Melon Altai is a high-yielding variety with an early ripening period. At first it was created specifically for growing plants in Siberia. Due to its unique properties, the melon has spread throughout the Russian Federation.
melon variety "Altai"
among the variety of varieties, the Altai melon occupies a leading position
the main advantage of the Altai variety is that it can grow in regions with a cool climate
Characteristic features of Altai melon
The variety produces the first fruits after 70 days after germination. The culture is low, the central stem reaches a length of 2 m. The leaves are large, green, the flowers are large. The yield is excellent - about 25 tons of fruits can be obtained from 1 hectare.
Melons are oval, weight of one is about 1-2 kg. The peel is not thick, the pattern is with a white mesh. The pulp is firm, white. Melon taste is sweet with strong aroma. The use of fruits is universal. They can be dried, prepared compotes, jams and other preserves. Altai melon tolerates transportation thanks to the dense skin. You can store the crop for a long time.
If the melon fruit is slightly spoiled, then the shelf life is reduced by 2-3 times.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of the Altai melon variety:
- grows in cold regions (Siberia, Altai);
- excellent transportation;
- tasty and juicy fruits;
- high productivity;
- early ripening of fruits.
The disadvantage of the Altai melon is the poor survival rate in the southern regions.
Useful properties and calorie content
Melons have a positive effect on the human body, the harm from the fruit is minimal. Melon contains a large amount of vitamins, of which A, B, C and E. It improves tone, helps with anemia. Melon has a beneficial effect on the body with a lack of many elements in the blood, has a soaked effect, strengthens the work of the cardiac system, increases human energy, increases hemoglobin.
The fruit can be eaten by dieters. Calorie content per 100 g of melon is about 35 kcal.
Subtleties of melon planting in open ground
This wonderful culture can be grown in open land in your garden. The territory is prepared in advance for planting a seedling.
The scheme for planting melon in open ground:
- Dig and loosen the ground, spread hay in several layers.
- Plant the sprouts, be sure to cover them with a film.
- After June 20, remove the covering material, seedlings well pour water.
- Fertilization is permissible only after removing the film. In this regard, simple ash has proven itself perfectly.
- Cover the beds with foil at night.
- At the end of summer, you can harvest crops grown in open soil.
- Do not forget that the melon of this variety grows well in warm ground, protect the area from the winds. If the soil is clay, then improve it with river sand. Take it with the expectation of 0.5 buckets per 1 square. m.
Read more about growing melons in the open field here.
Growing melon in a greenhouse
Based on the lunar calendar, it can be argued that at the end of May, containers with seedlings must be taken out to the greenhouse. Gardeners recommend planting sprouts in the soil after 14 days. Seedlings are deepened by 4-5 cm. Between plants, the distance should be observed at least 1 m.
The Altai melon is a climbing culture, so that the sprouts do not get sick from the cold and winds, the seedlings are covered with a film until fully rooted.
If the leaves begin to wither, it means that the melon does not have enough water. Just keep in mind that the Altai variety does not like moisture on the root system. Fertilizers are applied during growth and at the time of ripening of fruits 1 time in 10 days. The greenhouse needs to be ventilated and done on warm days.
Features of growing and care
Melon care is very similar to cucumber care. The main task is to provide regular and complete care of the sprouts, fertilize from time to time, loosen the earth and provide air access to the root system.
Seedling method
Before planting, the bones of the melon are soaked for a couple of minutes in a saline solution (2%). Pots are filled with a special substrate, to create it take an equal amount of turf soil and peat. After planting the seedlings, the containers are covered with foil or special transparent glass.
The seedlings are left in a warm room, the temperature in Celsius should not exceed +18 degrees. The room should be well lit, you can use the window sill of the window, which faces the east side. Water regularly with non-cold water using a spray bottle.
Sprouts will begin to appear on the 5th day after planting. After another couple of days, all the melon seeds will sprout. The sprouts do not tolerate picking, therefore 1-2 seeds are planted in one small container.
If the seedlings have grown weak and lifeless, then the plants should be fed with fertilizers containing nitrogen. After the formation of the 3rd leaf on the seedling, seedlings can be transplanted.
Seedless way
Melon seeds can be planted directly in open soil, but provided that you live in a temperate climate. Sowing is carried out as soon as the threat of spring frosts disappears, this happens in May. The seeds are also treated with a saline solution. Seed planting scheme: 0.5x0.7 m. Do not allow thickening, it will negatively affect the sprouts.
Crops should be covered with any material, the best option is a plastic wrap, it is removed only when sprouts begin to appear. Over the 4th leaf of the plant, pinching is necessary.
Seedlings require care, they must be watered, the soil must be loosened and weeds destroyed.
Soil preparation
Melon does not grow in the shade, therefore, to plant it, stop the choice on a sunny, protected from drafts site. In the autumn season, the soil is dug up and top dressing of organics and minerals is applied. Before planting in the ground, a certain amount of dressing should be applied. You need to use manure with the calculation of 4 kg per 1 sq. m.
The Altai variety brings a rich harvest on loose soil, so river sand should be added to the heavy soil. For 1 square. m 0.5 bucket is enough.
Landing
Even an inexperienced gardener can carry out planting of Altai melon, but still you need to adhere to certain rules.
The basic rules for planting melon:
- The planting pattern in the greenhouse is 0.6-0.7 m, on the bed 1-1.4 m. The furrow depth is 50 mm. Before planting directly in the pit, pour water and place a handful of humus in the place where the seed or seedlings will be.
- Carefully remove the sprout from the container and place it in the furrow so that the soil ball in which the seedling grew is slightly above the ground.
- After planting, water the sprout, shade it from the sun with a special screen. If you grow a plant in regions with sharp temperature changes, then at night the plantings should be covered with plastic wrap.
The Altai variety needs pollination, therefore, before the direct planting, a beehive or a fan is brought into the greenhouse. If there are not enough plants, then pollination is done artificially with a cotton swab or brush.
Seedling care
The main place is taken by the temperature regime, seedlings should grow at indicators of +22 degrees Celsius, it is impossible to lower below +15 degrees. The plant loves warmth, but you don't need to overdo it with it either, do not forget that the variety was created specifically for the Siberian region.
Air humidity should be around 60%. A larger indicator will lead to rotting of the plant's legs, and a smaller one will prevent the melon from developing correctly.
It is necessary to monitor watering, a young plant is very sensitive to the level of moisture in the soil, with inconvenience it begins to hurt and rot. Watering is carried out if the ground is really 50 mm dry. Water should be filtered or settled.
A direct flow of water is prohibited, use a spray gun, this garden device will help to evenly distribute moisture on the surface of the earth.
Daylight hours should last about 14 hours. Place the seedling containers on the south side, turn on the light for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. Proper care will help the gardener get not only tasty, but also rich harvest in a short period of time.
Harvesting and storage
You can harvest the fruits 70 days after planting seedlings in open soil. Ripeness is determined by the yellowing of the skin.
The size of the melon does not matter - even the largest fruit can still be unripe.
For an early ripe melon, the diameter of the fruit should be at least 0.1 m. The crop is cut with a stalk, it is better to carry out this event early in the morning before hot hours, or in the evening.
Torn fruits are placed on beds in one layer, dried in the sun for about 2 weeks. Every 5 days, the melon is turned over, so they are better preserved. Crops are laid out in boxes or they are lined with straw and melons are laid in one layer.
An overview of the ripe melon of the Altayskaya variety is presented in the video below:
Diseases and Pests
The Altai melon is often sick, its main enemies are mealy growth, copperhead and fusarium. The presence of these diseases can be recognized by the appearance on the leaflets of spots of various shades, the plant begins to dry out and wither.
So that Altai melon does not die from the attack of pests, gardeners use a method of planting crops in turn, and also try to prevent the occurrence of diseases through preventive measures.
The most important prevention is presowing seed soaking in saline or manganese solution. As for insects, spider mites, aphids and tobacco thrips should be feared. To combat them, modern substances are used: Maxi, Fitover and Kemofox.
Reviews of gardeners about Altai melon
Ivan, 25 years old, programmer, Barnaul.I like the Altai melon variety, it has taken root well in our area. The care is almost undemanding, though I had to work on creating seedlings, but it was worth it. The harvest was good, I was even able to sell part of it. Next year I will definitely plant this melon, especially since it has an excellent ripening period.
Oksana, 65 years old, teacher, Yeniseisk.The variety, to put it mildly "for an amateur", the taste is not too sweet, gives delight. I tried this variety with my friend in the country, she praised it greatly. But in fact it is not so wonderful, I will not plant it at home. I will choose from other varieties of melons.
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You can buy Altai melon seeds in any gardening store or market. The culture is distinguished by an early ripening period and unpretentious care; every gardener, even a beginner, can grow it on his site.