Honey Melon: characteristics and description of the variety, reviews of gardeners with photos

Honey melon has a rich set of useful trace elements and vitamins, thanks to which its regular use has a beneficial effect on the state of the human body. The variety is not capricious in cultivation, because many summer residents have already settled it in their beds.

Variety description

Honey melon first appeared in Asia. On this continent, wild fruits of this plant are found. Cultivated cultivation is practiced in the Mediterranean. There are several varieties of such melons that do not differ much from each other in characteristics.

The fruits of Honey have a round-oval shape, there are no depressions or grooves. The skin is smooth, in maturity it is painted in a rich yellow color. A distinctive feature is the color of the pulp in the stage of technical ripeness. Closer to the skin, it is greenish, and in the center it is yellow. The taste of the fruit is sweet, the aroma is classic strong.

Growing

In the conditions of the middle lane, honey melon is grown in seedlings to obtain an early harvest. Sowing seeds is carried out in the first half of April. They are pre-soaked and germinated. For seedlings choose soil with neutral acidity, not too oily.

Medovaya seedlings are planted in open ground in the last decade of May. The best place for planting is where legumes, potatoes or cabbage grew last season. The bed is located in a calm and sunny area.The distance between the holes is left at least half a meter. Humus is added to each. It is impossible to deepen seedlings of Honey.

Features of care

Care for the Honey Melon consists in the timely application of fertilizing, pinching, watering and loosening the soil. The first feeding is done 2 weeks after planting in open ground.

Use s altpeter, mullein or chicken manure for this. Subsequent top dressing is done with an interval of 2 weeks, but complex mineral fertilizers are used for them.

After the appearance of the sixth leaf, pinch the top of the melon. This will encourage the growth of side shoots. Of these, only a couple of the strongest should be left, the rest should be deleted. Honey ovaries form up to 5 ovaries on one plant, if their number is greater, then weak and late formed ones must be removed.

Honey melons can grow without artificial irrigation at all.But in the garden plot they are watered once a week under the root, trying to prevent water from getting on the foliage. Excess moisture leads to cracking of the fruit. For this reason, after the formation of ovaries, the amount of irrigation is reduced to a minimum.

Pros and cons

Honey melon has significant advantages over competitors, including:

• medium early fruit ripening;
• good yield;
• low maintenance;
• high content of vitamins and minerals in fruits;
• excellent taste;
• possibility of growing in a greenhouse and in the open field.

Significant shortcomings of the variety have not been identified. It is only worth knowing that people with individual intolerance or suffering from diabetes should refuse to use melons of any kind, including Honey.

Pests and diseases

Breeders work year after year to develop melon varieties that are resistant to the most common diseases and pests.

The desired result is not always obtained. Honey melons can be susceptible to the following types of diseases:

• powdery mildew;
• downy mildew;
• fusarium wilt;
• anthracnose.

Trouble for gardeners is also caused by pests, among which in the first place are:

• melon aphid;
• spider mite;
• wireworm;
• melon flies.

The main preventive measures are not only timely preventive treatments, but also plant residues removed from the beds in time, removal of diseased plantings. They are the primary sources of disease.

Harvest and storage of crops

Crop Honey melons are harvested as the fruit ripens. If the first frosts are expected and they do not have time to ripen on the site, then ripening can take place at home. For this, melons are placed in wooden boxes lined with straw or sawdust. In a dark and cool place, the shelf life of the crop is greatly increased.

Honey melon is suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also for all types of processing. If there are a lot of fruits, then you can prepare delicious preserves from them.

Reviews of gardeners

Honey melons have already taken pride of place in the beds of domestic gardeners and farmers. They are happy to share their feedback on this culture.

Andrey Sergeevich, novice farmer: “Developing my farm, I decided to try to grow honey melons.The first experience was positive. The harvest was good, although somewhat later than expected. Next season, I will take into account previous mistakes, and I will definitely cultivate this variety again.”

Nina Semyonovna, summer resident with experience: “I started growing melons on my plot recently. They are a bit of a hassle, and he alth does not allow you to constantly mess around in the garden. I tried the Medovaya variety on the recommendation of the seller and never regretted it. The fruits really lived up to their name, only they came out small in size. Perhaps it was my mistakes and lack of care.”

Angelina Vladislavovna, summer resident: “Several years ago, my family and I bought a summer cottage and decided to grow natural products there. Melons were sown first. A couple of years ago, a neighbor recommended trying Medovaya melons, which she showed excellent results, and also shared the secrets of growing. It must be admitted that with insignificant labor and material costs, we fully provided ourselves with the harvest of melons in the summer season.And most importantly, we did not use chemical additives and fertilizers, so the crop was grown environmentally friendly and he althy!”.

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