Features of growing Vietnamese melon

Description

The Vietnamese melon variety is early ripening, thermophilic and intolerant of high humidity. Fruits - pumpkins, small, oval, weighing up to 200 g. The low weight of the fruit is compensated by the fact that up to 30 pumpkins can be harvested per season. The peel of the fruit is orange with light yellow stripes, and the flesh is light orange, sweet and slightly oily. The strong sweet aroma of the fruit is also noted.

The pulp contains a rich set of useful trace elements and vitamins. So, for example, enjoying juicy pulp, you saturate your body with potassium, sodium, chlorine, B vitamins (B1, B2), vitamin C, A. In addition, this variety is rich in iron, therefore Vietnamese melon is included in the diet for anemia, exhaustion, atherosclerosis. Also, this vitamin cocktail has a positive effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary-reproductive system.

Reasons for popularity

The main reason for the popularity of Vietnamese melon is the peculiarities of cultivation and vegetation.

For the regions of the middle and northern strip, the choice of varieties is not very rich due to the peculiarities of the climate. Early-ripening varieties do not very well tolerate changes in air temperature, late-ripening ones fall into the period of the first frost. It turns out that melon has to be grown either in greenhouses or in heated greenhouses, which is not always convenient and cost-effective.

Vietnamese melon feels great in such conditions, especially if there is no stagnant water on the site. Small fruits ripen rather quickly, do not aggravate the stems. Moreover, their vegetation does not slow down due to temperature changes, which makes them more resistant to many diseases.

In addition, the short ripening period of the fruit makes the Vietnamese variety more profitable in cultivation - while one ordinary pumpkin is ripening, the Vietnamese one brings a good ten.

The subtleties of growing

The cultivation of the variety is mainly in the southern regions. The main reason for this zoning is that the sweetness of pumpkins is highly influenced by the climate and weather during the season. However, it is quite easy to avoid the intrigues of the weather - you can grow a melon in a greenhouse.

In fact, the agricultural technique repeats the process of growing cucumbers in a greenhouse. When the first ovaries appear, the shoots are stepchild.

When growing in a greenhouse, it is not recommended to plant plants densely: between them in the garden there should be 50 centimeters, while between the rows - 70 centimeters. But when cultivating them in the open air, the distance should be 70 x 70 centimeters.

Experienced gardeners recommend pinching a Vietnamese melon in front of the 3rd true leaf, form two shortened lashes from the axils of the first and second leaves.

Cultivation of Vietnamese melon involves forming a bush to increase yields. The fact is that the fruits are formed on stems of the third order, and the bush needs timely pinching in order for the formation of ovaries to accelerate. After the fifth true leaf appears, the stem must be pinned (with your hands or with scissors) over the third leaf. A similar procedure should be repeated from time to time: as soon as new lashes appear, one is removed, and the rest are stepson.

New lashes are female flowers that will form ovaries after pollination. Wait until they grow to 3-4 centimeters, and then tear off all the small ones, leaving only 5-6 of the largest stems. After 13-14 days, repeat the pinching again. Such simple actions will help speed up the growing season and make the plant healthier. But when growing Vietnamese melon in the open field, pinching is carried out over the second, not the third leaf, in order to grow it in two lashes.

Melons should be grown on highly fertile soils, which will provide the plant with good nutrition with nutrients. Suspended and loamy soil types are best suited, in which organic fertilizers must be applied. For example, for 1 square meter of loamy soil, you will need 6 kilograms of humus.

A few words about planting seedlings. It can be planted only after the frost has passed. The neck of the stem in the root zone should not be covered with earth. Do not transplant the plant from place to place.

Care

Drought tolerant, the melon still requires regular watering during the first decade of its growth.

There are two important things to consider when watering:

1. Water should not stagnate in the garden. This will negatively affect both the ripening fruits and the bush itself.
2. The water should be warm. Watering with cold water will disrupt vegetation, root rot and will stimulate the development of fungal diseases.

Approximately every two weeks, the beds need to be fed by adding a solution of ammonium nitrate (25 grams), superphosphate (40 grams), potassium sulfate (15 grams) during watering. Before flowering, fertilizing with nitrogen and potassium is good.

Timely pinching and processing of cuts will help not only speed up the growing season, but also protect the melon from diseases.

Also, before the beginning of flowering, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatments of plants and soil with fungicides and insecticides. Among the diseases and insects to which the culture is most susceptible are: peronosporosis, fusarium, black melon aphid, spider mite.

At the first signs of fungal diseases, you need to treat the bushes with a solution of potassium permanganate (1.5 grams per 10 liters of water). Attracting ladybirds, sowing chamomiles, dill, nasturtiums helps against insect pests.

Video "Vietnamese decorative melon"

This video, among other things, tells about a rare type of melons - the Vietnamese decorative melon.