What varieties are there?
There are several varieties of Vietnamese melon, but only two are the most popular.
- "Yan Jun" is a high-yielding variety. The lashes, like the leaves, are large and wide. The fruits are round - 150-400 g. The peel is dark orange with yellow veins. The pulp is sweet, juicy, nutmeg aroma.
- “Gift of Grandfather Ho Chi Minh” is an early variety, grown in greenhouses and in open ground. The fruits are dark orange with yellow, thin stripes. The weight of one melon is 150-250 g. The pulp is oily, creamy, very sweet. The variety is productive - it produces 20-30 fruits per plant per season.
Features of the variety
There are two most popular varieties of Vietnamese melon:
- Yan Jun.
- A gift from Ho Chi Minh City's grandfather.
Yan Jun
Mid-season variety with high yield.
The time from germination to flowering is 45-65 days (depending on how well the plant is lit and warmed). The lashes of the plant are large in size (they grow up to 300-350 cm in length), as are the powerful, sinewy leaves. The weight of the fruit, as a rule, does not exceed 200 g, but melons weighing 400-500 g are not so rare. The pulp has a rich nutmeg aroma.
Melon Gift from Grandfather Ho Chi Minh
This variety of Vietnamese melon is already early ripening. Quite often, gardeners use Ho Chi Minh melon for decorative purposes, decorating fences with it.
One fruit weighs from 150 to 250 g. The pulp inside is creamy, oily, with a sweet aroma of tiger melon. Productivity - 20-30 fruits in one season.
It is suitable for both planting in a greenhouse and for growing in open ground.
What is special about melon?
The main feature of culture is its benefits. This type of melon has a large number of useful substances in its composition, due to which it is even prescribed for medicinal purposes and for pregnant women. The fruits help the gastrointestinal tract, improve appetite, and help with pancreatitis and gastritis. But besides this, there are a number of advantages that every gardener should know about.
Features of Vietnamese melon
- Vietnamese melon can be grown in greenhouses and in open ground.
- The plant is resistant to late spring frosts, summer drought and humidity changes, unlike most melons.
- This variety is resistant to most known diseases and pests.
- The plant is high-yielding.
The negative features of Vietnamese melon include the sensitivity of the fruit. It is not recommended to touch them at all, since even the slightest damage can cause the fruit to rot.
Nursing mothers, children and people with diabetes should not get carried away with the fruits, as they contain a lot of sugar and some other substances that can adversely affect the health of the newborn.
Growing melons in a greenhouse
Sveta-nsk uses a trellis for growing: “I set aside the sunniest bed for melons in a tomato greenhouse, where the roof is made of polycarbonate and the side walls are covered with agrotex. Melons do not tolerate high humidity at all - they get sick and fall into the tops without setting fruit. I planted melons in a permanent place at the end of May. For the melons, I simply sprinkled sand over the entire surface of the bed. With melons, it seemed to me, there are slightly fewer worries than with watermelons. I planted them in a greenhouse, on a rather narrow (50 cm) bed, half a meter apart from one another. I planted seedlings that were fairly overgrown. Since there was no cutworm in the greenhouse, 100% took root. Grown on a vertical trellis. I laid slats on the beams of the greenhouse and tied a string to them - one string for each stem.”
“This is a general view of the bed and one of the first ovaries,” photo by Sveta-nsk
How to sow and grow Vietnamese melon?
Vietnamese melon is easy to grow, which is why it is popular. Despite the fact that the above-mentioned varieties were bred in East Asia, they get along in different climatic zones, although care and cultivation may differ slightly depending on temperatures, humidity, and planting location.
Growing Vietnamese Melon
- The place for planting future melons is chosen in advance - in the fall, in order to fertilize the soil with humus, compost or manure before winter. You can use peat.
- Three-year-old seeds are taken, since annual and biennial ones will have many male flowers. There are practically no fruits on them. But from three-year-old seeds they get a strong, healthy crop with an abundance of melons.
- After purchasing seeds, they need to be hardened by placing them in a cool place for 1-3 days.
- Before planting, it is recommended to soak the seed overnight in warm water. This way they will germinate faster.
- Seeds are planted directly into the soil only in the southern regions. In all others, it is recommended to do seedlings. This will not only bring the harvest closer, but will also allow the plant to grow strong and healthy. Peat cups are recommended for growing seedlings, as the crop does not tolerate transplantation well.
- Seedlings are done from the beginning of March. The seeds are buried 2-3 cm, sprinkled with earth and placed in a dark but warm place (+23-24 degrees). Until the crops sprout, it is important to maintain one temperature regime.
- For better rooting and development, after the first leaf appears, the sprouts are fertilized, and then the procedure is repeated after 2 weeks.
- Planting in a permanent place is carried out only after the plant has formed 4 true leaves. To prevent fungal infections, during planting, you need to pour a glass of potassium permanganate solution into each hole. In a greenhouse they are planted at a distance of 50 cm from each other, and in open ground - 70 cm from each other.
Vietnamese melon: description and characteristics of the variety
Probably everyone loves these delicious, sweet, sunbeam-colored melons. It’s so great to first choose the best fruit, and then cut it, enjoying the aroma and taste. But not everyone knows that in addition to the varieties familiar to most, there is also Vietnamese melon. But what it is and what it is eaten with can be found out in this article.
Description and characteristics of the variety
Vietnamese melon (you can already see its photo) is a very unusual crop that has spread throughout the world over the past decade. Its peculiarity is that the fruits are small. Interestingly, this melon is often called pineapple. It is believed that the cucumber is its closest relative.
The distinctive features of this variety include:
- oval shape of the fruit (sometimes you can see round specimens) and very modest weight;
- the pulp is fragrant, aromatic, orange and very sweet;
- the surface of each melon is orange, you can see light stripes;
- Fruiting is abundant and its period is long.
It should be noted that the fruits of this fruit have a lot of useful qualities.
The pulp of this culture is perfectly absorbed by any organism; thanks to it, heavy and fatty foods are better digested. Cholesterol levels, which are very harmful, are reduced. Vietnamese melon is very useful for expectant mothers because it contains folic acid. Thanks to these fruits you can get rid of heartburn. Melon contains many vitamins and micro- and macroelements.
To ensure that this product is well digested, it is better to eat it a couple of hours before or after a meal, as a snack.
Variety varieties
To better understand what Vietnamese melon is, you need to understand its varieties. There are several of them. True, only two are popular among consumers: “Yan Jun” and “Gift of Grandfather Ho Chi Minh.”
"Yan Jun" is a high-yielding variety, the pulp of which is very sweet and juicy, and the aroma is nutmeg.
The second variety of Vietnamese melon is “Gift of Grandfather Ho Chi Minh,” which can be grown both in greenhouses and in open ground. The flesh of these melons is buttery, creamy and very sweet.
Sowing and cultivation
Seeds should be taken only three years old, because it is from them that the strongest and healthiest crops with a significant amount of fruit are obtained.
After the seeds are purchased, they should be hardened by placing them in some cool place for three days. But before planting, they are soaked overnight, using warm water for this purpose. Thanks to this, the seeds germinate faster.
It is recommended to plant seeds in the soil exclusively in the southern regions. In others - only seedlings. Thanks to this, you can not only get a harvest faster. He will be very healthy and strong. To grow seedlings, peat cups are quite suitable, so as not to replant them later.
Growing such a melon is similar to cultivating cucumbers. How to grow a melon? If you use a regular greenhouse, you should not plant one plant too close to another. The distance between them should be at least half a meter. If outdoor cultivation is envisaged, this distance should be two thirds of a meter.
This is what it is, the Vietnamese melon. Cultivation should take place on fertile soil - loamy or loamy. It is necessary to apply organic fertilizers. Experts also do not advise replanting melons from one place to another.
How to achieve a good harvest
To maximize productivity, experienced vegetable growers can recommend shrub formation. And in order for the ovaries to form as quickly as possible, it is necessary to arrange stepsoning on time. Thanks to this, the crop will be protected from diseases, and its vegetation will accelerate.
It is important to purchase seeds of this fruit exclusively from a good manufacturer. In addition, you need to look at the shelf life of the material that is supposed to be planted.
Caring for Vietnamese melon is completely easy. Because this crop is drought-resistant, it should be watered regularly. The water must be taken warm, and it should not stagnate in the garden bed. Once every two weeks, each bush should be fed with a solution of superphosphate, ammonium nitrate and potassium sulfide. Before the plant begins to bloom, it is a good idea to feed it with nitrogen and potassium.
Possible pests of the variety
There is no need to talk about this for long, because if we talk about the features of this melon, we must also mention that it is resistant to pests.
The only thing that should be mentioned is that it is necessary to prevent fungal diseases. Before planting in the ground, pour a glass of potassium permanganate solution into each hole.
And to protect the fruits lying on the ground from pests and moisture, you should place a small wooden plank or piece of plywood under each melon.
Possible diseases of the variety
In order not to start worrying about the difficulty of growing such melons, you need to know only two things: Vietnamese melon is very resistant to various adverse weather conditions; the bushes are quite resistant to many pests and diseases, which makes choosing this particular variety more preferable than others.
Gift from Ho Chi Minh's grandfather
So, the same “Gift of Grandfather Ho Chi Minh”. This is an early variety of melon that grows well in open ground and in greenhouses. Its fruits are dark orange in color and have thin stripes along them. Each melon weighs approximately from one and a half hundred to two and a half hundred grams. The fruits are creamy, buttery, aromatic and very tasty. This is a very productive variety, which can produce two to three dozen fruits per plant per season.
In addition, this variety is early ripening and can ripen even if the summer is short and not very warm. And if such a crop is formed on a trellis, it will decorate the garden plot.
Reviews about the variety
This is what it is, the Vietnamese melon. Reviews about this crop, both from experienced gardeners and those who have just embarked on this path, are very favorable and agree on one thing: it is truly a very tasty fruit, it is not difficult to grow (the main thing is to follow all the instructions). And if we touch on the topic of health and the impact of eating melon on it, there are no complaints at all. On the contrary, everyone who has eaten this fruit understands how beneficial it is.
What care does the culture require?
As you can see, growing seedlings and transplanting into open ground is not difficult. What about care? To obtain large, sweet and healthy Vietnamese melon fruits, you will have to spend a lot of effort.
- 30 days after planting in a permanent place, it is necessary to remove all weak, thin, frail stems. No more than 4 lashes are left so that the Vietnamese melon can use its strength to form ovaries.
- Regular watering is necessary during the formation of flowers and fruits. The plant will survive a small, temporary drought during this period, but a constant lack of moisture will affect the quantity and quality of the fruit. It is important to accustom yourself to leaving at least 1 tank filled with water in the garden in order to use this sun-warmed water for watering melons. Cold water from a well or tap can cause root rot.
- There should be 2-4 lashes during the entire growth period - this is quite enough to get a large harvest. It is also necessary to control the number of ovaries. Ideally, there should be 5-7 of them on each vine, otherwise the fruits will be small and watery.
- Before the fruit begins to form, the Vietnamese melon is fed every 20 days - but not more often, otherwise the number of ovaries will be sharply reduced!
- About once every 4-7 days it is important to loosen the soil so that the roots can be saturated with oxygen and nutrients. Loosening is necessary superficially, since the melon root lies shallow.
- Despite the fact that the crop is resistant to some diseases, it is recommended to spray it before the ovaries appear with various complex products against pests and diseases. You can use traditional methods.
Care
Melon Kolkhoznitsa - growing in open ground
In order for a melon to please you with a good harvest, you need to properly care for it.
Feeding. It is extremely important to choose the right fertilizer so as not to harm the plant. Two weeks after planting, it is necessary to fertilize the plant with nitrogen, which contains mullein and saltpeter. Another feeding is needed after the plant has formed ovaries. Then you need to feed the plant once every two weeks (but not more often) until the fruits ripen
Watering. During the period when the fruits are just ripening, you need to regularly water the plant with warm water right to the roots. It is better to stop watering 20 days before ripening - the melon fruits will be more aromatic and palatable.
Loosening the soil. It is necessary regularly, as the soil in which the melon grows is compacted.
Pinching. If about 5 ovaries have already formed on one stem, it does not hurt to remove their tops to increase the fertility of the plant.
General Description of Vietnamese Milk Melon
This is an early ripening, heat-loving species belonging to the Pumpkin family. It grows better in the sun than in the shade and does not tolerate excess moisture in the soil. But temperature changes will not greatly affect the yield. All varieties of the species are distinguished by productivity and resistance to unstable weather conditions. The culture was developed in Vietnam and later migrated to other Asian countries.
The fruits are small (weight does not exceed 200 g), bright orange, striped. One plant produces up to 20 or more of these colorful pumpkins over the summer. Their taste is sweet, the flesh is juicy and aromatic, the taste depends on the variety. It can be melon, pineapple, nutmeg.
The plant's vines can reach more than 3 m in length. The leaves are large, palmate, light green in color, the plant is densely covered with them. Vietnamese melon is grown horizontally on the ground or tied vertically. In the photo you can see that in the second case, growing and harvesting Vietnamese melon is more convenient.
Varieties
Vietnamese milk melon has 2 popular types: Ho Chi Minh City Grandfather's Gift and Yang Jun. They are early ripening and produce high yields.
Gift from Ho Chi Minh's grandfather
The culture was obtained in Vietnam and belongs to the Pumpkin family. This is an early ripening species that can be cultivated in greenhouses, greenhouses, and open ground.
Vietnamese melon pumpkins, a gift from Ho Chi Minh's grandfather, are small: the weight ranges from 150 to 250 g. The skin is dense, bright, orange-red, covered with longitudinal bright yellow stripes. The tender pulp is juicy, pale yellow, sweet, with a strong characteristic aroma. Among the sweet melon notes, the aroma of pineapple is clearly visible, which is why the variety is sometimes called pineapple. Vietnamese melon Grandfather's Gift is often used as an ornamental plant for fences and gazebos, its fruits look so bright and unusual.
Yan Jun
This variety is mid-season and also has high yield. In bright light and well-warmed soil by the sun, fruiting begins 35-40 days after sowing the seeds.
The shoots (lashes) of the crop can grow up to 3 and 3.5 m in length. The leaves are large, veiny, fleshy. On average, the weight of the fruit is 200 g, but larger specimens weighing up to 350-400 g can be found. The pulp has the color of baked milk and a pronounced nutmeg aroma.
Vietnamese melon - 9 stages of cultivation and description of the main features
The Vietnamese melon appeared in my garden because of the children, they wanted to grow melon on their own, and only this option grows normally in open ground in our area. The experiment turned out to be successful - the summer was hot, and we collected a large number of miniature fruits.
Features of Vietnamese melon
The option has its differences:
- The variant was bred by Vietnamese breeders and came to our country not very long ago . Plants are more adapted to the climate of mid-latitudes, but still love warm summers and do not tolerate significant temperature changes.
- This is a small-fruited ornamental melon with an average fruit weight of about 200 g . It is often grown as a decoration for a personal plot, beautifully entwining pergolas and gazebos. And at the end of summer and autumn, beautiful and bright melons hang from the vines, which also taste very good.
- They are grown both in greenhouses and in open ground . If summers in your region are warm and long enough, you can plant plants directly in the garden bed; in cooler regions, it is preferable to use a greenhouse. You can use a combined solution - growing under arches, the plants are covered with film only at night and during cool periods, the rest of the time they are open.
If the melon is striped green, it means it is still filling; when the fruit begins to ripen, it acquires a bright orange color with stripes
- One plant ripens from 20 to 40 fruits per season . It all depends on compliance with agricultural technology and climatic conditions in the region.
- The taste is excellent . When fully ripe, the pulp turns out to be sweet and juicy, with a characteristic nutmeg aroma and pleasant texture. But if the season is not the most favorable, then the melons will not be very sweet.
In regions with a short summer, the fruits may not ripen - the vines are already turning yellow, and the melons do not have time to gain sweetness.
The author of the video shares his impressions and first experience of growing melons in open ground.
Melon varieties from Vietnam
The most common 3 varieties of Vietnamese melons are:
Grandfather's gift to Ho Chi Minh City The most famous and common option. The fruits are orange when ripe. Average weight from 150 to 250 g . An average of 30 fruits ripen on one plant. The taste is good . The pulp is sweet and slightly oily | |
Yan Jun A variety that ripens within 45-65 days depending on climatic conditions. The plants are large, the vines retract up to 350 cm, the leaves are large. The weight of the fruit varies from 150 to 400 g, sometimes reaching 500 g . The surface is red with light yellow stripes. On average, 20-25 melons ripen. The pulp is juicy, with a nutmeg aroma . Has a nice texture | |
Vietnamese milk melon Decorative option with an exotic appearance. Used mainly as decoration. The taste is mediocre . The pulp is sweetish, but not very juicy |
Plant in a well-lit, wind-protected place
It is better to buy products from well-known companies . The quality of the seeds there is much higher.
It's better not to order seeds online
Why are there no fruits?
- Unfavourable conditions . If it is very cold or the plant grows in the shade, then there is practically no harvest.
- Lack of pollination . If it is cold during flowering, the pollen simply does not ripen.
Diseases and pests
Signs : whitish, covering leaves, easily rubbed off with fingers.
Prevention and control : maintaining normal humidity. Treatment with special preparations in case of illness
Reviews from gardeners
Elena, Tver
Of my three living plants, only one grew as a result, but the ovary fell off and I never saw any fruit. Only our super-gardener waited for the harvest of these melons, but they turned out to be tasteless, although the Gardens of Russia company promised aromatic and very sweet pulp.
Alana, Vladikavkaz
Having picked the first one, I brought it into the house and the aroma of melon spread throughout the room; the melon turned out to be very sugary, juicy and tasty. Although many people say that it tastes like grass, I would not say that melon is really very tasty.
Characteristics of Vietnamese melon
All varieties of Vietnamese (milk) melon have excellent taste, are easy to care for, and are suitable for growing in the central and southern regions.
Description of exotic fruits
The shape of the fruits is round and oval, their weight does not exceed 200 g. This disadvantage is compensated by the high fertility of the species. Ripe fruits are bright orange with longitudinal light yellow stripes. Melon pulp is pale yellow, aromatic, sweet.
Productivity
Despite the small size of the fruits, 1 Vietnamese melon bush can produce from 20 to 30 pumpkins over the summer. Their number depends on the amount of sunlight and moisture the plant receives. Also, Vietnamese melons are sensitive to fertilizing and respond well to fertilization.
Advantages and disadvantages
The only negative qualities of melon from Vietnam include the small size of its pumpkins. In contrast to the only drawback, the Vietnamese melon variety Grandfather's Gift from Ho Chi Minh City has many positive qualities.
Advantages of Vietnamese hybrids:
- precocity;
- high productivity;
- high taste of the pulp;
- decorativeness of fruits;
- resistance to diseases and pests;
- unpretentiousness.
After the Vietnamese melon seedlings, Gift from Ho Chi Minh Grandfather, take root in the open ground in early June, the first harvest is already harvested in July. After removing the ripened fruits, the plant forms new ovaries. This process continues until the first frost. Thus, you can enjoy Vietnamese melons (Gift from Ho Chi Minh City Grandfather) throughout the summer months.
Growing Vietnamese melon seedlings
Planting seeds directly into open ground is not recommended, especially in the central regions. First it needs to be germinated and hardened. You can also grow Vietnamese melon seedlings at home.
Recommended timing
Seeds begin to germinate in mid or late March. By May you can already get well-grown, strong plants. At the end of spring or early June, the seedlings are transferred to open ground. Before this, the seedlings are hardened off by taking them outside every day for 15-20 minutes.
Selection of containers and soil preparation
For sowing, cups made of peat are chosen. Subsequently, they can be transferred to the site along with the seedlings without injuring the root. This will speed up the establishment of seedlings in a new place and eliminate the occurrence of diseases. Each seedling needs a peat container measuring at least 10x10 cm.
The soil for seedlings is light and loose. To do this, mix turf soil with peat, sand, and humus in equal parts. All components are thoroughly mixed, the finished substrate is ground or sifted. You can purchase a ready-made soil mixture for melons.
Landing rules
For sowing, you need seeds that were collected more than 2 years ago. Choose large, full-bodied seeds. Before planting, they are sent to a cool room for hardening for several days. 2-4 days before planting in the ground, the seeds are soaked in warm water, covered with glass and placed in a warm, bright place for germination.
Sowing melons Gift from grandfather Ho Chi Minh City:
- Peat cups are filled with soil mixture, watered with warm water, and 2.5 cm indentations are made.
- The seeds of Vietnamese milk melon are immersed in the holes with their spout down and their sprout up.
- They are crushed on top with a thin layer of sifted earth and sprayed with a spray bottle.
After planting, the cups with seed material are covered with cling film and placed in a bright, warm place. After 3 days, the film is removed.
Seedling care
For good growth of seedlings of the Vietnamese Grandfather Ho Chi Minh City melon, it is important to maintain the temperature regime. The air temperature in the room should not fall below + 25 ᵒC. Humidity is also important: more than 55%. To do this, seedlings are sprayed daily - morning and evening.
How to grow pumpkin yourself
Growing exotic crops is easy. Vietnamese melon gets along well in regions with different climates. But in the northern regions it is better to plant it in greenhouses to protect it from night frosts. The main thing is to choose a fertile area and follow all agrotechnical rules, from sowing seeds to harvesting.
Planting and growing seedlings
It is not advisable to plant pumpkin seeds directly in open ground, since Vietnamese melon loves warmth. After winter, the soil is still cold and the seeds may die. For successful plant growth, the soil temperature must be at least +18°C. Typically this period occurs at the end of May - beginning of June. In order to grow strong seedlings by this time, the seeds should be sown in the third ten days of March.
Before sowing, seed material must undergo a hardening procedure. To do this, keep the seeds in a cool place for 2-3 days. Then they are treated with manganese or Bordeaux mixture to strengthen the plant’s immunity.
Attention! Vietnamese melon bears fruit better if seed material collected three years before planting was used during sowing. Annuals and biennials produce mostly male flowers, on which ovaries do not form.
The soil
The next stage is preparing containers and soil. Vietnamese melon has a hard time taking root, so peat cups are the best option. When transferring seedlings to a permanent place, they will not have to be removed from the pots. Thanks to this, it will be possible to avoid damage to the root system, accelerating the adaptation of seedlings to a new location.
Soil mixture for seedlings can be purchased at the store or prepared independently. For this you will need:
- peat;
- sand;
- humus;
- turf land.
All components are taken in equal proportions and mixed thoroughly. The finished substrate is calcined in the oven or disinfected with manganese.
Having completed the preparation, proceed to sowing:
- After filling the peat pots with soil mixture, moisten the soil with warm water.
- Having made holes 2.5-3 cm deep, drop the seeds into them.
- Sprinkle the seeds with a small layer of soil, sprinkling water on top.
- The cups are covered with plastic wrap and transferred to a warm place.
The film is removed after 3-4 days. Thanks to the artificially created greenhouse effect, the growth of seedlings is accelerated.
Growing conditions
In order for seedlings to grow better, they need to create an appropriate microclimate. The air temperature should be at least +25°C, and the humidity should be about 55%. This is facilitated by daily spraying of seedlings.
Vietnamese melon does not tolerate stagnant water, so the seedlings are watered after the top layer of soil has dried.
After the appearance of full 4-5 leaves, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, having previously hardened the seedlings. To do this, they are taken outside or onto the balcony for 30-40 minutes every day.
Cultivation care
Before planting seedlings, carefully prepare the area. Asian pumpkin needs a lot of light, so the area should be well lit. The soil is dug up, moistened, after adding humus and wood ash.
The holes are formed shallow, leaving a distance of about 60-70 cm between them. This planting scheme will prevent the bushes from shading each other. Seedlings along with peat cups are placed in the holes. Then, sprinkled with earth, watered.
Vietnamese melon will be healthy and produce a good harvest if you care for it properly.
Watering, fertilizing, forming bushes
Particular attention is paid to:
- Watering. Moisten the soil with warm, settled water. Watering should be moderate but regular. High humidity can cause fungal damage to the bushes. Therefore, water the soil after a dry crust appears on the surface. 18-20 days before the final ripening of the fruits, watering is stopped.
- Feeding. 14-15 days after planting the seedlings, the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out. The second application of fertilizer occurs during the budding period. To do this, use organic fertilizers (mullein, chicken droppings). The last time the pumpkin is fed is with phosphate and potassium mixtures during the formation of ovaries.
- Formation. For normal formation of bushes, side shoots are regularly removed. Shortening of the lashes begins after the appearance of the 5th leaf, pinching the top. In addition to the central shoot, 2-3 lashes are left on which the ovaries will form. Later they are pinched too. Thanks to this, the fruits develop better and ripen faster.
- Loosening the soil, removing weeds. It is necessary to loosen the soil as the soil compacts to saturate the roots with oxygen. Work the soil carefully, trying not to damage the shallow root system. Any weeds that appear must be removed.
To prevent the development of diseases, the bushes are treated with special means before the ovaries appear. They use ready-made complex formulations designed to combat diseases and pests or folk remedies. Despite the culture’s resistance to many infections, preventive measures will not hurt.
Harvest and storage
The ripening of mini-fruits of Asian melon depends on climatic conditions. Harvesting usually begins 40-65 days after the first shoots appear.
Before you start collecting pumpkins, their ripeness is determined by characteristic signs:
- aroma - a sweetish smell emanates from ripened melons;
- peel color - the skin of a ripe fruit acquires bright, rich shades;
- stalk - in saturated pumpkins the stalk is withered.
Attention! Ripe berries have soft but elastic flesh.
Melon from Vietnam can be stored for no more than a month. Sometimes the taste of the fruit deteriorates 14-15 days after being removed from the melon. And after 30 days, their use becomes impossible. Therefore, immediately after harvesting, the melon is processed, preparing various sweets from it: preserves, jams, compotes.
How to grow Vietnamese melon
A month after the Ho Chi Minh City Grandfather’s Gift melons take root, they are thinned out. Leave no more than 3 strong lashes on each.
Every other day, in the morning, Vietnamese melons are watered, making sure that the water does not stagnate at the root of the plant. The water should be settled and warm.
Before flowering begins, 2 times a month, complex mineral fertilizers (with potassium or nitrogen) are applied under the root of the Vietnamese melon.
As soon as the pumpkins begin to form, fertilize with ammonia or phosphorus once. In the future, it is not advisable to feed Ho Chi Minh City's Grandfather's Gift in order to avoid the wild growth of foliage.
The side shoots of the Vietnamese Grandfather Melon of Ho Chi Minh City are removed once a week. Only 3-4 strong lashes should be left.
Excess ovaries are also removed; there should be no more than 7 of them on each lash. This stimulates an increase in the weight of the fruit.
After watering and fertilizing, as soon as the moisture is absorbed, loosen the soil. Do this carefully so as not to damage the stem.
Description of Vietnamese melon Gift from grandfather Ho Chi Minh
The plant belongs to the Pumpkin family, and the birthplace of the variety is indeed Vietnam. Initially, the culture was widespread in Central and Asia Minor, then spread to other regions. The Vietnamese melon variety Grandfather's Gift from Ho Chi Minh City is an early ripening variety for cultivation in open ground and greenhouse conditions.
Long and abundant fruiting allows you to get from each bush up to 30 medium-sized specimens of oval, sometimes round shape, weighing 100 - 200 g each. The pulp of the Vietnamese melon, Gift from Ho Chi Minh City’s grandfather, is fragrant, juicy, delicately oily, with a slight aftertaste of pineapple, which is why the variety called pineapple. Ripe fruits are dark orange or brown in color with light yellow stripes evenly distributed throughout the peel.
The appearance of the fruit can be assessed from a photo of a Vietnamese melon:
How to grow Vietnamese melon
The small-fruited sugar plant loves well-lit places. If you choose the right planting site, the yield will increase significantly even with temperature changes. This is also facilitated by the independent pollination of female flowers of the Vietnamese melon, a gift from Ho Chi Minh City’s grandfather. To do this, the male flower is picked, the petals are torn off, and the dust particles are pressed against the pistil.
To prevent the fruits from rotting, place boards, pieces of plastic or other objects under them that will prevent the filling melons from touching the surface of the soil. It is not recommended to touch the fruits further to avoid damage. Grown in a greenhouse, the Vietnamese melon Grandfather's Gift from Ho Chi Minh City will be the same as in the open ground.
Seed preparation
It is not recommended to choose one-year seeding material - it will produce few female flowers, which will affect the number of ovaries and yield. Three-year-old seeds are the most suitable - they are sorted and the largest ones are selected. For a good harvest, gardeners recommend treating the seed with microelements.
In regions with cold climates, it is not recommended to plant unhardened Vietnamese milkmelon seeds. To gain resistance to temperature changes, they should be placed in a cool, bright place for 2 to 3 days before soaking. Seeds of the Ho Chi Minh City Grandfather's Gift variety are poured with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to protect against pests, swelling, and also to identify bad specimens. The seed should remain in the liquid for at least a day.
Preparing seedlings
Vietnamese melon Grandfather's Gift Ho Chi Minh City, like any other variety of this plant, does not respond well to transplantation, so it is recommended to germinate the seeds in peat pots: such containers can be planted in the ground along with the seedlings.
Make holes in the soil mixture 2–4 cm deep, into which 2–3 seeds are placed. Before the sprouts of the Vietnamese melon, Gift from Ho Chi Minh City's grandfather, it is recommended to maintain the room temperature within 23 - 25 o C. As soon as the first two leaves open, it is necessary to reduce it to 20 o C to prevent the seedlings from stretching. Therefore, growing Vietnamese melons at home is difficult.
Recommendations for getting a good harvest
Female melon flower. When pollinated by insects or by hand, the ovary is formed, and then the fruit.
- Self-pollination of female flowers will lead to an increase in ovaries. In hot and dry times, we tear off the male flowers from the vines and press the center of the flower with the stamens to the female flowers. Or you can simply shake pollen from a male flower onto a female one.
- If the fruit grows poorly, you need to feed the plant.
- We place moisture-proof material under the grown melons so that they do not rot.
- Vietnamese melon is considered ripe when it is well separated from the stem. This means the fruit is ready to eat.
- Excessive fertilizing is harmful; it can lead to a longer ripening period.
If there are still unripe fruits left in the fall, they are cut off along with the stalk and left in a dark, cool place until ripening. It is better to place them on soft material or straw: even with slight damage, the melon will rot.
Well-formed seedlings planted in the ground. Linear planting method. Shallow loosening and mulching of the soil is necessary.
Diseases and pests
Vietnamese melon Gift from grandfather Ho Chi Minh City is damaged:
- melon aphid;
- wireworm;
- gnawing cutworms;
- spider mite;
- melon fly.
The melon aphid feeds on plant sap and multiplies quickly. Found on the stem, lower part of the leaf. The result of the appearance of aphids will be yellowing of leaves and flowers, and their shedding. You can fight the pest by regularly weeding the weeds, treating the plants with 10% karbosof, and also with a soap solution: 10 - 12 g of soap is stirred in 10 liters of water.
Spider mites weave thin webs that can be found in the axils of leaves. They live under the leaves and feed on sap. To combat the pest, they maintain proper crop rotation, weed regularly, and dig up the soil well in the fall.
Wireworm is a small yellow worm. It gnaws the stems, causing the entire plant, Gift from Grandfather Ho Chi Minh City, to wither. Such a pest must be combated by regular weeding, loosening, and removing weed residues from the site.
Gnawing cutworms live in the ground or on its surface. They feed on the sap of the plant and damage the stem. To prevent this, it is necessary to observe correct crop rotation, dig up the soil well in the fall, and weed regularly.
The melon fly pierces the skin of the fruit and lays larvae inside, which leads to rotting. To combat the pest, chemical agents are used - Rapier and Kemifos solutions. They are diluted at the rate of 10 ml for every 10 liters of water.
Vietnamese melon Grandfather's Gift Ho Chi Minh City is resistant to most diseases due to its short growing season. It can only be damaged by:
- peronosporosis;
- powdery mildew;
- fusarium wilt;
- anthracnose;
- root rot.
Powdery mildew forms a whitish coating on the green part of the plant. At first small, the spots soon grow, which leads to gradual withering and drying out of the leaves. To combat the disease, it is necessary to remove the affected areas and treat healthy plants with colloidal sulfur - 50g per 10l.
Fusarium wilt affects sprouts and, occasionally, adult plants and is manifested by a change in leaf color. Plants die after 10 days, so the fight against the disease must begin immediately. The affected sprouts are burned, the rest are treated with a solution of potassium chloride.
Anthracnose appears as pink, gradually growing spots. The disease can affect fruits. To eliminate the disease, you need to loosen the soil and treat the plants with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Downy mildew, or downy mildew, forms yellowish spots. Treatment with a solution of potassium permanganate will protect the seeds from heating in warm water. To combat the disease, you need to remove the affected plants, treat the rest with urea: 1 g per 1 liter every 10 days.
Once root rot has appeared, it is too late to save the plant. For prevention, it is necessary to pickle the seeds before planting in a 40% formaldehyde solution. Timely loosening, proper watering, and removal of weak plants will also help.