred in America. Only this time it got its name not because of the pulp, but because of the completely white crust. This snow-white variety is named Navajo Winter. It is drought-resistant and can be stored for up to four months. The flesh of the fruit can be pinkish or red, but the crust is always snow-white.

White watermelon

Black noble Japanese

The most expensive varieties include black watermelon - the fruit of the creative imagination of Japanese breeders. The average cost of an exclusive berry is 250-300 US dollars. It happened that at auctions wealthy lovers of exotic products paid about 3000-6000 dollars for 1 berry.

The black-bark watermelon appeared in the Japanese city of Toma in the eighties of the last century. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this variety is called Densuke. Densuke's name contains two Japanese characters meaning "rice field", "help". The fact is that the Dansuke variety of watermelon was bred to compensate for the poor rice harvest in the vicinity of the city of Toma and really provided invaluable help to the residents of this region.

As a rule, Densuke watermelon is a round black fruit, without its characteristic stripes. The flesh is rich red, sweet and juicy. This watermelon is an exclusive berry, grown exclusively on the Japanese island of Hokkaido in limited quantities - about 10,000 copies.

Varieties of watermelons by fruit shape and size

The shape and dimensions of watermelons are also varied. Watermelons are generally round or slightly oval in shape. But there are fruits of unusual shapes, such as the square watermelon obtained in Japan in the 80s. And such a miracle cube appeared not at all as a result scientific experiments, but rather mechanical impact on the berry during its ripening. The Japanese were simply tired of enduring the inconvenience associated with transporting round striped berries, and they decided to make the watermelon square.

How did a watermelon become square?

To get such an unusual watermelon, the ovary, 6-10 cm in diameter, is placed in a square box, in which it reaches full maturity, forming a cube-shaped fruit. It is convenient to transport such products because they fit well into the body and do not roll during transportation. In addition, a square watermelon is an original gift that can be remembered by the hero of the occasion for a long time.

Square watermelons

Difficulties in forming square watermelons

Despite all its apparent simplicity, getting an unusual shape is not so easy. As a rule, each side of a plastic square container is 20 cm. While the watermelon is ripening, it is constantly turned and ensured that the strips are smooth and evenly distributed over the surface.

In addition, the watermelon may ripen without having time to occupy the entire area of the box. Then it won't be so square. It happens that a berry that is too large is formed, which has not yet ripened inside, but has already formed into a square and occupied the entire container. When creating a cubic watermelon it is difficult to achieve a balance of beautiful, correct form and mature pulp. Therefore, high-quality watermelons with right angles are not cheap, the price square watermelon reaches 20,000 rubles.

Micro watermelons

Large melons today can hardly surprise anyone, but small watermelons can amaze with their tiny dimensions.

Recently, there has been a growing fashion for mini-watermelons, which you can easily order online and grow at home or in your garden garden.

The miracle berry Melotria hummingbird - a mini watermelon with a cucumber flavor attracts attention thanks to unusual combination form and content. It is because of the fresh cucumber taste that the watermelon crumb received another name - African cucumber. Some people think of Melotria Hummingbird as a cucumber with the appearance of a watermelon, while others refer to it as a watermelon with a cucumber flavor. It is difficult to say which of them is right, because both watermelon and cucumber belong to the same pumpkin family, which means they are close relatives.

On forums and sites there are amateurs exotic plants leave numerous reviews about mini watermelons from China, the seeds of which were purchased at specialized trading platforms in online supermarkets. Having tried to plant such unusual plants for seedlings, people actually received tiny watermelons and cucumbers. True, it came as a surprise to many that the taste of the mini-berry was far from watermelon. It also came as a surprise to many that they received the fruits used to make salads in exclusive restaurants abroad. The unusual taste and mini-size still did not become an obstacle to further cultivation exotic crumble - watermelon with cucumber flavor.

Varieties of watermelons by ripening time

Watermelon, like any other garden crop, differs in terms of ripening. Early (for example, watermelon Crimson Sweet, Top Gun F1), middle (for example, Syngenta, Romanza F1) and late varieties of sweet, southern berries provide a harvest in different time. In the hot summer, you want to quench your thirst as early as possible juicy watermelon, but the risk of poisoning from a low-quality product full of nitrates is too great. But there is a way out - an extra-early watermelon will help you get a harvest in a short time, for example, the hybrid Ataman F1. One of the best varieties is considered to be Super Early Dyutina SRD-2. On the Internet you can read numerous positive reviews about the ultra-early ripening watermelon Dyutin, which bears fruit on the 55-60th day after sowing the seeds. Watermelons grow weighing about 5 kg, round, light green with dark stripes. The pulp is juicy, bright red, sweet to taste. Ultra-early harvest and sweet pulp are the advantages of the variety. Disadvantages include average shelf life, as well as closed growing conditions under film.

Long-term storage watermelons

If the goal of a summer resident is to grow winter watermelons that are characterized by increased shelf life, then special varieties of South African berries have been bred for these purposes. For example, the Black Prince watermelon variety proper storage can last up to 3 months. If we take into account that the Black Prince is a medium-late ripening variety, then it will be quite possible to try a fresh watermelon when the ground outside the window is covered with the first snow. In addition, the Black Prince's fruits are almost as good in appearance as the famous Japanese Densuke: a dark green, almost black rind hides bright red flesh. The taste of watermelon is high: the fruit is juicy and sweet.

Watermelon is a berry that sprouts in summer period, is considered an excellent dish both for an outdoor picnic and at home. This berry is suitable for a snack on hot days. summer days. Recently, seedless varieties have been used more often, but growing such a crop requires certain knowledge and techniques. In this article we will talk about varieties of boneless watermelons, as well as what kind of care they need.

Brief information about boneless fruits

Boneless watermelon varieties must do something that is not inherent in nature. In other words, the plant needs to stop producing seeds. To grow such varieties, a combination of female tetraploid and male diploid plants is used. Due to the fact that the species does not have seeds, watermelons are sterile, so it is necessary to plant pollinators along with such seeds, due to which fruiting can be achieved.

In fact, the described berries are triploid hybrids, with an oblong shape. Often the weight of one watermelon ranges from 5 to 10 kg. Although the varieties do not have bones, this is not entirely true; they are present in the pulp, but are very poorly developed, so people simply do not notice them. All types of boneless watermelons have red flesh that is quite sweet. Harvesting takes place approximately 85-90 days after disembarkation.

If you compare boneless varieties with others standard types, then the pulp of the former is always looser and more watery. Moreover, there is more sugar than in usual types. Today there are quite a lot of seedless varieties and they vary all over the world. As a rule, the cultivation of species is practiced in the states, California, and also in Israel. But there are some species that are grown in the CIS countries.

The photo shows a seedless watermelon!

Seedless varieties

The most popular and widespread types of seedless watermelons in the territory former USSR are:

There are other hybrid varieties that are also in demand, for example, Stabolite or Aramis.

Landing Features

In order to be able to grow boneless watermelon varieties at home or on a farm, you need to know certain rules for planting and care. Almost all varieties like to grow in sandy-clay soil that has good drainage. In order for seeds to germinate better and faster for sowing, the soil must be warmed up and maintain a stable temperature of 13 degrees.

Experienced farmers recommend initially germinating seeds in trays, where a layer of substrate is added, up to 5 cm in thickness. After seed germination, moderate watering is carried out. Ready seedlings must be planted in the ground after a month.

Insects must have access to the plants, which can pollinate watermelons during flowering. In connection with these rules, it is better to plant seedlings in open ground. Disembarkation planting material It is carried out so that there are pollinating plants in the row, which are planted three watermelons apart. In addition, the pollinating plants must not be diploid species, otherwise the ovary will not appear.

In order for seedless varieties to be propagated and for them to develop properly, you will need to adhere to the rules of care. The place on the site should be illuminated, and the soil itself should be fertilized from time to time.

Using a film that, like mulch, will very easily retain moisture in the ground, in addition, weeds will not germinate, and the bushes themselves will remain clean. This action helps protect watermelons from attacks by pests and abnormal microflora. It is recommended to use a drip system for irrigation.

drip watermelon

Possible problems

The most problematic thing in growing such varieties is propagation. The procedure is carried out by crossing pollinated varieties of watermelons. As a result, you can get seeds that are used for sowing. Such seeds do not belong to the mother plants. It is also important to remember that varieties do not like low temperatures, which means that if the thermometer readings drop, you will need to cover the bushes with burlap or other materials.

If you do not use a dark-colored covering material, then an attack by pests, for example, beetles, aphids or mites, is possible.

After ripening, near the stalk, the tendrils of watermelons begin to change color to dark, after which they dry out. The spots on the fruit on the underside become cream-colored rather than greenish. If you tap on watermelons, the sound will be muffled, and the ringing sound will be with green fruits. Taking into account these rules, the harvest is carried out.

In the summer heat, watermelon is simply irreplaceable - it quenches thirst and provides the body with the nutrition it needs. There are a large number of varieties of this large berries– they differ in taste, color of pulp and peel, as well as size and shape of the fruit.

Ripening time for watermelon varieties

The following early varieties and hybrids deserve the best recommendations: Sugar Baby, Honey Giant, Skorik, Sugar Baby, Gift of the Sun, Prince Albert F1, Prince Arthur F1, Prince Williams F1, Refined Sugar, Rosario F1. The ripening period is 75-80 days.

Ogonyok is one of the most famous early varieties of watermelon. The fruits are small - up to 4-5 kg. Watermelons have a thin skin. The outside is painted very dark green color. The pulp has sweet taste and granular structure. You can grow this variety not only in greenhouses, but also in open ground. Plants are not afraid of short-term drops in temperature.

Average ripening times are characteristic of the varieties Yubileiny, Astrakhansky, Melitopolsky 142, Bykovsky, Ataman F1, Muravlevsky.

The Volzhanin variety produces a smooth, elongated, rounded fruit. Its approximate weight is 5-6 kg. The red-raspberry pulp has a very pleasant taste - it is sweet and juicy. The seeds are small. The variety is drought resistant.

Late and mid-late varieties of watermelon: Kholodok, Vesenniy Kustovoy 334, Vostorg, Yubilei, Podarok Kholodov, Black Prince (ripening takes about a hundred days).

Chill is one of the most common mid-late varieties watermelons (the growing season takes from 85 to 95 days). The plants produce small fruits - their weight is about 5 kg. The bark is strong, the flesh is juicy, red, very sweet. These watermelons keep well (about three months). They are transportable.

Watermelon: varieties for the middle zone

Watermelon varieties for middle zone Russia and the Moscow region are quite diverse, but it’s worth growing plants seedling method. The most interesting ones are Crimson Sweet, Skorik, Ogonyok, Producer, Astrakhansky, Top-gun, Melitopolsky 142, Kholodok.

The list of watermelon varieties for the Moscow region and central Russia also includes the Sugar Baby variety. This watermelon has gained popularity all over the world. The grainy dark red pulp of the fruit delights with a pleasant taste - it is very sweet and juicy. The peel is colored dark green color. The variety is early ripening.

Watermelon varieties for the Urals

In the Urals you can grow the same watermelons as in the Moscow region. In addition to them, the following varieties are used: Pink Champagne F1, Gift to the North F1, Krimstar.

Watermelon varieties for Siberia

In Western Siberia and Far East You can also grow watermelons - seedlings are planted under film covers. Early varieties such as Crimson Wonder, Crimson Sweet, Ultra Early, Ogonyok, Sibiryak are considered optimal.

Siberian is a variety adapted to cool climates. He is precocious, early. Average weight fruits – 5 kg. The taste characteristics are very good.

Varieties of yellow watermelons

Yellow watermelons were created by crossing cultivars with a wild fellow (this plant cannot boast of good taste qualities and has yellow flesh). At this point in time, the following varieties have been bred: Prince Hamlet F1, Gift of the Sun, Honeyheart F1.

The Lunar variety produces smooth elliptical fruits. The rind of this watermelon is colored light green color. There are stripes of dark color on a light background. The average weight of the fetus is 3 kg. The juicy yellow pulp has unsurpassed taste characteristics. The seeds are small and dark. The fruits do not last long - about a month.

White watermelon: variety

The following varieties of watermelons have light green “marbled” skin: Charleston Gray and Honey Giant. The Navajo Winter variety has completely white skin. The flesh of this watermelon is pinkish or red. It's sweet and juicy. The fruits can be stored for about 4 months.

Varieties of black watermelon

The Densuke variety of black watermelon has an exorbitant price - today it costs $50. This is due to the rarity of the variety - the plant is grown only on the island of Hokkaido. The pulp of this watermelon is very bright, it has high sugar content. This watermelon is sold in luxury stores - each fruit is packaged in a black box.

The original variety Moon and Stars is distinguished by its very dark, almost black skin with bright spots. The pulp can be either red or yellowish. The shape of the fruit is oblong. Weight varies between 9-23 kg.

Sweet varieties of watermelons

Watermelons are sweet by their very nature, but the level of sugar content varies different varieties is different. The sweetest are considered Astrakhan watermelons. Excellent taste characteristics are inherent in the varieties Volzhanin, Kholodok, Zenit, Bykovsky 22.

The Astrakhan variety produces broadly elliptical fruits weighing up to 10 kg. The peel is green and decorated with dark spiky stripes. Red, extremely juicy, coarse-grained pulp is distinguished by increased sweetness. Ripening time is average.

Watermelon: large varieties

Large varieties of watermelons are found quite often - the weight of such fruits exceeds 10 kg. There are also real record holders. A striking example is the Carolina Cross watermelon - its weight was 119 kg. The Russian size watermelon weighing 61.4 kg was slightly inferior to it. Other large-fruited varieties: Palladin F1 (up to 20 kg), Astrakhansky (about 10 kg), Crimson glory F1 (15 kg), Charleston gray (12 kg).

Seedless watermelon: varieties

Especially for gourmets, breeders have bred seedless hybrids. This category includes watermelons Stabolite F1, Triton F1, Majestic F1, Honeyheart F1.

The early ripening hybrid Prince Hamlet F1 is well known. The fruits are small (about 2 kg). They are covered with thin skin. The pulp has a delicious taste, it is devoid of seeds and is colored yellow. The variety can also be used for making honey and candied fruits.

Watermelon varieties for open ground

Residents of warm regions can grow watermelons in open ground. Varieties ideal for such conditions: Luchezarny, Rosa South-East, Stokes, Astrakhansky, Volgar, Yarilo, Ogonyok.

It is almost impossible to name the best varieties of watermelon - many of them deserve good recommendations. If plants receive everything they need for development, then they are happy good harvest sweet and juicy fruits.

Everyone loves watermelons, but many are unhappy with the fact that their pulp contains a large number of seeds. It was this drawback that forced the Japanese H. Kirahara to begin research in 1939 with the goal of obtaining seedless (triploid) watermelons. Ten years later, the main work was successfully completed and put into production. Later, triploid watermelons were created in the USA (1957), Venezuela (1961), Bulgaria (1965), Russia (1970). Today in these and other countries they occupy large areas, and in Israel all watermelons grown are seedless. They are becoming increasingly popular in Russia and Ukraine. Many seedless varieties of watermelon have been developed, including watermelons with yellow flesh.

In addition to this quality, triploid watermelons differ high yield(it is 1.5-2 times higher than that of ordinary watermelons), excellent taste, increased resistance to disease, good transportability and keeping quality.

The disadvantages of seedless watermelons include the rather dense edible part, which does not “melt” in the mouth, as domestic consumers are accustomed to.

The scheme for obtaining triploid (seedless) watermelon hybrids is generally as follows: the seeds of ordinary watermelons are treated aqueous solutions colchicine (a plant alkaloid) or other substances, which doubles the number of chromosomes. In this way a tetraploid is obtained. By crossing it with a regular watermelon (diploid), triploid seeds are obtained. The hybrids of the Dutch company Nynems Zaden B.V. are considered the best. - Aramis F1 and Stabolite F1, as well as hybrids of the transnational seed corporation Seminis B.C. - King of Hearts F1, Apollo F1, Cooperstown F1, Triton F1, Honeyheart F1 (the last two have yellow flesh).

Growing seedless watermelons is more difficult and risky than regular ones. Some farmers in the Brest region managed to grow ten or more tons of ordinary watermelons, but not everyone succeeded in producing seedless ones.

Those who are interested in this culture will find some advice useful, based on the recommendations of Dutch experts and the experience of enthusiasts of the “watermelon business” of the Brest region. Cassettes with 3-5 cm cells or special briquettes are well suited for growing seedlings. The soil mixture must provide a balance between moisture holding capacity and breathability. You cannot use a substrate that dries out too quickly or, conversely, remains saturated with water for a long time. It is better to take a mixture of peat (sphagnum) moss and vermiculite or peat briquettes. They must be moistened generously with water and then allowed to drain for several hours. Unlike the seeds of ordinary watermelons, triploid ones have air cavities inside. Water that gets into them can cause rotting. Therefore, you should never soak the seeds of triploid watermelons. The seeding depth is at least 1.5 cm. In this case, they need to be placed in the soil with their nose up at an angle of 45-90°, then there will be less problems with adhesion of the seed coat to the cotyledons. If, however, it does not lag behind the sprout on its own, it will have to be carefully removed by hand. Within 36-48 hours after sowing, the temperature is increased to 29-30°C. Plastic film or spunbond will help maintain an adequate level of moisture. As soon as the first shoots appear, it is necessary to remove the shelter and lower the temperature to 24°C. Plants are watered as needed. When 80-90% of seedlings appear, they are transferred to a cooler room or the temperature is reduced to harden the seedlings. It is usually ready to be transplanted into the ground after about four weeks, by which time it should have three true leaves.

The soil for seedless watermelons should be fertile, drained, well heated, with an acidity pH of 6 to 7. Optimal temperature for cultivation 26-30°C during the day and 15-20°C at night. If it is below normal, plant growth slows down and fruit ripening time increases significantly.

Seedless watermelons do not produce viable pollen, so several rows of regular (diploid) varieties or hybrids must be planted next to them for pollination. The ideal ratio is 3:1 or 2:1. To avoid confusion, pollinators and seedless watermelons must differ in shape and color, and flowering periods must coincide. So, for hybrids from Nynems Zaden B.V. Aramis F1 and Stabolite F1, diploid hybrids Lady F1 or Crisby F1 can be ideal pollinators, and for seedless hybrids of the Seminis B.C. Corporation. - diploid hybrids of the same corporation Royal Majesty F1 with a very elongated fruit and Pata Negra F1 with a dark green skin color. When the first flowers appear, if possible, it should be used for better pollination by bees.

To prevent the formation of voids in fruits, the following factors must be taken into account. Usage nitrogen fertilizers should be at least 10% less than the norm for ordinary watermelons. Watering before the start of ripening should be significantly reduced or stopped altogether. One plant usually produces up to 3 fruits weighing 3.5-8 kg, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

Harvesting also has its own characteristics. Triploid watermelons must be harvested when they reach consumer maturity, since they do not ripen after harvesting like regular watermelons. The degree of their maturation cannot be judged by sound, as is usually done. The signal for harvesting seedless watermelons is the wilting of the stalk of the stalk, a change in the color of the peel, and the presence of a cream or yellowish spot at the point where the fruit comes into contact with the soil.