The most delicious varieties of watermelons: description and characteristics

The modern seed market is represented by dozens of watermelon varieties. It is not easy to choose the best among such variety. The article will tell you about the juiciest and sweetest varieties and hybrids of melons and gourds.

You will learn how to choose the best variety according to the climatic conditions of the region and grow delicious fruits yourself.

What varieties of watermelons exist

Among the watermelons that are grown in open soil, there are early ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening.

When choosing a suitable type, take into account the following factors:

• plant resistance to drought and cold;
• susceptibility to parasites and diseases;
• the ability to grow;
• the need for fertilizers and care.

Early ripe

Despite the fact that watermelon is considered a heat-loving plant, it is successfully cultivated in the northern regions. Modern agronomists have developed early varieties of berries even for Siberia. There is a large selection of seeds of early-maturing varieties and hybrids on sale.

Ripe fruits vary in flavor, size and pulp color... The main unifying feature is rapid maturation. The growing season is 60-80 days. They are distinguished by their unpretentiousness: they tolerate heat and cold well.

In the southern regions, watermelons can grow up to 10 kg, in the northern parts their weight ranges from 2 to 5 kg... They have good productivity. Up to 7 kg of fruits are harvested from one lash. They are characterized by a thin peel and sweet, delicate pulp. The shelf life of early varieties is very short and is calculated in days. These fruits are best consumed immediately after harvest.

Popular early varieties include:

1. Twinkle... Development takes place within 60-70 days. The ripe fruit has a round shape and elastic structure, has a green color with a black tint. Differs in high juiciness and honey taste. Weighs from 3 kg. Planted "lights" from late April to early May. This variety gives a good harvest and is immune to cold weather.
2. Gift to the north (on the picture). The fruits ripen in about 65 days. They are medium in size and oval in shape. They differ in juiciness and sugar taste. The variety is planted at the end of April. He is unpretentious in care and is able to withstand many diseases.
3. Skorik... These small, greenish fruits ripen around the 65th day. Distinguishing features: blurry patterned stripes on the sides and thick rind. They have a sweet, rich taste.
4. Sugar baby... These fruits ripen one and a half months after planting. The stripes on the peel of the fruit are poorly expressed. Sweet and juicy to taste. They do not require special care. Resistant to cold and disease.

Mid-season

Mid-season varieties suitable for regions with long and warm summers... Such weather conditions create the possibility of long-term vegetation of plants. Mid-season fruits store much more sugars than early varieties.

The ripening period is from 70 to 105 days. Fruits with an average ripening period can be stored for a long time - up to 3 months - and tolerate long-distance transportation well. The weight of mid-ripening fruits ranges from 5 to 15 kg.

The most delicious among mid-season watermelons:

1. Astrakhan... Ripens in 81 days. The fruit has an elongated rounded shape and a smooth skin. It has a juicy pulp and rich sweet taste.This species is resistant to wilting and fungal infections.
2. Lunar (on the picture). The fruit has an elliptical shape and a smooth skin. The pulp of ripe watermelons is yellow and has a delicate sweet taste. Ripen after 3 months from germination. This variety retains its flavor for a month after harvest.
3. Black Prince... Matures in about 100 days. The ripe fruit is cylindrical and dark green in color. The pulp has an impeccable taste. This culture is unpretentious and resistant to high and low temperatures. Watermelons are stored for up to 50 days after removal.
4. Volzhanin... Ripens in 3 months from shoots. The fruit has a green tint with a reticular pattern in the form of prickly stripes. Differs in excellent taste and juicy pulp. Volzhanin is resistant to drought and parasites.

Late ripening

Late ripening watermelons cultivated in areas with hot and long summers... Such fruits ripen for a long time and accumulate a record amount of sugar. Late ripening watermelons have a rough and dense rind. They reach large sizes - up to 25 kg. Late plants are resistant to excess and lack of moisture, various diseases.

They are distinguished by a slow process of sugar synthesis. Due to this, such varieties retain their taste and elasticity for 5-6 months after removal.

The most delicious among them:

1. Chill (on the picture). The first fruit ripens 3 months after sprouting. It is a plant with a powerful bush and large leaves. Ripe fruit reaches a weight of 25 kg. Watermelons can be stored for 3 months without losing their taste. Chill is susceptible to temperature extremes and parasites.
2. Bush 334... The first fruit ripens after 100 days. The pulp is tender and soft. It has a rich sweet taste. When properly assembled and properly assembled and stored, it can last several months. Immune to fungal diseases and parasites.
3. Spring... Yields a harvest 100 days after planting. It has small fruits with an elongated spherical shape. The color of the peel is olive green with a slightly pronounced mesh. The pulp of the plant has a deep scarlet color, delicate and juicy texture. Possesses a pronounced honey taste. Such watermelons can be pickled.
4. Icarus... Ripens in 100 days. The fruit is elliptical and weighs up to 15 kg. The pulp has a raspberry hue. Can be stored for 6 months after harvest.

Reference. Late-ripening watermelons only fully ripen in the south. There is a difficulty in determining the true ripeness of the fruit. Due to the long growing season, large fruits are often savory.

Others

It is also worth highlighting early ripening varieties and hybrids of watermelons, ripening after 50 days. after landing. Moreover, they have a small mass - a maximum of 7 kg.

The most delicious among them:

1. Sugar early ripening. Ripens in 50-60 days. The fruits are round and small in size. They have a pronounced sugar and juicy taste. Unpretentious care.
2. Eureka F1. It is a round, medium-sized fruit. Its mass reaches 8 kg. Has a dark green color. The taste of watermelon is sweet and juicy. Resistant to fungal diseases and changing weather conditions.
3. Turbo F1. Ripens in a month and a half after planting. This is an oval berry weighing up to 10 kg. Has a dark green color. Sugar and juicy taste.
4. Lady F1. Ripens in 50 days. The skin of the fruit is dense. The peel is yellow-green in color with small stripes. The structure of the flesh is tender and crumbly. The taste is juicy and sweet.

Reference. Early ripening fruits are highly productive. Up to 10 kg of ripe watermelons can be harvested from one bush.

The best yielding varieties and hybrids

For a good watermelon harvest, you need:

• bright daytime sun;
• warm nights;
• loose soil in the root area.

For regions with a cool climate, unpretentious varieties and hybrids of watermelons are suitable... It is better to plant them through seedlings in greenhouses. The most hardy hybrid crops are suitable for open field.

Description and characteristics

We list the most fruitful varieties and hybrids of watermelons:

1. Charleston gray (on the picture). This variety brings up to 100 t / ha of yield. The ripe fruit weighs up to 14 kg and has a longitudinal-oval shape. The berry has a juicy taste and a long shelf life.
2. Crimson Sweet... Productivity - 60-70 t / ha. The weight of a ripe plant reaches 12 kg. The flesh of the watermelon has a rich red color and sweet taste.
3. Delicacy F1... Yields up to 40 t / ha of ripe fruits. This hybrid is characterized by a dense skin and raspberry-colored flesh. Weight - 10 kg. The shape is round. Unpretentious care. Delicious and juicy.
4. Chill... The variety has a high yield - 35 t / ha. Weighs between 5-7 kg. Can be stored for a long time after collection, transportable. The pulp of a ripe watermelon has a rich scarlet color, with a pronounced sweet taste.

How to choose a variety or hybrid according to the ripening period

The choice of culture for growing in a particular region depends on the ripening period of the fruit.... All varieties are suitable for the southern territories. In the northern parts, the harvest is extremely early.

Description and characteristics

On irrigated areas, the average yield of watermelons is 400-500 c / ha, on non-irrigated lands - 200-250 c / ha. Under favorable growing conditions, some fruits reach a weight of 26 kg and more.

Amateur melon growers grow on average 6-8 kg per sq. m... Some manage to achieve a yield of up to 20 kg per sq. m.

1. Most modern watermelons ripen in 60-80 days. Early ripe fruits are unpretentious in care, they tolerate heat and cold well. In the southern regions, they can weigh up to 15 kg. The most popular of the early riders: Sandai Special, Sugar Kid, Eureka, Lady F1, Lunny, Regus F1, Ogonyok, Zenith and others.
2. Mid-season species mature in southern soil and northern greenhouses. Such varieties gain the required mass in the open air of the North Caucasus and in the lower reaches of the Volga. In the northern areas, these fruits can only ripen in greenhouses and greenhouses. This requires proper care and high-quality agricultural technology. The most popular mid-season varieties and hybrids: Delicacy F1, Volzhanin (pictured), Krimlong F1, Florida F1, Crimson Sweet, Black Prince, etc.
3. Late-ripening varieties and hybrids ripen slowly. They are cultivated in regions with warm climates and long summers. You need to cut them in September or November, depending on the weather. For planting, it is better to choose varieties: Chill, Red King, Ikar, Lyubimets of Pyatigorsk, etc. Their disadvantage is that it is often difficult to determine ripeness. The fruit that looks large and ripe may be immature.

The sweetest varieties or hybrids of watermelon

Watermelon is among the sweetest foods on our tables... The sugar content in fruits varies from 5 to 10 g per 100 g of pulp, depending on the variety. The energy value of a portion is 45 kcal. The sugar content is determined by fructose, which prevails over glucose and sucrose in watermelon.

Sweet taste is the most important criterion when choosing a berry... Unsweetened crops are suitable for canning; fresh consumption requires the watermelon to be juicy and tasty.

Description and characteristics

Among the sugar and juicy fruits, there are:

1. Melitopolsky 60 (on the picture). The sugar content in the berry reaches 12%. The variety has a long shelf life. Reaches a weight of 10 kg. The flesh of the watermelon is pale pink, very juicy and tasty.
2. Winner 395. Contains 9-11% sugar. Possesses a pronounced sweet taste.
3. Bykovsky... Includes 9.5% glucose. The flesh of these watermelons is pink and grainy. The taste is sweet, juicy.
4. Favorite of Pyatigorsk. 8.5% sugar in the composition. Differs in delicate honey taste. Not subject to long-term storage, as it quickly deteriorates. Must be consumed immediately after collection.
5. Zenith... The glucose content reaches 8.2%. Rounded fruits have purple and grainy flesh. Juicy and sweet.
6. Volzhanin... Recognized as one of the sweetest and most juicy fruits. The sugar content is 7.2%.

Reference. Patients with diabetes mellitus are advised to consume watermelon in limited quantities so as not to exceed the blood glucose level. The permissible rate is up to 200 g per day.

Unusual varieties of watermelons

Unusual varieties include:

1. American hybrid Carolina Cross (on the picture). It has very large fruits - 90-119 kg.
2. Hokkaido Densukke. The rind of these watermelons is almost black.
3. Pepkinos... It is characterized by small fruits smaller than an apple.
4. King of Hearts. This seedless variety is suitable for those who do not like seeds. The fruit has an unusual, nutmeg flavor.

Reference. At the peak of popularity, watermelons of an unusual shape. In Japan, the cultivation of square fruits is established. Local gardeners also try to create atypical shapes: pyramid, cone, rectangle, heart, etc. Due to the extraordinary shape, the price for such plants is much higher than for ordinary fruits.

Tips and tricks for choosing and growing watermelons from experienced gardeners

Melon growers with experience it is advised to take into account when choosing watermelon varieties their adaptability to the climate of the region... It makes sense to plant seeds directly into open ground only in the southern regions of Russia. In other areas, seedlings must be grown to obtain crops.

In Central Russia, melon growers recommend planting early-ripening fruits... Such crops are the most unpretentious and resistant to adverse conditions. In regions with cool summers, it is recommended to plant watermelons in greenhouses. The best time for planting seedlings is late May - early June. This means the seeds themselves are planted at the end of April.

Melon growers' reviews confirm the following conclusions:

Andrey, Saratov: “I have been engaged in melon growing for many years. I grow various varieties of berries. I advise you to give preference to early ripening watermelons. The best among them, in my opinion, are Spark, Sweet Diamond, Sugar Baby and Lightning. In order for the harvest to be rich, it is necessary to observe the correct planting of seeds. Then the watermelons ripen quickly. After about 1.5-2 months, you can harvest. All these fruits are sugar and juicy ".

Antonina, Kalmykia: “I plant watermelons every year. I recommend early maturing and early maturing varieties for giving. I plant Ogonyok myself, Gift to the North, Producer and Ataman. The berries grow large and very sweet. The yield is always good. I collect up to 7 fruits from each bush. Early maturing varieties are unpretentious, do not require special care. And in terms of taste, they are the best ".

So, to grow watermelons, it takes:

• select varieties that are optimal for your climatic conditions, soil and irrigation;
• observe temperature and light conditions;
• fertilize and water the soil on time;
• choose the color and shape of your preference;
• take into account the thickness of the peel, the structure of the pulp and the number of seeds.

Conclusion

It is impossible to single out the most delicious and fruitful variety. Early and early ripening watermelons are grown in regions with cool climates and short summers. They are small and not designed for long-term storage.

Mid-ripening and late-ripening are distinguished by long ripening. Thanks to this, they are more sugar and juicy and can be stored for up to six months. The ripeness of these varieties can only be achieved in regions with hot and long summers.