Melon Caramel: description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation with photo

Recently appearing on the shelves, Caramel melon won the hearts of not only consumers, but also gardeners. Juicy, sugary fruits literally melt in your mouth, a strong aroma does not let you pass by. Initially, the variety was planned to be used for the industrial cultivation of early ripening melons, but now it has taken root more in summer cottages and private gardens.

Variety description

The fruits of the hybrid variety differ from the rest by their large size, oval shape, yellow or light brown skin, which is covered with a dense mesh of cracks. The pulp has a characteristic cream color, strong aroma and a slight taste of caramel.

Melon Caramel is very sweet and delicious, which attracts the attention of consumers. Initially, the variety was planned to be grown on an industrial scale, but summer residents liked it so much that they quickly began to cultivate it on their plots.

Caramel has a dense and thick skin, which ensures a long shelf life without loss of taste and commercial qualities. A zone with small seeds, the seeds themselves are unsuitable for further use and growing seedlings from them, since the variety belongs to hybrids and has the mark f1.

Melon Caramel forms fruits weighing up to 3 kg and up to 24 cm long. The first harvest is larger than subsequent ones. The presentation and taste are excellent. The variety belongs to the early, the first harvest can be harvested a couple of months after germination. Caramel is grown both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.

A significant advantage of the variety is considered to be increased resistance to adverse weather conditions. Even when the air temperature rises to +30 °С, the crop is stable and of high quality. Up to 90 tons of fruits are harvested from one hectare.

Caramel shoots long lashes along the ground, on which additional roots are formed. They provide the plant with additional nutrition. The trellis method of growing for this variety is undesirable, since in this case the plant is deprived of the opportunity to receive additional nutrients, and this affects the quantity and quality of the crop. One bush is able to form from 2 to 8 full-fledged fruits.

Crop melon Caramel can:

• eat fresh;
• recycle;
• make jam;
• make jams and candied fruits.

Fruits are kept fresh for 15-25 days, perfectly tolerate transportation over long distances and do not lose their qualities.

Features of cultivation

Caramel is a very heat-loving plant, like its other counterparts. Seeds are sown in open ground only when the soil temperature reaches +15 ° C, and night air temperatures do not fall below +16 ° C. In different regions, this indicator is reached at different times, so it is important to recall here that the variety is early ripening and is able to ripen even in a short summer.

If pre-treated seeds were purchased, then it is fashionable to immediately sow them in open ground. The rest should be pre-soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then in a growth stimulator.The best place to plant will be those beds on which they were previously grown:

• potato;
• cabbage;
• some kind of legume.

But you should not plant Caramel on the previous place of pumpkin or zucchini.

The selected variety is photophilous, prefers sunny and well-lit beds with loose and fertile soil. The acidity level should be neutral. Peat, sand and humus are introduced into heavy loamy soil before planting Caramel melon. All lumps in the holes are carefully broken up to make it easier for the sprouts to break through.

Seeds are planted to a depth of no more than 4 cm. The first shoots hatch after a week. The distances between plants are left at 20 cm, and the row spacing is up to half a meter. If planting is done in holes, then no more than 4 seeds are placed in each. Between the holes recede at least 60 cm.Thickened plantings have a negative impact on the yield of Karamelka. She needs not only a lot of space, but also a lot of air, nutrients, moisture.

Features of care

Caramel needs regular watering. This is especially true of the initial period of growth and development of plants, as well as flowering and fruit formation. But during the ripening of the crop, the number of irrigations is reduced.

This will make melons sweeter and more fragrant. Watering is done 1-2 times a week, depending on weather conditions. Water is poured in large portions under the root or systems for drip irrigation are introduced.

Caramel is fed with complex fertilizers containing phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. At the same time, it should be remembered that an increased nitrogen content will adversely affect both the quality of the crop and its taste. Melons need constant weed removal.Weeding the site should be done with a hoe, but if the plantings are thickened or the bushes have grown strongly, then the weeds are pulled out by hand. If possible, try to avoid the use of herbicides on your site. They will not cause noticeable harm, but they will negatively affect the chemical composition of the fruit.

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