Watermelon variety Sugar Baby, features of planting and cultivation

Another name for the plant, or rather a literal translation from English, is “Sugar Baby.” Many manufacturers note on seed packages that the variety is resistant to short-term drops in temperature, powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Story

"Sugar baby" was created by French breeders in the middle of the last century. Watermelon received this name due to its compact size and sweet pulp. “Sugar Baby” is one of the oldest varieties from the private breeding company Kloz.

In Russia, the variety appeared at the beginning of the 21st century: in 2005, an application was submitted for permission to cultivate the variety, and three years later, after variety testing, “Sugar Baby” was included in the register of those approved for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.

At the moment, the variety has become widespread throughout the country, and is actively grown even in the northern regions and Siberia.

Features of the variety

Appearance

At the initial stage of development, the plant forms fleshy but rather fragile stems. The bush is medium-sized, the length of the main vine varies from 1.5 to 2 m. The leaf blade is deeply dissected. Leaf color: gray-green.

The fruits are small in size - from 2 to 6 kg. The shape of the berries is spherical. The crust is dark green in color with barely visible stripes. In general, the pattern remains almost invisible, and at first glance the watermelon looks monochromatic.

The peel of the fruit is thin, dense, and smooth. The color of the pulp is rich, bright red. The structure is grainy and juicy. The taste is sweet, sugary. The pulp contains a small amount of small seeds, dark brown in color.

Characteristics

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• short ripening periods;
• attractive appearance;
• thin crust;
• possibility of transportation over long distances;
• long shelf life;
• ease of care;
• resistance to minor temperature changes;
• drought resistance;
• resistance to many diseases of melons.

Minuses:

• long ripening in regions with high humidity;
• small size watermelons.

Beneficial features

Grushenka gooseberry: description of the thornless variety, reviews from gardeners and rules of cultivation and care

Information about the benefits of watermelon is no less important than how to grow and care for the plant in an apartment. Watermelon is a strong diuretic

Thanks to this property, abundant consumption of watermelon helps cleanse the kidneys, gall bladder, and is a preventive measure. Watermelon pulp stimulates the intestines, has a mild laxative effect, and helps remove cholesterol from the body. For acute respiratory infections, watermelon can have an antipyretic effect. People with stones in the gallbladder and urinary system are recommended to eat up to 2.5 kg of watermelon per day.

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Growing

To get sweet, ripe watermelons, the plant needs good lighting.

The area for melons should be sunny, but at the same time reliably protected from the wind. The most suitable place is the southern part of the garden.

Watermelons are big fans of loose soil mixed with sand, while clay and peaty soils, on the contrary, are destructive for the plant.

Germination of seeds

Before germination, seeds must be treated against all kinds of pathogens.

To do this, watermelon seeds are soaked in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate (2 g of potassium permanganate/100 g of water) for half an hour.

Next, the seeds are washed in clean water, placed in a container with hot water for 24 hours at a temperature of + 50 ° C and placed for germination

These manipulations are necessary to accelerate seed germination.

After soaking, the seeds are ready for germination, so they are planted directly in containers with soil. You can prepare the soil yourself.

To do this you will need:

turf soil - 1 part;

sand - 1 part;

humus - 1 part;

wood ash - 1/10 part.

For disinfection purposes, the soil can be kept in the microwave for 20 minutes or poured with boiling water.

Containers for seedlings should have a height and diameter of about 8 cm. It is better to use peat pots.

The containers are filled 2/3 with soil. One seed is planted in each container to a depth of 2-3 cm.

The container with future seedlings is placed in a warm, well-lit place.

Water the seedlings as the top layer of soil dries.

After a week (maximum 10 days) shoots appear. By the time of planting in a permanent place, the seedlings reach the age of 30 days.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

In the south, planting in greenhouses takes place in the second half of April, in cooler areas - in mid-May.
Basic condition : the top layer of soil ( 10 cm ) must warm up to 15° . Holes with a diameter of 30 cm and a depth of 10 cm .

The distance between the holes should be 70 cm .

Before planting, the holes are watered with warm water, then one seedling with a lump of earth or a peat container is placed in each hole. Sprinkle the soil on top and compact it a little, leaving the cotyledon leaves on the surface.

The earthen ball (peat pot) should rise slightly above the soil level to avoid blackening of the seedling stem.

Transplanting seedlings into the ground

During autumn harvesting, the area is cleared of remaining grass, dug up and rotted manure is added to the soil - 8 kg/m² .
Note that there is an opinion that there is no need to dig up the garden before winter, so this action can be performed at the gardener’s own discretion and subject to high-quality processing of the site in the spring.

In the spring, the land is cleared of vegetation again, leveled with a rake and watered with hot water with the addition of copper sulfate. You can also add sand.

The holes are formed in a checkerboard pattern, the distance between the holes is 100 cm, between the rows - 140 cm . A glass of ash is poured into the bottom of each hole, after which the seedlings are placed with a lump of earth or in a pot. The substrate must be at least 1 cm .

After planting, each bush is watered at the root with warm water. within 14 days from the moment of planting.

Conditions for good growth

Caring for the “Sugar Baby” variety consists of timely watering, fertilizing, weeding and loosening. The main distinguishing feature is the possibility of obtaining environmentally friendly watermelons, since the variety is resistant to most diseases and does not require treatment with chemicals.

An additional advantage is that the plant can withstand slight decreases in temperature.

Fertilizer

You can feed the plant up to 4 times per season. The first feeding is applied when 3 true leaves are formed, the last one is applied at the stage of ovary formation.

First feeding:

• potassium chloride - 25 g;
• ammonium nitrate - 15 g;
• superphosphate - 50 g;
• water - 10 l.

Water the soil with the resulting solution, using 4 liters per 1 m².

The second feeding is done after 2 weeks. The plants are watered with a solution of chicken manure - 4 liters per 1 m².

The third feeding is two weeks after planting. Each bush is watered with two liters of ammonium nitrate solution (20 g/10 l of water).

The plant is fertilized for the fourth time in mid-June. As a top dressing, you can use a solution of mullein with the addition of a glass of ash. For each square meter of area - 4 liters of solution.

Watering and humidity

The plants are watered every day until four true leaves form. During shoot growth, young seedlings are irrigated 3 times a week, spending three liters per hole.

Then the frequency of watering is reduced to once a week, and the volume of water is increased to 7 liters. Despite the fact that the variety is drought-resistant, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil.

Temperature

Temperature

Pests and diseases

“Suga Baby” is distinguished by its stable immunity to the majority of melon and melon diseases.
The only problem is susceptibility to root rot . If disease occurs, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of irrigation and the volume of water. You should also treat the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.

To stimulate the formation of additional roots, it is worth sprinkling individual shoots with soil.

To get rid of insect pests, it is recommended to use folk remedies:

• sagebrush;
• yarrow;
• tar soap.

The herbal decoction is prepared quite simply - a branch of wormwood and 2 tbsp. l of dried yarrow is poured with hot water and then boiled for ten minutes.

After the mixture has cooled, you can start spraying. The product copes well with melon aphids and sprout flies.

a soap solution to control insects . To do this, you need to grind a bar of soap and dissolve it in 10 liters of water. Spray the affected areas.

If we are not considering folk remedies, then it is better to consult on this issue with a seller in a garden store: they probably know what they most often purchase for pest control, and the most popular drug will be the most effective.

Fertilizers

Various fertilizers are used for rich and plentiful fruiting. Properly selected and timely applied fertilizers will help the plant develop, strengthen the immune system and have a positive effect on the taste of the fruit. When growing the Sugar Baby variety, a variety of formulations are used.

Organic fertilizers are either plant or animal. The most common fertilizers of the second type are droppings and humus. You cannot use concentrated manure when growing watermelons, otherwise the fruits may become limp and lose their rich color. This is also fraught with the accumulation of nitrates.

Before use, the concentrate is diluted in water, maintaining a ratio of 1/5. Shrubs are watered thoroughly after adding fertilizer.

Wood ash and herbal infusions are also used. To prepare the infusion, regular dried hay is suitable.

Mineral fertilizers include the following substances and elements:

The latter is considered the most popular. The element greatly increases the plant’s resistance to diseases and harmful insects. It also promotes the development of female flowers on the bush. Calcium also affects the taste of the pulp. Ascorbic acid and sugar accumulate in the fruits.

Calcium and magnesium must be added from 4 to 6 weeks after sprouts appear. During the process of crop formation and formation, at about 12 weeks, nitrogen is added.

Expert advice

Expert opinion

Kuznetsov Sergey Ivanovich

Expert on melons and melons

• Dense soil can be made lighter with river sand. Depending on the desired result, from 10 to 50 kg of sand are consumed per 1 m² of land.
• Weeding and loosening should be carried out at least once a week, a couple of days after abundant watering.
• To increase soil fertility, the beds can be sown with corn or rye in the winter. In the spring, 30 days before planting watermelons, the area must be dug up along with young vegetation.
• During the growing process, it is better to avoid the use of chemicals, since toxic substances are concentrated in the pulp of the fruit.
• In order for the fruits to gain weight and ripen in time, it is recommended to leave no more than three ovaries the size of an apple on one plant.
• Watermelons should not be planted in cold soil. If the soil has not warmed up well enough, you can water the holes with warm water.

Early ripening sugar watermelon: reviews from gardeners

Positive reviews about the variety are completely justified. Those who have already practiced growing sugar babies convince us that the berries do not lose their declared qualities even in a cold, rainy summer.

“The berries did not grow too large, on average 2.5 kg. But the taste didn’t disappoint, so I’m happy.”

Maria Ivashchenko, Chelyabinsk

“Watermelon Sugar Baby is indeed very early and precocious. Dark-skinned varieties are always very sweet and aromatic. It has been recommended to me for a long time, because it ripens well in the Moscow region. Now this is my favorite variety.”

Svetlana Korsun, Moscow region

Early ripening watermelon Sugar baby shows good yield in the Moscow region

“Growing a Sugar Baby is not at all difficult: both the seedling method and sowing in open soil or a greenhouse are suitable. The seeds of this watermelon are not afraid of frost and temperature changes. According to my observations, the berries of this variety last much longer than many other striped varieties.”

Alexander Tombinsky, Moscow

“The early varieties are my favorite. Sweet ripe berries can be picked already on the 80th day of the growing season. I sow the seeds directly into the soil in mid-April and use film. Literally a week later I am happy with the friendly shoots. The agricultural technology of the crop is very simple: regular weeding and watering.”

Valeria Stepanova, Rivne

Questions and answers

How, besides potassium permanganate, can you treat the seeds before sowing?

The seeds can be soaked in 15% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes. 70% alcohol is also used for these purposes. The soaking time of the seeds in the solution is also 10 minutes.

Why are growth stimulants needed?

Biostimulants increase seed germination and improve root formation.

How many times should a plant be sprayed against pests?

Treatment is carried out twice, with a time interval of 2 weeks.

How long does Sugar Baby last?

Fruits can be stored for up to 6 months in a cool, dry place.

How to form a bush correctly?

It is recommended to remove excess shoots, leaving 3 ovaries on the main vine.