Melon Roksolana f1: variety description, cultivation and care with photo

In recent years, varieties of crops that were previously considered exotic for our country and unsuitable for growing in difficult climatic conditions began to appear on the Russian horticulture market more and more often. One of them was a hybrid variety of melon Roksolana, intended for cultivation in the northern regions and capable of withstanding significant temperature changes.

The average fruit ripening time is 90 days. The advantage of the variety is the resistance of the plant to most diseases of gourds. The species tolerates well the effects of anthracnose, peronosporosis, and is not prone to rotting of the root system.The variety is characterized by powerful shoots with wide leaves, which easily protect the fruit from sunburn.

The variety belongs to early ripening species and the average fruit ripening period is 40-50 days. The fruits tolerate transportation well, which, together with excellent palatability, makes it possible to grow the crop on an industrial scale for commercial purposes.

What fruit does the plant produce?

Small-sized fruits have a round slightly elongated shape. The average weight of one melon varies from 1.5 to 2.5 kg. Subject to the rules of agricultural cultivation, from 5 to 7 fruits are removed from one plant per season. The surface of ripe fruits has a yellow-orange color. The distinctive quality of the variety is:

• thin peel;
• juicy pulp;
• saturation of taste;
• ability for long-term storage without loss of appearance and taste.

Reviews of gardeners talk about the extraordinary sweetness of Roksolana f1 melon, comparing its taste with the famous Kolkhoz Woman. Due to the high content of vitamins and minerals, gourds are a unique source of nutrients that have a beneficial effect on the activity of all systems of the human body.

Features of growing seedlings

Planting material is recommended to be purchased at specialized gardening stores and centers. For planting in the ground, the largest possible seeds are selected, after soaking them in gauze moistened with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours. Further, it is required to leave the seeds on wet gauze, after a certain time, sprouts will appear from the material suitable for planting.

Planting is carried out in small-diameter peat pots, which further avoids the need for transplantation and reduces the risk of injury to the root system when planting in a permanent place. Soil for containers is prepared from the following components:

• earth;
• peat;
• compost;
• ash.

It is not recommended to plant more than 2 seeds in one pot. When 2 shoots appear at the same time, one is left, choosing the strongest and most viable sprout. The container for seedlings is covered with a film and placed in a warm sunny place. At home, you can place the pots over the battery or in the heated loggia.

Growing advice

To get a good harvest, it is important to pay attention to the right place for planting.When planting in open ground in a warm climate, the site should be on a hill and receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. It is impossible to plant a melon in the place of the previous cultivation of similar gourds. The possibility of transplanting seedlings occurs when the soil temperature reaches +15 ⁰C.

The soil for melon should be loose and not acidic, contain a large amount of minerals. Furrows are formed for planting, the distance between which should be 60 cm. The depth of the recesses for seedlings is no more than 10 cm. It is recommended to enrich the composition of the soil at the place of deepening with diluted manure, ash, humus and peat.

When growing horizontally, after the ovary and the formation of the first fruits, it is necessary to put a base under the melons in the form of a small board, linoleum or other material that can protect them from damage as a result of contact with wet ground.

When growing vertically, trellises are prepared in advance, the height of which is 2 meters above ground level. As the bushes form, they are tied and fixed to the support. With this method of growing melons, it is necessary to place them in mesh bags and tie them to the trellis. This technique will allow the fruits to ripen and not fall due to the inability to escape to support the weight of the fruit.

An important rule for obtaining a crop when grown in greenhouse conditions is to ensure that the shoots have sufficient periodic ventilation. The plant needs pollination by insects, to attract which it is recommended to spray the bushes with water and honey, and plant as many honey plants as possible near the open greenhouse structure.

Water the plants once a week. An important factor for obtaining a crop is the periodic loosening of the soil and the removal of weeds, to which the variety is intolerant. Feeding is carried out every 2 weeks.

If by the end of the season the melon fruits did not have time to fully ripen, then for the Roksolana melon variety this is not a big problem. In this case, the fruits are removed from the bushes and placed in a warm place until ripening. When stored in a cool room, the fruits can be stored for a long time, which is convenient for their use as an additional source of nutrients and vitamins in the cold season with a shortage of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Pest and disease control practices

Despite the resistance of the melon variety to the main types of diseases of gourds, the likelihood of their occurrence is not excluded.

Recommendations for actions to be taken in case of problems are as follows:

• fusarium wilt - reduce watering, remove and burn affected shoots, do not plant gourds in this place for 5 years;
• powdery mildew - spray melon bushes with sulfuric powder;
• appearance of melon flies, spider mites, aphids -treat the plant with a pesticide or Bordeaux liquid.

To prevent diseases, the plant should not be limited in the flow of light, air, excessive waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed.

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