Features of growing Astrakhan watermelons, cord ripening and how to distinguish varieties

The breeder Konstantin Dyutin managed to breed a huge round fruit with a smooth surface. Astrakhan watermelons, unlike other varieties of this melon crop, are unpretentious in care, which is why they are planted on farms and grown in dachas. The sweet berry not only has a pleasant taste, but also eliminates thirst, supplies the human body with vitamins and microelements, cleanses it of toxins, and relieves swelling.

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. You can buy this 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 the fruit pleases with a sweet taste and a subtle aroma of the fields. During prolonged drought, voids sometimes form in the berries, but Astrakhan watermelon does not lose its juiciness due to this. It ripens 75-80 days after emergence. Melon culture loves warmth, direct rays of the sun, does not like cloudy and cool weather, or high humidity. Astrakhan watermelons are extremely 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 on their plots claim that the sweetest and juiciest fruit has a contrasting color - a very dark skin and very light stripes. When pressed, a ripe berry produces a barely audible crackling sound.

Methods for growing Astrakhan watermelon

The variety is suitable for cultivation not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle zone. Where spring is delayed, seedlings are first harvested; if warmth comes in April, disinfected seeds are sown directly on the garden bed or on the tower. The first method is suitable for the Moscow region and the Black Earth Region.The second option for cultivating watermelons, in addition to the Astrakhan region, is resorted to in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, in the North Caucasus.

We germinate the seeds

Both gardeners and farmers dream of sweet berries ripening faster. Some want to please their family with fruits, others want to earn income.

Germinating seeds helps speed up the harvesting process. First you need to decompose them and select larger grains. To make the sprouts 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 should be transferred to peat pots or plastic containers filled with humus. It is important to choose the right time for germinating the seed and transplanting the bushes to an area illuminated by the sun.

Astrakhan watermelons love light and loose soil. Fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen must be added to the soil prepared in the fall. The seedlings are moved into open ground at the end of May. Usually at this time there are no more frosts, and the soil warms up well. Watermelons have time to ripen before the beginning of autumn.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

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

To harden, some gardeners wrap watermelon grains in wet gauze and send them to a cold place for a week or place 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 them by 4 centimeters.The containers are wrapped in film and left in the greenhouse, where it should be at least 25 °. When the sprouts appear, the polyethylene is removed and the seedlings are thinned out. When four leaves are formed, and this happens after 30-35 days, Astrakhan watermelons are moved to a field or garden bed.

Seedlings in open ground

By the end of May, the earth warms up well, and frosts rarely return. When the soil temperature reaches 14 °, dig holes, put humus in each, plant several watermelon seeds, and cover 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. The melons are insulated with agrofibre.

Cultivated Astrakhan watermelon develops well after:

• beans;
• corn;
• nightshade crops.

The seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, protected from drafts, when the daytime temperature is at least 18 °, every half meter, 90 centimeters are left 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 fertilizer with soil, pour in ash and pour in warm water. After cutting the glass, take out the Astrakhan watermelon seedlings and place them 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 and caring for Astrakhan watermelons is almost identical to the cultivation of other varieties. Plants develop quickly and produce high yields on fertile lands, especially on black soil.

Temperature and lighting

Watermelons love the sun, even if they send out shoots in the shade, the fruits will not set.When cloudy weather persists 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, productivity increases significantly if during the growing season the temperature is from 30 to 40 ° during the day and at least 18 at night; at 15, growth stops; at lower values, the crop may die.

Watermelons set worse when the sun's rays fall on them for longer than 12 hours, but even with 8 hours of daylight, the crop 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 droughts and tolerate long periods of lack 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

Melon crops 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, or even better, combine organic matter with mineral fertilizers.

Diseases and pests of Astrakhan watermelon

Rains and cold weather negatively affect the condition of the melon crop. The set fruits have no taste and do not absorb juice. Although Astrakhan watermelons are resistant to fusarium and some other diseases, but, under unfavorable conditions, they are affected by peronosporosis, caused by a pathogenic fungus. To cope with it, the leaves of the crop are treated with Bordeaux mixture 3 times per season.

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

It is recommended to treat seeds before planting, since they transmit bacteria that provoke the development of corner spot, in which:

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

At high humidity and low temperature, melon plantations are destroyed by black aphids in a short time. Because of insects about 2 millimeters in size, flowers fall off, the ovary falls off, and 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. It is often necessary to treat melon leaves with insecticides.

How to determine the ripeness of a berry

There is more than one way to verify the maturity of an Astrakhan watermelon. First of all, you need to pay attention to its crust. If it is hard and cannot be pierced with a fingernail, it means that the berry is not receiving moisture from the stems. Once removed from the plant, the fruits will quickly ripen. In a ripe berry, light stripes clearly appear against the background of a dark peel.

The watermelon lies on the ground on one side, and 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 your hand, and a cracking sound when pressed.

A ripe watermelon does not sink in water. The flesh of the Astrakhan variety of berries is bright red, the seeds are black.“Girls,” which are considered tastier than “boys,” have a flat, not narrow, lower part, with a wide circle on it.

When to harvest and how to store the crop

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

For harvesting, you need to choose watermelons that have no cracks, dents, scratches, and the surface shines in the sun. Very large berries should not be left in the refrigerator or placed in a cellar or basement. Early ripening varieties are not suitable for storage. To ensure that Astrakhan watermelons do not spoil for a long time and do not lose their taste and juiciness, the temperature in a ventilated room should be in the range from 2 to 4 °, the humidity should not exceed 85.

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

Common mistakes when growing

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

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

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

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

Buying Astrakhan watermelon seeds on the market is not easy; not everyone knows how to tell that they are not fake. You have to rely only on the conscience of the sellers or purchase seeds not at the market, but in specialized stores.