To grow the Sugar Baby variety on your plot, you need to know some of the subtleties of the process. Read below about the characteristics of watermelon, rules of cultivation in different regions, conditions of collection and storage, as well as other useful information.
watermelon variety “Sugar Baby”
Watermelon “Sugar Baby” has high taste qualities
the universal variety “Sugar Baby” is popular among gardeners, both professionals and amateurs
General characteristics and history of the variety
Sugar Baby or Sugar Baby is one of the oldest and most popular varieties. It was bred by foreign breeders in the 50s of the last century. In 2008, it was included in the State Register for the Central Black Earth region of the Russian Federation, which includes the Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Tambov and Voronezh regions.
This is an early ripening variety of watermelon, that is, the fruits are harvested 75-85 days after germination. The plant is climbing. The main vine does not exceed 1.8 m in length, so it can be grown in a greenhouse on trellises. The leaves are medium gray-green in color, strongly dissected. The fruit is most often spherical and smooth. The bark is thin but dense, colored a rich dark green.
Up close, stripes of a darker color than the main color become visible across the entire surface.
Weight depends on the growing region. In warmer areas, with a lot of sunny days, the weight reaches up to 6 kg, on average - 3-4 kg. In greenhouses, a ripe fruit can weigh about 1 kg. The dark red flesh is juicy, grainy, sweet and tender. However, in low light conditions its taste deteriorates. It becomes watery and tasteless. The seeds are small and brown. Their surface has a characteristic spotted pattern.
Description of the watermelon variety Sugar Baby
The pulp is rich red, very juicy, coarse-grained
Sugar baby is an early (ultra-early) variety. From the date of emergence to fruiting, an average of 2.5 months pass. This is a medium-sized plant, the vine of which grows 2 meters or a little more. The leaves are large, rich green. The stems are fleshy and can break if bent incorrectly.
The Sugar Baby watermelon variety is difficult to confuse with other species because it has a bright appearance. The fruits are medium-sized, weighing up to 6 kg, although usually around 2-3 kg. The peel is dark green. There is a pattern, but it is only visible from close up. It is several tones darker than the main background, and is not very clearly expressed, so from a distance the watermelon may seem just green.
The peel is not thick. The pulp is rich red in color, very juicy, coarse-grained. After full ripening it becomes straight sugar, very sweet. The seeds are contained in average quantities, they are small, black or dark brown.
Advantages and disadvantages
The benefits of Watermelon Sugar Baby include:
- early ripeness;
- high commercial qualities;
- thin peel;
- transportability of fruits;
- long-term storage;
- unpretentiousness;
- resistance to spring temperature drops;
- drought resistance;
- immunity to various diseases, including fusarium.
The disadvantage is the small size of the fruit and long ripening in a humid climate, so it is necessary to take a responsible approach to choosing the place where the plant will grow.
Diseases and pests of watermelon
Common diseases of watermelon Varieties Sweet Baby and control measures:
- White rot
A white coating appears on the underside of the leaves, turning black over time. The stems rot and the top droops. Watermelon disease is prevented by timely feeding with copper sulfate or zinc sulfate. When the first signs of the disease are detected, the damaged parts of the crop are cut out. The sections are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.
Plants are treated with Rovral and Topaz. If most of the vine is affected, the watermelon is disposed of.
- Bacteriosis
The fruits soften, ulcers with rot appear, the leaves of the Sugar Baby become covered with oily whitish spots, in place of which holes form. Organs of culture die. After removing the plant, the soil is treated with fenituram.
- Powdery mildew
A white coating similar to flour appears on the leaves, ovaries, and stems of the crop. Later, the areas affected by the fungus darken, and a cloudy liquid oozes from the spots. At the initial stages of disease development, the plant is treated with infusions of nettle, soda ash, and mullein. Later, the drugs Jet, Bayleton, Topaz are used.
- Black rot
Watermelon leaf blades acquire gray spots with black dots, which grow, rot and die. The affected areas are removed, and the plants are treated with copper-containing products. Fungal spores enter the crop through insects, precipitation, and equipment.
Among the insects that harm the Sugar Baby watermelon are spider mites, melon aphids and wireworms. To combat aphids, 2 times a week, plants are dusted with mustard, tobacco, and sprayed with onion or garlic infusion. Among the ready-made products, insecticides Iskra, Kamondor, and Karate are used.
To get rid of spider mites, use the effective drug BI-58 twice a season. Traps are placed for wireworms in the form of small containers with pieces of fresh carrots or potatoes. Mustard planted between rows repels the larvae. If there are a lot of insects, use Provotox, Metarizin, Prestige.
Features of cultivation in different regions
To obtain sweet, ripe fruits, you definitely need good lighting. The watermelon must be exposed to sunlight for at least 8 hours. Choose an open, sunny place. No shadow should fall on it from nearby buildings, trees or tall plants. The best option is to plant watermelon on the southern and southeastern slopes.
Subtleties of growing in other regions:
- In cooler climates, gardeners mulch the soil with a black film that accumulates heat.
- In areas with short summers, experts recommend planting watermelon seedlings. Planting in open ground is also possible, but it does not always end successfully. In low summer temperatures, seeds may not germinate.
- In the northern regions, watermelon is grown in polycarbonate or film greenhouses. If necessary, use additional lighting.
The plant is pollinated by insects. However, if the windows in the greenhouse are all closed due to cold weather or the weather is cloudy outside, pollination is carried out manually.
Preparing the soil for planting
Watermelon does not tolerate peat soil, as well as soil with a large amount of clay and black soil. In order for the plant to grow well, it is planted in a light, loose substrate enriched with minerals.
The best precursor of the crop is radish. In this case, you don’t have to be afraid that the watermelon will be attacked by spider mites. But it is better not to grow it after pumpkin representatives, since they have common pests and diseases.
Growing methods
There are 2 main methods of growing watermelon - seedlings and non-seedlings.
Seedless
It is suitable for warm, sunny areas where there are no recurrent frosts and summers are long and hot. Before sowing, seeds are prepared:
- First they are sorted and rejected. “Dummy” seeds can be easily identified if the seeds are placed in a glass of salted water. 10 minutes are enough for high-quality seed material to sink to the bottom, and hollow seeds to float to the surface.
- Selected seeds are then dipped in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for several hours for disinfection.
- The next stage is to fill them with hot water (50°C) and leave for a day. This procedure allows you to speed up seed germination.
- Then the water is decanted, the seeds are blotted with a dry cloth and sown immediately in open ground.
Planting is carried out as soon as the soil has warmed up to +15°C at a depth of 10 cm. Holes are dug at a distance of 1 m from each other. The row spacing is 1.5 m. The seeds are planted to a depth of 3-5 cm. Sowing is usually done at the end of April.
Seedling method
It is used in temperate climates, as well as in areas with short summers. Usually seedlings are planted in a greenhouse. In this case, there is a high probability of obtaining a ripe, high-quality harvest. Seeds for seedlings are sown in mid-spring. The soil is prepared loosely with a large amount of sand and mineral fertilizers (the latter can be replaced with wood ash and humus).
Before sowing, seed material is prepared in the same way as before planting in open ground. Sow them immediately in separate containers so that the delicate roots of the plants do not become intertwined and are not injured during transplantation. The container should be no more than 8 cm deep.
The seeds are buried 2-3 cm. The cups are kept warm at all times, in a well-lit place; the soil should not dry out. It is planted in a permanent place when the 3rd true leaf is formed. After transplanting on cold nights, the seedlings are covered with cut plastic bottles or film.
Features of sowing seeds
Compliance with all the subtleties of sowing is considered one of the main conditions that ensure plants not only intensive growth, but also increased productivity. To do this, you need to follow both a specific sowing scheme and carry out various preparatory measures in advance.
They include seed processing and activation, as well as soil preparation. In this case, it is enough to strictly observe all the standard measures that are put forward by the basics of agricultural technology for growing melons.
Preparing the soil for sowing
Watermelon grows well and bears fruit only on loose and well-fertilized soil , so the area must be carefully prepared before sowing. They begin the procedure in the fall, after leaf fall. At this time, the soil on the site is thoroughly cleared of remnants of vegetation and other debris, and then the planting site is well plowed to a depth of about 25–30 cm.
If the fertile soil layer in the area is less thick, the plowing depth can be reduced. If the soil on the site is depleted, the soil must be fertilized before autumn plowing. To do this, add manure, humus or compost on top at a rate of 5 kg/m².
After wintering, the soil is plowed again, and the loosening depth can be reduced to 20 cm. Immediately 3-4 days before sowing the watermelon, harrowing of the plowed land is carried out in 2 tracks. After this, the substrate under the crop becomes soft, moisture- and breathable, which allows for maximum yield.
Important! The best substrate for watermelon is considered to be loamy and sandy loam soil. If the site has denser soils, the soil mixture must be lightened with river sand, at a rate of 1–5 buckets per m².
Preparing watermelon seeds for sowing
Watermelon seeds also require all kinds of preparatory measures before sowing. The first thing to do is to disinfect the seed from fungal spores and dangerous bacteria.
To do this, the seeds are soaked in special sterilizing agents:
- in a 70% alcohol solution, for 5–10 minutes;
- in 2% potassium permanganate, about 20–30 minutes;
- in 15% hydrogen peroxide, no more than 10 minutes.
During sterilization, seeds can be rejected.
Those that float to the surface of the liquid are recommended to be removed and disposed of. In most cases, they do not sprout, so their further use is impractical. About 12 hours before planting, the seeds are placed in a solution of special growth stimulants. These substances promote instant rooting of seeds and also significantly increase their germination rate.
The most popular and effective among them are the drugs “Potassium Humate”, “Vympel”, “Kornevin” and “Zircon”. After soaking, the seed becomes completely ready for introduction into the substrate.
Direct sowing
Pre-prepared seeds are sown no earlier than the second half of April, with mid-May considered the deadline for the procedure. During this period, stable warm weather should form, with an average daily minimum of at least +14...+16°C.
Find out more about how to properly plant a watermelon at home.
Seeds are often sown in rows, in shallow holes (about 20 cm in diameter). In this case, the distance between neighboring plants should be at least 1 m, and the row spacing should be about 1-2 m. About 3–5 seeds are placed in each small hole. On light soils, their depth should be about 10 cm, and on heavy soils - within 4–6 cm.
Do not wrap the seeds tightly in soil, otherwise their germination rate will decrease significantly. Next, the crops should be thoroughly watered and left alone until germination.
After the sprouts appear, the beds are thinned out, so that no more than 1 full-fledged plant develops from one growth point. If thinning is successful, the sowing procedure is considered complete.
Caring for a Sugar Baby
Caring for the variety involves following the rules of watering, timely application of fertilizing and some additional features.
Watering
Water the plants rarely, but abundantly. When watermelons ripen, stop watering completely, otherwise they may crack. For irrigation, always use only warm water. The procedure is carried out in the evening, when the heat subsides.
After watering or precipitation, they always loosen the soil until the lashes grow.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are applied in several stages:
- When 2-3 leaves appear, the watermelon is fed with nitrogen fertilizers. This will give impetus to the growth of green mass. After 15 days, fertilizing is repeated.
- During the formation of ovaries and ripening of fruits, mineral fertilizers are applied - potassium-phosphorus. Particular attention should be paid to potassium-containing fertilizers. They promote greater formation of female flowers, increase the plant’s immunity, and improve the taste of the fruit.
Additional care
All weeds must be removed around young plants. During prolonged rains, the resulting fruits are covered from above and placed on cardboard, bricks or wooden boxes to prevent them from rotting. If the watermelon is grown on a trellis, then as they ripen they are tied up with a net. The gardener directs the growing vines in the direction he needs, and sprinkles the root with earth so that additional roots are formed.
When pests attack or diseases develop, use appropriate insecticides and fungicides. Solutions are prepared and processed strictly following the manufacturer's instructions.
Ideally, of course, you would do without chemicals altogether, since watermelon tends to accumulate nitrates and other substances.
Optimal conditions for growing in Siberia
In Siberia, the Sugar Baby watermelon is grown by seedlings. Seeds for seedlings are sown in late April - early May. When growing outdoors, it is better to play it safe and make shelters in the form of arcs or cover the plantings with covering material. On cold nights, plants are also covered. In general, the care is the same as when growing in other areas.
We recommend reading the article on how to plant and grow watermelon in Siberia.
Watermelon feeding
Watermelons, like all vegetation, need additional nutrition. The first feeding should be done with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and nitrogen, at the stage of two or three leaves. After all, at the beginning of the growing season there is an active increase in the green mass of the plant.
You should be careful with nitrogen supplements and add them gradually so that all the strength of the plant does not suddenly go green. The next feeding should be done after 15 days, with the same fertilizer.
Feeding watermelon
You can alternate and fertilize watermelon with organic and mineral fertilizer. This will only increase the yield.
When preparing a bed for watermelons in the fall, it is worth adding potassium and phosphorus additives before plowing.
All you need to do when caring for a watermelon is to regularly fluff up the soil around the seedling. Weeding is done in order to clear the bed of weeds. They will interfere with the full growth and development of the berry. Also, during loosening, the root system is saturated with oxygen.
On the contrary, some summer residents prefer to grow crops in small weeds. As soon as the shoots appear, only one weeding is carried out.
Watermelon Sugar Baby manages to spread out on the ground. Then they leave the grass, explaining that the berry will not wilt and will be protected from the scorching rays of the sun.
Collection and storage
There is no exact time for harvesting watermelon, since each region has its own and ripening depends on weather conditions. However, there are a number of external signs that indicate the ripeness of the fruit:
- dry ponytail;
- dull sound when tapped;
- fading leaves and stems;
- characteristic crackling sound.
Store watermelon in the refrigerator, basement and cellar at a temperature of +2 to +5°C. The main thing is that the rind of the fruit is without damage - scratches, dents or cracks. The optimal weight of watermelons for storage is 4-5 kg.
In the video below, the gardener conducted a tasting of the hand-grown watermelon variety “Sugar Baby”:
Reviews of watermelon Sugar Baby
You can hear a lot of positive reviews about the Sugar Baby watermelon, and this is not surprising, because it is sweet and profitable for sale.
- Dmitry Dolgin : “I have been growing the Sugar Baby variety for sale for more than 5 years. Buyers love it, first of all, for its convenient size - it’s easy to choose for one person or a large family. It looks beautiful, bright, the flesh stands out, and the taste is pleasing.”
- Ekaterina Afanasyeva : “It’s a good variety, due to the fact that the peel is thin, I always buy it for winter preservation. It stores well in jars, the pulp does not disintegrate, and the taste is incomparable in winter. Although it is delicious fresh, we grow it every year. We haven’t received large ones yet, but there were a lot of small ones, 1-1.5 kg, red and sweet ones.”
- Mikhail Steklov : “The Sugar Baby watermelon variety is of course convenient for growing on private plots, but it is difficult to compare it with Melitopol 60. It is not that sweet, although quite juicy. Suitable for cocktails, juice, desserts.”
Reviews from gardeners
There are only positive reviews about Sugar Baby, as the variety is early ripening and unpretentious.
★★★★★
Olesya, 35 years old, Moscow region. I've been raising a sugar baby for 5 years now.
I like it for its early ripening, small size and sweet taste. In addition, he practically does not get sick. A couple of times I lost bushes only because of rot, and then in a rainy summer. ★★★★★
Makar, 48 years old, Rostov region. I just started working with watermelons.
The variety of varieties is so amazing. Took a few, one of them was Sugar Baby. In size, of course, it is inferior to the others, this one is the smallest of all mine, but it is the very first to ripen. The taste is pleasant, sweet-honey. Hide
Add your review
The sugar baby pleases with its ease of care and resistance to diseases. Its advantages include ultra-early ripeness, which allows harvesting not only in areas intended for cultivation, but also in temperate climates, and through planting seedlings in the Siberian district.
0
0
Copy link
How to grow watermelons - important points
It is perhaps difficult to find a person who does not like watermelons. Tasty, sweet and juicy watermelons are loved by both adults and children. Almost every gardener dreams of growing this exotic, striped berry. True, not everyone decides to do this, because the harsh climate leaves its mark. But in fact, watermelons, although they are a heat-loving melon crop, can be grown not only in the south, but also in the middle zone. To do this, you just need to create favorable conditions for them. How to grow watermelonsIn order to grow sweet, juicy watermelons, it is necessary to provide them with a warm climate, low humidity and good light. In the middle zone they are grown in greenhouses or under film, and in the south of Russia watermelons can easily grow without greenhouses. The optimal temperature for normal growth is 25-30 degrees during the day and 18 at night. The garden bed or greenhouse should be located in a sunny place, away from bushes and trees. The main secret to successfully growing watermelons is choosing the right variety. For central Russia, you should choose early-ripening varieties whose ovaries grow and ripen quickly. You should not try to grow unusual large varieties of watermelons, since they can realize themselves only in warm countries. Watermelon seedsThe most suitable seeds: Sugar Baby, Pink Champagne, Gift to the North, Moscow Charleston, Ogonyok, Crimstar. In the middle zone, you can grow watermelon only with the help of seedlings, which should be sown around April 20. Then, after 30-35 days, the seedlings can be transplanted into the ground. To grow seedlings you will need small pots with a diameter of 10 cm. Each of them is filled with a mixture of peat, humus and wood soil in a ratio of 1:2:1 with a small addition of ash and 2 seeds are planted in one pot. To speed up the emergence of seedlings, you can pre-soak and germinate the seeds. Until the seedlings appear, cover the pots with film and maintain a temperature of +20-25 degrees, after which you need to reduce the temperature to +18-20 degrees so that the seedlings do not stretch out too much. For seedlings, you need to select the sunniest window and feed it 2 times with complex mineral fertilizer. Greenhouse for watermelonsThe greenhouse or bed must be prepared in advance. In early April, it is cleared of snow and the soil is dug up. Watermelons love sandy loam and sandy soil rich in organic matter. Heavy clay soils will be unsuitable. A few days before planting the seedlings, you need to dig a trench 30 cm wide and deep, at the bottom of which manure is placed and completely covered with soil. The ground can be covered with film so that it warms up as much as possible. Then arcs are installed on the bed and a transparent film is stretched. How to grow watermelons - step by step
|
Watermelon
