"Torpedo" is considered one of the best varieties of melons. It is easy to recognize by its impressive size, oblong shape and rich melon aroma. Despite its Uzbek roots, Torpedo is growing well in Russia. We will learn how to plant and grow Uzbek melon in a temperate climate.
melon variety “Torpedo”
melon "Torpedo" juicy and sweet to the crust
from ripe melon "Torpedo" spreads a delicious, sweet aroma
How did the variety appear?
Hailing "Torpedo" from Asia Minor. In sunny Uzbekistan, this melon has been cultivated for about three centuries. Uzbeks call this variety in their own way - Mirzanchulskaya. This is a real visiting card of Uzbekistan. The official name under which the variety is registered in the Russian Federation is "Rainbow".
Melon Torpedo Description
Varietal signs of "Torpedo":
- oblong fruits;
- crust yellow, streaked with thin silvery veins;
- the pulp is white, juicy, has an oily consistency, thickness - 5-6 cm;
- there are many seeds inside the fruit.
The stems are strong and powerful. Shoots reach 2 m in length - they can be tied to supports.
The "Torpedo" grown in Uzbekistan, fruits in length reach half a meter.
Ripe "Torpedo" is easy to recognize by its aroma. This variety is characterized by increased odor - the fruit exudes a specific melon aroma - delicate and sweet.
Main characteristics
Fruits grown in a temperate climate are smaller than the Uzbek "Torpedo" in weight and size. They are also inferior in taste to fruits grown in Asia.
Main characteristics of the torpedo melon:
Characteristics / parameters | Description / Meaning |
Ripening time | late ripening, ripens not earlier than August |
Achieving technical ripeness | 60 days |
Fruit weight | in Uzbekistan - up to 15 kg, in Russia - up to 5-7 kg |
Transportability | excellent |
Taste | excellent (but with a lack of sun, the taste worsens) |
Scent | bright, rich, combines notes of pineapple, duchess and vanilla |
Fruits grown without chemicals hazardous to health appear on the market no earlier than the end of August. Until that time, it is not worth buying oblong melons - they are either unripe or saturated with harmful additives that stimulate the growth of the culture.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits:
- The fruits are well transported - melons can be transported over long distances without problems.
- It can be grown not only in the south of Russia, but also in regions with a temperate climate.
- The fruits are distinguished by remarkable commodity and taste characteristics.
- The fruits can be stored for a long time. In the basement or just in a cool room, "Torpedoes" can stay fresh and tasty until spring.
This wonderful variety has one drawback - the plant is demanding on growing conditions.
"Torpedo" needs warmth, and even better - the sun, a lot of sun. This is why it is so difficult to grow truly sweet melons in mid-latitudes. Unlike its main rival, “Kolkhoznitsa”, she is not able to fully mature in a temperate climate, therefore she does not reveal her true taste.
What is the best planting: seeds or seedlings?
In southern regions, melon can be grown by simple planting in the ground. Such a landing method is permissible only in areas with warm summers, where a critical drop in temperature is excluded. In a temperate strip, melons planted in the ground do not have time to ripen, since planting is carried out no earlier than May. So that melons have time to pour sweetness, they are grown in greenhouses and greenhouses.
Thus, the choice - seedlings or seeds, depends only on the climate. Sowing in the ground, of course, it is easier to grow melons, but you have to tinker with seedlings, and then transplant it to a permanent place. But there is no other way to grow the Torpedo in a temperate climate.
Landing conditions
For melons to grow large and sweet, they need to get a good start and create optimal conditions for growth. Therefore, planting begins with the selection and preparation of the site.
Regionality
The ideal climate for growing the variety is hot and dry. The farther north, the lower the weight of the fruit, and the less sweets in them. "Torpedo" can be grown in temperate continental climates, but only by seedlings or even greenhouse methods.
Temperature mode
Melon is extremely thermophilic; for growth and development, it needs a temperature regime that excludes a drop to 15 ° C. For the planted seeds to develop, they need a daytime temperature of 20-25 ° C, a night temperature up to 15 ° C.
Lighting
Melons need an unshaded area open to the sun - this is the main condition for fruit growth. In greenhouses for culture, you can provide additional artificial lighting with an intensity of 5-6 thousand lux.
Soil composition
Soils for melon beds are selected fertile. In the autumn, organic matter is introduced into open ground - humus or compost, mineral fertilizers. The optimum acidity is neutral, the best soils are black soil and sandy loam. The soil must be dug up and loosened.
The composition of the soil for planting melons:
- peat - 15%;
- sand - 25%;
- humus - 50%.
Growing methods
In the south, it is not customary to tie melons; they grow splendidly, stretching out along the loose melon. The fruits ripen, lying directly on the soil - in a hot and dry climate they do not need shelters or underlay plywood. The temperate climate is a different matter, with its lack of sun and high humidity. To protect melons from decay, special cultivation methods are used, about them - below.
In spread
This is a common way of growing melons and gourds. Fruits and shoots spread freely over the melon. The gardener's task is to increase yields. To do this, pinch the main shoot over the 4th leaf, and the side shoots - two pieces, do not touch. The remaining shoots are fixed on the ground, stimulating the formation of additional roots.
Pinching shoots can usefully redirect nutrients - they go not to leaves and shoots, but to fruits.
On the trellises
Growing melons on trellises is a laborious method that is usually used in greenhouses. In the open ground, trellis cultivation is resorted to as a last resort - if there is a critical lack of planting areas.
How is trellis growing organized:
- At a distance of 2 m from the ground, stretch 2 wires or ropes stretched between two supports.
- Shoots, as seedlings grow, are tied to trellises. The first shoot - to the wire located on the left, the second - to the opposite one.
The used garter method provides optimal illumination of the shoots. You only have to tie up the plant for the first time. When it gets stronger, it will itself begin to braid the ropes.
Sowing rules
There is nothing difficult in sowing melons, but there are rules, without which you cannot hope for good fruits and a big harvest. You need to select good seeds, prepare them, and sow them correctly.
Seed selection and preparation
When buying melon seeds, it is important to pay attention to the shelf life. If the seeds are harvested independently, the largest seeds should be selected.
Seed preparation activities:
- Checking. The seeds are dipped in water. Good ones sink to the bottom, "dummies" pop up.
- Etching. The seeds are wrapped in cheesecloth and dipped in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. Stand for 6 hours. Potassium permanganate can be replaced by zinc sulfate or boric acid. But then the etching lasts twice as long.
- Warming up. The seeds are placed in a sunny place or in the oven, where the temperature is set at 40-50 degrees. Warm up for 3-4 hours.
- Growth stimulator. So that the seeds hatch faster, a growth stimulator is added to the potassium permanganate solution.
- Hardening. The immunity of seeds is increased by soaking in warm water, followed by exposure at different temperatures - first at room temperature, then at 0 ° C.
- Germination. They are germinated in wet sawdust or gauze soaked in water. The seeds hatch, a sprout appears. Seeds are ready for planting - in cups or in open ground.
For planting melons in open ground, take seeds collected 3-4 years ago. The seeds of the last year are infertile, only male flowers will grow on the plants.
Melon seeds remain viable for up to eight years.
The scheme and timing of sowing
The depth of planting seeds in open ground is up to 5 cm. Sowing schemes are used different, but between adjacent grooves there should be at least 60 cm. Place 4-6 seeds in each hole. Simultaneously with the seeds, fertilizer is thrown - 1 tsp. nitrophoska or a handful of humus.
Typically, the open sowing pattern is selected based on climate. “Torpedo”, as a late-ripening variety, is sown according to one pattern in the steppe and forest-steppe zone - 140x140 cm.
Seeds are sown from the beginning of May, focusing on the local climate and current temperature conditions. This is especially important for sowing in open ground. If seeds are sown too early, the first return frosts will destroy the seedlings. But you can’t be late either - melons should have time to ripen. Given that the ripening period of the torpedo melon is 2 months, the last sowing date is mid-July.
Sowing seedlings
In the middle lane, melon for seedlings is sown from mid-March to the end of April. Sowing order:
- Prepare peat pots (d = 10 cm).
- Fill the pots with soil. You can buy a ready-made substrate for seedlings, or you can prepare a soil mixture yourself:
- soil - 1 part;
- humus - 3 parts;
- nitrogen and potash fertilizers - 1 tbsp. l .;
- phosphate fertilizers - 3 tbsp. l.
- Put 2-3 seeds in each pot. Planting depth - 1.5 cm. Do not forget to warm up the seeds before sowing.
- Arrange lighting for the seedlings - it should be exposed to light for at least 12 hours a day.
- Feed the seedlings twice before planting. The first time is 10 days after sowing. It is best to use complex fertilizers.
- When shoots appear, leave the strongest, remove the rest.
Minimum temperature for germination + 23 ° C, for seedling growth + 21 ° C.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Seedlings are planted in the soil at the age of 25-35 days. This is done a little later than sowing in open ground, since you need to wait for the threat of frost to completely disappear. Seedlings can be used both for planting in a greenhouse, and for open ground.
Seedling planting order:
- Water the seedling pots to help extract the soil and roots. Your task is to do this as carefully as possible without damaging the roots.
- Dig grooves under the seedlings. There should be about 1 m between them. Mix humus and compost with warm water - pour this mixture into the holes.
- Move the seedlings to the prepared holes. Place it so that the root collar is at the level of the soil.
- Protect planting from direct sun for the first 2-3 days.
Never grow melons in one place for more than two years, unless you want to be left without a crop.
How to properly care for a torpedo?
Melon is a powerful and viable culture, capable of producing huge fruits unusually large and tasty. But for this she needs certain conditions. How sweet and large melons grow depends on the efforts of the gardener.
Neglect of care can end badly for the harvest - if the plants do not dry out earlier or wither away from thirst and lack of food, diseases and pests will destroy it. We learn how to care for the “Torpedo”.
Regularity of watering
The number of irrigations depends on the climate, current weather conditions, the cultivation method and the growing season. Features of watering melon:
- If the melon is sown outdoors. Plantings are watered, starting from the moment of sowing - so that seedlings appear faster. Every week the plantation is watered about 5 times - if there is no rain. Watering rate - 45 liters per 1 sq. m. The second important stage for irrigation is from the emergence of seedlings to the formation of ovaries. During this period, the roots of the plant have not yet penetrated deep enough into the soil, so it needs artificial irrigation.
- If the melon is planted with seedlings. Planting is watered as the soil dries. Waterlogging is not acceptable.
- Watering is stopped a month before harvest - otherwise the fruits will be unsweetened and watery, but the main thing is that they will crack.
For watering melons, use only warm water heated to a temperature of 20-25 ° C.
Thinning and loosening
When sowing seeds in open ground, seedlings are thinned out twice:
- when the first leaf blooms;
- after blooming 3-4 leaves.
In the hole should remain 1-2 of the strongest plants. When thinning, the soil is loosened, trying not to affect the area near the shoots - so as not to damage the roots. During the growing season melon plantings loosen about 3-4 times. Loosening depth - 8-10 cm.
When and what to feed?
Melon plantings are fertilized 2-3 times during the growing season. Top dressing is especially important when growing melons in open ground. The first is carried out when the first leaf appears. Then the plants are fed
The scheme and composition of top dressing when growing melons in the seedling method:
When to deposit? | How to fertilize? |
Planting seedlings in the ground in mid-May, when the plant has the first 4 leaves | humus or vermicompost |
10 days after disembarkation | nitrogen fertilizer application - 20 g of ammonium nitrate per bucket of water |
A week later | humus, ash or chicken manure solution |
A week later | repeat previous feeding |
In the fall, during plowing, phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied, in the spring - nitrogen. Do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, otherwise the crop will grow.
Most of all, melon loves potassium. If there is enough of it, the plant blooms well, does not get sick, and the ovaries and fruits are actively formed. Melons come out sweet, ripen quickly. All one-component fertilizers are diluted in water.
If fertilizer is applied under the root, a bucket of water is taken:
- superphosphate - 50 g;
- ammonium nitrate - 15 g;
- potassium chloride - 30 g.
Pinching and ovary removal
In the middle lane, the formation of melon bushes is a particularly important event on which the yield depends. In order for the fruits to be large and have time to ripen, it is necessary to limit their number on the bush.
Features of the formation of the "Torpedo" bushes:
- Only 2-3 shoots should remain on one plant.
- The main stem is pinched when 3-4 fruits are tied.
- The tops of the left side shoots are also pinched.
- When the diameter of the fruits reaches 5-6 cm, remove all excess ovaries.
- On one plant, depending on its strength, 3-6 of the largest fruits are left. Climatic conditions are also taken into account - the shorter and cooler the summer, the less fruit the bush can "feed".
Diseases and Pests
In temperate climates, the main danger for melons is high humidity. Too moist soils and humid air are undesirable for the southern culture - it is attacked by bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. With excessive waterlogging, the "Torpedo" rapidly develops root rot.
Diseases of torpedo melon and control measures:
Diseases | Symptoms | Treatment |
Anthracnose | Pink or brown spots appear on the leaves. Then - torn holes, leaves turn yellow and dry. The fruits are rotting and deformed. | Spraying with 1% Bordeaux fluid. |
Root rot | Roots rot with poor care and high humidity. The color of the stems and roots changes, they become thinner. There are dark spots inside the fruit. | Properly watered and loosen aisles. Dress seeds in formalin 40% for 5 minutes. |
Fusarium wilting | Leaves become bright and spotty. The plant dies in a week. | The plant is sprayed during budding with a solution of potassium chloride. |
Powdery mildew | A whitish bloom appears on the leaves, then they turn brown, become fragile | Spraying every 11 days with 80% sulfur powder (for 1 hundred square meters - 350 g). 3 weeks before harvest, spraying is stopped. |
Prevention measures for all melon diseases:
- seed dressing;
- soil disinfection;
- crop rotation compliance.
If an infection has occurred and the infection is detected, the melons are treated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. If this does not help, you have to select a specialized fungicide.
The risk of insect damage is reduced if the beds are cleared of weeds and the humidity is moderate. But if the pests nevertheless attacked the melon beds, you have to use a suitable insecticide - for a specific type of pest.
Torpedo melon pests and control measures:
Pests | What harm? | How to fight? |
Melon fly, | The eggs lay eggs directly into the fruit, while it gnaws the skin to get to the pulp. The larvae feed on fruit juice. | Biological and chemical preparations are used. They are sprayed with Mikosan, Fitoverm, Aktofit and others. |
Spider mite | They live on the inside of the leaves. Plant development is inhibited. Losing juice, the bushes dry up. | Use drugs containing phosphorus and sulfur, or acaricides. |
Melon aphid | They suck the juices from the leaves, they curl and dry. | If aphid has started on melon, it is treated:
|
Melon fly is one of the most dangerous pests of gourds. The pest is able to destroy half the crop.
Definition of ripeness
If you rip a melon ahead of time before it reaches marketable ripeness, it will be tasteless. Such fruits, when ripe, will not acquire a good taste. Moreover, they will get the smell of acetone.
Classification of melons maturity stages:
- Marketable ripe. Fruits collected in the stage of biological ripeness;
- Green ripe. They are collected in the stage of technical ripeness - ripening occurs during storage.
- Technical. Fruits that have reached milk ripeness. They are allowed for canning and pickling.
- Non-commodity. Send for animal feed.
How to determine the ripeness of melon directly on the beds:
- The fruit has acquired a typical varietal coloration. For "Torpedo" this is a deep yellow color. A characteristic reticulated pattern appears.
- A sweet smell comes from the fruit. It is especially felt if you rub the peel of the fetus slightly.
- Melons are easily detached from the stalks. And she herself becomes lethargic, shriveled.
- The rind is neither soft nor tough, but rather springy.
- With light tapping on the fruit, a dull sound is heard.
You can calculate the approximate ripening time by counting 90 days from the moment of germination.
What you need to pay attention to when choosing a torpedo melon is described in the video below:
Harvesting and storage
Fruits intended for food or sale are harvested at the stage of commodity maturity. The pumpkins are beautiful, yellow, exude a melon aroma. Such fruits are not suitable for long-term storage. They will be able to lie no more than 2 months.
If the melon is supposed to be stored, it is picked at the stage of technical maturity. "Torpedo" refers to varieties that tolerate storage well. This late-ripening melon has excellent keeping quality and, if favorable conditions are created for it, can be stored for up to six months.
Melon picking tips:
- Pluck the fruit along with the stalk. There should be a "tail" of about 3 cm.
- Collect melons in the early morning or evening. In the heat of the melon can not be collected.
- Leave the melons for 3-4 days on the plot. Turn the fruit every 5-6 hours.
Requirements for the room in which the melons will be stored:
- Cool. The room should be cool, but not cold. The optimum temperature for melons is + 2… + 4 ° C. The optimum humidity is 80%.
- Disinfected. Can be treated with bleach or smoke bombs. After processing, the room should be kept closed for 4-5 days.
- Aired. After keeping the room closed, it is ventilated.
- Whitewash. All wooden elements are whitewashed with fresh lime.
In the storehouse, the fruits are placed on shelves sprinkled with sawdust or chaff. The second way of storage is hanging. Each fruit is placed in a coarse mesh, and then tied to the crossbar.
It is forbidden to store melon near potatoes and apples. The potato gives it an unpleasant aftertaste, the fruits begin to rot. Apples exude ethylene, which accelerates the ripening process - the melons overripe. The fruits are periodically examined, noticing that the fruit has deteriorated, it is immediately removed.
Growing Asian melons in a temperate climate once seemed impossible. Today, thanks to special agricultural technology, the use of seedling and covering method, here it is possible to grow the famous "Torpedo" weighing up to 5 kg.
Author of the publication
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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