Producer's watermelon variety is highly regarded by both farmers and consumers. It is grown mainly in the southern regions, but early ripening allows you to harvest in colder climates. What work should be done during planting, leaving and harvesting - read this article.
Watermelon variety "Producer"
watermelon seeds variety “Producer”
the pulp of a ripe “Producer” watermelon is very sweet, contains a large amount of sugar
Breeding history
The berry began its spread throughout the world from Egypt. Further, the Producer variety was improved in the USA. It is an improved species of the popular Crimson Sweet watermelon.
As a result of breeding, it became possible to grow it both in industrial conditions and in private households - the shelf life was increased while maintaining the same taste.
Description and characteristics of the variety Producer
The Producer variety refers to early maturing, has a high yield.
Description:
- Stalks. Medium long. Leaves are gray-green, moderately dissected.
- Berry. Oval, smooth, without dents or roughness, has a characteristic shine.
- Pulp. Red, grainy, crunchy, juicy, high in sugar (12%), without streaks. Seeds are located near the bark, dark brown, their number is relatively small.
- Crust. Not thick, when ripe reaches 1 cm. In color - almost white with a greenish tint.
Berries belong to dietary products, have medicinal properties. They are mainly used fresh, but are also suitable for preservation, preparation of drinks and desserts.
Table of characteristics of the variety Producer:
Vegetation period, days | The weight of the fruit, kg | Productivity, t / ha | Seed germination,% | Transportability | Destination |
65-75 | 8-18 | 105 | 90-99 | high | for fresh consumption |
Regional growth
Today Producer's watermelon is grown in the south of Russia (Caucasus, Krasnodar Territory), Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan. Greenhouse cultivation is possible with the establishment of irrigation systems in the middle lane.
What are the advantages of a watermelon?
The main advantages of the variety include:
- early maturation;
- big size;
- high taste, aroma;
- good maturation;
- disease resistance;
- high transportable properties;
- high keeping quality of the crop.
What are the disadvantages of the Producer?
The disadvantages include:
- exactingness to growing conditions (microclimate, irrigation);
- maturation depends on weather conditions;
- may not fully mature inside.
Preparatory work
Preparatory work before landing will include several stages.
Site selection and preparation
Productivity largely depends on the area where the watermelon will grow. It must meet the following requirements:
- Illumination. Choose an open area with no shade.
- Priming. Sandy and sandy loam soil with acidity pH = 6.7-7.0 is best suited.
- Groundwater. Set aside an elevated area under the bed where groundwater does not come close to the surface.
- Predecessors. Good predecessors for watermelon are: cabbage, legumes, onions, wheat, alfalfa.
It is not recommended to grow watermelon in the area where melons and gourds grew.
Seed preparation
Preparation of seeds for planting occurs according to the same scheme and does not depend on the method of planting.
The best germination is observed in seeds 3-5 years of storage.
Stages of preparation:
- Calibration Sort the seeds by size.
- Soak. Prepare a saline solution (1 teaspoon table salt in 1 glass of water) and soak the seeds in it. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Those that come up - throw them away. Which fell to the bottom - dry.
- Warming up. Warm up the selected material for 20-30 minutes. To do this, use hot water at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. As a result of this procedure, disinfection occurs.
- Re-soaking. Prepare a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. Soak the seeds in it for about 20 minutes. The method helps to prevent fungal diseases.
- Germination. Spread the prepared seeds on damp gauze, folded in several layers. After the emergence of sprouts - they are ready for planting.
Landing rules
The main criterion for landing is the temperature regime:
- if the soil temperature is below +12 ° C, the watermelon will not grow;
- minimum temperature of soil warming should not be lower than +14 ° С;
- the optimal temperature conditions are heating up to + 20-25 ° С.
Growing methods
There are 2 ways to grow watermelon Producer.
Seedlings
In the middle lane and northern regions, in order for the watermelon to ripen in a short summer, it is better to plant seedlings. Gardeners in the southern regions can also use this method, but the watermelon will grow well in the open field.
Landing dates
For seedlings, seeds begin to be sown in mid-April. In this case, by the end of May, seedlings will be well formed and strengthened for planting in open ground.
Landing technology
Planting is carried out in peat pots.
Sequence:
- Soil preparation. You can buy a specialized seedling soil mixture or prepare it yourself:
- Option 1 - mix soddy ground and humus in a 1: 3 ratio.
- Option 2 - mix peat, sawdust and humus in a ratio of 3: 1: 0.5.
- Preparing the pots. To germinate a watermelon, prepare the required number of peat pots with a size of at least 6x6 cm. Fill them with a soil mixture.
The use of peat pots prevents damage to the root system when transplanted into the ground.
- Planting depth. In each pot in the ground, make holes to a depth of 4-5 cm.
- Planting seeds. Plant seeds previously grown in gauze and plant them in peat pots. Seed up the soil without tamping.
- Soil moisture. Moisten the soil well, but do not fill it.
Seedling care
Further care involves:
- Create a mini greenhouse. Cover the planted plants with polyethylene or glass and place in a place well-warmed by the sun.
- First sprouts... It takes about 1 month to wait for the first shoots. After their appearance, remove the shelter and place the seedlings in the sun.
- Moisturizing... Keep the earth clod moist. Do not allow drying, as well as waterlogging.
- Hardening... Start hardening seedlings 10 days before planting in the ground. To do this, take them outside every day. Leave for 1 hour on the first day. Subsequent days - gradually increase this time to a whole day.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Seedlings in open ground or in a greenhouse can be planted after 3-5 true leaves appear.
Phased process:
- Dig holes. Their depth should fully accommodate the peat pot.
- Plant the sprouts. Place the watermelon sprouts with the glass in the wells.
- Sprinkle with soil. Cover the seedlings with soil, compact the earth around them, but without undue effort.
- Water the sprouts. Well moisten the soil near the stems.
Seed in the ground
This method is less time consuming than the previous one. You can sow watermelon in the ground in the last days of May.
Sequence of work:
- The number of seeds. Calculate using the formula: per 1 sq. m area - 0.3 g.
- Cultivation. Loosen the area with a cultivator to a depth of 6-7 cm.
- Breaking the beds. Divide the site into rows, leave 1 m between them. In each row, dig holes 3-4 cm deep, at a distance of 0.5 m between them. You can use the scheme 1.5x0.6 m or 1.4x1.0 m. In a greenhouse - 0.7x0.7 m.
- Sowing seeds. Place 2-3 seeds in each hole.
- Sprinkle with earth. Cover the seeds with soil without tamping.
- Watering. Water the garden bed using warm water.
If the air temperature drops below +12 ° C, the bed should be covered with a film.
Watermelon needs hot weather (ideally + 25-30 ° C). When grown in mid-latitudes, gardeners build canopies of film above the beds, providing better warming. They are removed at the end of June on a cloudy day or in the evening, so as not to burn the plant in the open sun.
Some gardeners germinate watermelons in open ground using double shelter. The process looks like this:
- seeds are sown in the garden;
- cover with a cut-off small plastic bottle;
- on top they cover with another bottle, but of a larger volume (3-5 l), creating the conditions for a thermos;
- after the warm weather has been established, the lower bottle is first removed, and after a while, the upper bottle.
Care features
Watermelon Producer is a very capricious plant, therefore it requires good care.
Watering rates
Watering depends on the stage of vegetation.
Watermelon is drought tolerant, so watering should be moderate.
Follow these guidelines:
- with enhanced development of the ovary water the garden in the morning and evening;
- during flowering water the plants 2 times a week;
- in good, hot weather - 1 time in 7-8 days;
- at the stage of fruit formation - limit watering;
- during fruit ripening - watering is stopped completely.
The drip irrigation system is best for a watermelon. If the bed is not large, you can use watering under the bush. For a better passage of water and air to the root system, carry out a shallow weekly loosening of the soil.
Sprinkling irrigation can provoke the development of diseases.
In regions with a colder climate and a close location of groundwater, gardeners make grooves between the rows and irrigate along them, thus, the root system does not extend inward, but in breadth, which prevents its decay.
Top dressing
Fertilizing should be carried out during such periods of growth:
- 30 days after plantingwhen lashes appear. Use superphosphate 1:15 or mullein 1: 6.
- After the formation of the ovary. Apply weekly mineral fertilizers after watering or rain. The plant feels a particular need for phosphorus and potassium fertilizing.
Regular top dressing can be replaced by adding ash or humus to each well before sowing.
Also, there are some prohibitions on fertilizer application:
- During the ripening of the fruit, plants cannot be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizing. Watermelon is prone to accumulation of sodium salts, which impairs its taste.
- Do not use fresh manure for fertilizer.
Bush formation
The formation of bushes depends on the method of growing watermelon:
- In the open ground. Form a bush of 3 shoots, pinch their tops.
- In the greenhouse. Watermelons are grown on trellises. Form the bushes from 1 stem, which is tied to the support. Lateral shoots longer than 50 cm - cut off. Leave 2 stepsons on the main shoot. After the formation of the ovary, pinch the apex every 3 sheets.
For friendly ripening, no more than 3 ovaries are left on each shoot.
Fruit ripening
Despite the love of the sun, the fruits of the plant ripen better if they are placed in a cloth or, in hot weather, covered with large leaves, such as burdock.
The fruits should not be allowed to ripen in open land for a long time, they may begin to rot. In a greenhouse, each watermelon is placed in nets and suspended for maturation to trellises.
Pest and Disease Control
The producer has a high immunity to the development of diseases such as rot and anthracnose.
But they can be affected by the following diseases and pests:
- Gourd aphids. The insect settles on the stems of the culture. Black spots appear on them, over time the stems twist. In order to defeat the pest, completely remove the affected stems, conduct treatment with Fitoverm.
- Putin tick. You can notice the insect immediately after planting the seedlings - it forms a cobweb under the leaves, and you can find a tick in it. Over time, the plant dries up. To prevent the reproduction of the pest, burn the affected leaves, treat the bed with an insecticide, for example Agravertin.
- Powdery mildew. The disease is caused by the multiplication of a fungus. The leaves are covered with a white-gray bloom on which droplets of liquid form, resembling dew. The plant dies. For the treatment of diseased leaves, remove and treat the plant with a suspension of Karatan, Topaz.
- Root rot. The disease develops in the soil and affects the roots, as a result of which you can find brown wet spots on the stems near the ground, which smell badly and turn yellow. Treat with copper sulfate, Fundazole or ash.
To determine the presence of fungus, you can do a soil analysis in the laboratory.
There are preventive measures that will help prevent the development of diseases and the multiplication of pests:
- disinfect the soil before sowing;
- disinfect seeds with Fitosporin;
- when watering, do not flood the stems and leaves;
- adhere to the rules and norms of feeding;
- inspect plants regularly for lesions.
Reproduction
Watermelon Producer reproduces only by seeds. This is due to natural features - in the wild, ripened fruits roll on the surface until they burst under the influence of external factors, while the juice moisturizes the soil and thus the seeds are fixed in the ground.
How to determine that the berry has ripened?
In the south, the watermelon ripens in mid-July, in cool climates - closer to September.
The ripeness of the fruits can be determined by the following criteria:
- high contrast of dark green and light green stripes on the peel;
- the texture of the peel changes from matte to glossy;
- on ripe fruits, you can often find scratches and pecks, birds do not touch unripe berries;
- the peduncle dries up by the time of ripening.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting begins 5 days before the fruit is fully ripe. At this time, the flesh has a pale pink color, which turns red over time. The berries collected earlier will not be able to ripen under storage conditions, and later they will not be able to be stored for a long time.
Cleaning is best done by hand. The watermelon is torn from the stems, leaving 3-5 cm of the stalk.
Store watermelons observing:
- Temperature and humidity. In the storage, the temperature should not be higher than + 1-4 ° С, humidity within 70-80%.
- Storage method. You can do one of 4 ways:
- in boxes covered with moss;
- in barrels covered with ashes;
- hanging in nets, having previously wrapped the watermelon with natural fabric;
- having processed each fruit with wax 5 mm thick.
Watermelon Reviews Producer
Maria, 50 years old. Watermelon variety Producer ripens perfectly in our southern climate. The fruits are very large, juicy, grainy and sweet. Of course, the plant is capricious, but with timely agricultural work there are no problems with it.
Svetlana, 45 years old. We grow watermelons Producer in a film greenhouse. We plant seeds in the second half of April, form bushes into 1 stem. If spring frost occurs, we additionally heat the greenhouse. Watermelons grow wonderful and sugary. We love this variety very much.
Ermolai, 62 years old. We grow watermelons on an industrial scale and in many varieties. But, the Producer ─ out of competition: early ripening, high-yielding, with excellent taste, tolerates transportation well.
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Producer watermelon is an early ripe variety that allows it to be grown in short summer conditions. The plant is capricious: demanding on climatic conditions, soil, irrigation. But with the timely implementation of agrotechnical work, it will delight you with a good harvest. The producer can be grown both on an industrial scale and on personal farms.