Features of growing Astrakhan watermelons, korda ripen and how to distinguish varieties

A huge round fruit with a flat surface was bred by the breeder Konstantin Dyutin. Astrakhan watermelons, unlike other varieties of this melon crop, are unpretentious in care, for which they are planted in farms, grown in summer cottages. Sweet berry not only has a pleasant taste, but also eliminates thirst, supplies vitamins and minerals to the human body, cleanses it of toxins, and relieves puffiness.

Features of the variety

Now there is no need to go to Astrakhan for watermelons, whose hot and dry climate is ideal for growing melons and gourds. You can buy an amazing berry anywhere, it is cultivated in different regions of Russia. Astrakhan watermelons are different:

• dense and smooth crust;
• oblong shape;
• dark green color;
• light stripes on the surface.

The pulp in fruits pleases with a sweet taste, subtle aroma of fields. With prolonged drought, voids sometimes form in the berry, but the Astrakhan watermelon does not lose its juiciness from this. It ripens 75-80 days after germination. The melon culture adores warmth, direct rays of the sun, does not like cloudy and cool weather, high humidity. Astrakhan watermelons are rarely affected by:

• fusarium
• gray rot;
• mosaic disease;
• anthracnose.

The characteristics and description of the variety interested farmers, because from one hectare, under favorable conditions, it is possible to collect 120 tons of watermelons, each of which weighs more than 8 kilograms. Summer residents who plant this melon crop in their plots claim that the sweetest and juiciest fruit has a contrasting color - a very dark skin and very light stripes. Ripe berry, when pressed, emits a barely audible crack.

Ways of growing Astrakhan watermelon

The variety is suitable for cultivation not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle lane. Where spring lingers, seedlings are first harvested; if the heat comes in April, the disinfected seeds are sown directly to the garden or to the bastan. The first method is suitable for the Moscow region, Chernozem region. In addition to the Astrakhan region, the second option for the cultivation of watermelons is resorted to in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the North Caucasus.

Germinating seeds

Both gardeners and farmers dream that sweet berries will ripen faster. Some want to please the family with fruits, others - to get income.

Germinating seeds helps speed up the harvesting process. First, they need to be decomposed and larger grains selected. In order for the sprouts to hatch faster, the seed is poured with hot water and left for half an hour, after which it is soaked for a day in a solution of potassium permanganate. Experienced gardeners add aloe juice to it.

When sprouts appear, the seeds must be moved into peat pots or plastic containers filled with humus. It is important to choose the right time for germination of seed and transplanting bushes to an area illuminated by the sun.

Astrakhan watermelons love light and loose soil. Fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen must be applied to the soil prepared in the fall. Seedlings are moved to open ground at the end of May. Usually at this time there is no longer frost, and the soil warms up well. Watermelons have time to ripen before the fall.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

In middle latitudes, summer residents prefer to sow the Astrakhan variety not in open ground, but under a film. They do this from late March to early April, many are guided by the lunar calendar. To make the skin softer, the seeds are dipped in hot water for a quarter of an hour.

For hardening, some summer residents wrap watermelon grains in wet gauze and send them to a cold place for a week or put them on ice 8 hours before planting.

After treatment with a growth stimulator, 3-4 seeds are placed in cups filled with fertilized soil, deepening by 4 centimeters. The containers are wrapped in foil and left in the greenhouse, where it should be at least 25 °. When the shoots appear, the polyethylene is removed, the shoots are thinned out. When four leaves are formed, and this happens after 30-35 days, Astrakhan watermelons are moved to the field or to the garden.

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Seedlings in the open field

By the end of May, the ground warms up well, and frosts rarely return. When the soil temperature reaches 14 °, they dig holes, put humus in each, plant several watermelon seeds, cover them with soil, the layer of which should be at least 10 centimeters. A distance of up to one and a half meters is left between the rows. Melons are insulated with agrofibre.

The cultivated Astrakhan watermelon develops well after:

• beans;
• corn;
• nightshade crops.

Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, protected from drafts, when at least 18 ° during the day, every half a meter, leave 90 centimeters between the rows. Fertilizer is placed in the dug holes, which is prepared by dissolving 40 grams of superphosphate, 20 grams of potassium salt and 30 grams of ammonium sulfate in 2 liters of water. Many summer residents prefer chicken manure and mullein.

Covering the fertilizers with earth, pour in ash, pour warm water. Cutting the glass, take out the seedlings of the Astrakhan watermelon and place it in the ground so that the soil reaches the leaves. Moisture will evaporate less if the bed under the melon crop is mulched with humus or sand.

We create optimal conditions for good growth and productivity

Growing Astrakhan watermelons and caring for them almost do not reflect the cultivation of other varieties. Plants develop rapidly, give a high yield on fertile lands, especially on black soil.

Temperature and lighting

Watermelons love the sun, even if they sprout in the shade, the fruits will not set. When cloudy weather lasts for a long time, the berry does not gain sweetness. When growing melons in a greenhouse, it is necessary to install additional lamps.

Astrakhan watermelons develop well at high temperatures, the yield increases significantly if during the growing season during the day from 30 to 40 ° and at night at least 18; at 15, growth stops; at lower values, the culture may die.

Watermelons are worse tied when the sun's rays fall on them for longer than 12 hours, but even with a daylight of 8 hours, the culture does not develop.

Humidity and watering

Astrakhan watermelons have powerful roots that go to great depths and grow in width. They do not suffer during a drought, they endure a long absence of rain. However, the berry will not be juicy and sweet if the crop is not watered. During development, watermelons are moistened daily with warm water. When they begin to ripen en masse, the amount of irrigation is reduced.

Fertilizing the soil

Melons and gourds are very demanding on soil fertility. It is necessary to feed Astrakhan watermelons, even if they grow on black soil, once every 14-15 days. You can use solutions from rotted manure, chicken droppings, and even better combine organic matter with mineral fertilizers.

Diseases and pests of the Astrakhan watermelon

Rains and cold snap negatively affect the state of the melons and gourds. The set fruits have no taste, no juice is collected. Although Astrakhan watermelons are resistant to fusarium and some other diseases, under unfavorable conditions, they are affected by peronosporosis caused by a pathogenic fungus. To cope with it, the leaves of the culture are treated with Bordeaux liquid 3 times per season.

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Prolonged cold snap, high humidity contribute to the appearance of root rot, when the underground part of the plant thickens and cracks, leaves wither. For spraying, a Fundazol solution is used, ash is poured onto the ground.

Seeds are recommended to be processed before planting, since bacteria are transmitted through them, provoking the development of angular spotting, in which:

1. The plant is covered with bloom.
2. Holes appear on the leaves.
3. The stems wither.
4. The fruit becomes soft.

At high humidity and low temperatures, melons and gourds plantations are destroyed by black aphids in a short time. Due to insects about 2 millimeters in size, flowers crumble, the ovary falls off, the plant dies. Spraying plants with solutions of tobacco dust, a mixture of wood ash and laundry soap does not always help get rid of parasites. Often it is necessary to treat melon leaves with insecticides.

How to determine the ripeness of a berry

There is more than one way using which you can make sure of the maturity of the Astrakhan watermelon. Pay attention, first of all, to its crust. If it is hard, not pierced with a fingernail, it means that the berry does not feed on moisture from the stems. Tearing off the plant, the fruits will ripen quickly. Ripe berries have light stripes against the background of a dark peel.

The watermelon lies on the ground on one side; a spot forms at the point of contact with the ground. In ripe berries, it has a yellow or orange color. The fruit can be cut if a ringing sound is clearly heard from a blow with a hand, and a crackling sound when pressed.

Ripe watermelon does not sink in water. The flesh of the berry of the Astrakhan variety is bright red, the stone is black. For "girls", who are considered tastier than "boys," the lower part is flat, not narrow, with a wide circle stands out on it.

When to harvest and how to store the crop

Astrakhan watermelons begin to ripen closer to autumn. Late varieties have a thick rind that prevents damage to the juicy pulp. You need to store fruits from your own plot a few days before they ripen.

For the workpiece, you need to choose watermelons that are free of cracks, dents, scratches, and the surface shines in the sun. A very large berry should not be left in the refrigerator or placed in a cellar or basement. Early varieties are not suitable for storage. So that the Astrakhan watermelons do not spoil for a long time, do not lose their taste and juiciness, the temperature in the ventilated room should be in the range from 2 to 4 °, the humidity should not be higher than 85.

Whole fruits of this variety lie perfectly for 3 months, at room temperature - 5 weeks, cut berries are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.

Common growing mistakes

Novice gardeners sometimes believe that since the Astrakhan watermelons come from the southern regions, where it is hot and dry, there is no need to water the plants. Other site owners stop moisturizing 10 days before harvesting, which leads to:

• to a deterioration in taste;
• low sugar content;
• unsatisfactory keeping quality.

A gross mistake of summer residents planting watermelons is the lack of proper feeding. Melon crops need both mineral fertilizers and organic matter, but in moderation.

Some gardeners manage to save space in the greenhouse by placing tomatoes and watermelons next to them. Plants require different nutrition, some are watered every day, others once a week. Long stems of melons and gourds quickly drown out tomatoes.

It is not easy to buy seeds of Astrakhan watermelons on the market, not everyone knows how to distinguish that this is not a fake. You have to rely only on the conscience of the sellers or to buy the sowing seeds not at the bazaar, but in specialized stores.