Description of melon Slavia

Melon Slavia is an unpretentious, high-yielding variety with excellent taste. Drought tolerant, withstanding nighttime drop in temperatures. It is popular with farmers and gardeners due to its high commercial qualities, excellent transportability and keeping quality. Melon Slavia retains its taste and marketability for a month after harvesting from the garden.

Description of the melon variety Slavia

Melon Slavia is a climbing, late-ripening variety. The period from germination to the first harvest is 90-110 days. The length of the main lash reaches 1,5-2 m.

Melon Slavia has a rich sweet taste and a fresh, pronounced melon aroma. This variety holds the record for sugar content in fruits. The sugar content index is 8,8%.

Pros and cons of the variety

Advantages of melon Slavia:

• endurance;
• drought tolerance;
• resistance to diseases and pests;
• good transportability;
• keeping quality.

Of the shortcomings of the variety, only difficulties with cultivation can be noted. Not in every region, the fruits have time to fully ripen. In cooler climatic zones frostbite is possible. When grown indoors (greenhouses), Slavia melon lacks sunlight and heat.

Cultivation of melon Slavia

You can grow Slavia melon both by open sowing in the ground and by seedlings.

Preparation of seedlings

You can speed up the harvest by growing Slavia melon in seedlings. Preparation of seedlings begins with sowing seeds. It is recommended to use separate containers – plastic cups or peat pots, pre-filled with soil mixture.

The optimal sowing time is mid-April. Sowing seeds is carried out to a depth of 2,5-3 cm, laying them on their side. The temperature required for germination is + 23 °C, after emergence it is reduced to + 21 °C. It is important to provide seedlings with good lighting for at least 12 hours a day. Seedlings are planted in open ground when they reach the age of 25-35 days.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

The right choice of planting site is the key to a good harvest. Melon is a heat-loving plant, so the beds with crops should be located on the sunny side – south or southwest. The site should be quiet, protected from strong winds.

You can, for example, plant corn, sunflowers in 2 rows around the perimeter of the plot. You can also plant melon in the aisles of young gardens.

Equally important is the choice of predecessor. Best melon Slavia will grow after such agricultural crops:

• beans;
• corn;
• cabbage;
• potatoes (early);
• winter wheat;
• perennial herbs.

Do not grow Slavia melon in one place for more than two years, as this can lead to a decrease in yield. You can resume growing melons on the same bed after 5 years.

Rules of landing

Sowing melon seeds in unprotected soil is carried out at different times, depending on the region of cultivation:

• in the forest-steppe zone – from May 5 to May 15;
• in the steppe – the end of April or mid-May;
• in the western regions (the northernmost) – from May 20 to 31.

Seedlings are planted a little later, when the threat of spring night frosts has passed – approximately in the month of May.

Boarding scheme:

Watering and top dressing

Watering is important for melons from the moment of germination until fruit set, since during this period its root system does not have time to deepen. Watering should be moderate, but regular, and always with warm water. It is recommended to carry out about 5 waterings per week, at the rate of 45 liters per 1 m². 1 month before the harvest of the first harvest, Slavia melons stop watering.

The first top dressing (mullein or ammonium nitrate) is recommended 14 days after planting. The second and subsequent top dressing is performed using a mixture of fertilizers. For example, such a solution (for 10 liters of water):

• superphosphate – 40 g;
• ammonium sulfate – 25-30 g;
• potassium salt – 15-20 g.

Formation

The correct formation of the Slavia melon bush and the regulation of the number of ovaries on it is the main secret of obtaining a high yield. It is necessary to resort to this technique in order to reduce the ripening time and get large-sized fruits. Formation time depends on growing conditions and climate. This operation is carried out depending on the phase of plant development.

Slavia melon female flowers are formed mainly on lateral shoots, so the formation of a bush begins with pinching the main stem. The top of the shoot is broken off after 3-4 leaves, thereby removing the growth point. After that, lateral processes begin to grow from the leaf sinuses – shoots of the second order. Good fruiting is ensured by leaving 2-3 shoots and no more than 6 fruits on one bush. You should focus on the strength of the growth of the plant.

When the melon Slavia ripens

Melon Slavia is a late-ripening variety that has a long period of crop formation (90-110 days). The first fruits begin to ripen in August, but sometimes the harvest has to wait until September. These periods depend on many factors. And from the climatic zone in which Slavia is grown, and from caring for it, and, in particular, from how high-quality and complete it was.

Harvesting

Harvesting begins from the moment the fruits are fully ripe. You can take the first fruits already 2-2,5 months after planting and up to the beginning of October.

You can determine the ripeness of Slavia melon by the following parameters:

1. Aroma. In ripe fruits, it is bright – honey, vanilla or pear. Overripe ones smell not very pleasant. Greens either do not exude aroma at all, or it is slightly perceptible.
2. Sound. When tapping on the sides of a ripe melon, a dull sound will be heard, in unripe fruits it will be sonorous.
3. Color. The color of the fruit should be uniform – yellow-green. The grid of cracks should be moderate, covering about ½ of the fruit.

When harvesting, ripe melons of the Slavia variety are separated from the lashes, leaving a stalk about 5 cm long. Sorted by size and degree of maturity, removing damaged fruits. For gradual and uniform ripening, melons are stored in groups of uniform ripeness. From 1 hectare of planting areas, 18-25 tons of marketable fruits can be harvested.

Diseases and pests

Melon Slavia practically does not get sick and is not damaged by pests. In particular, it is resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew and aphids. But sometimes Slavia can be affected by some diseases characteristic of other melons.

Conclusion

Melon Slavia is a rather unpretentious variety that even a novice gardener can grow. If you follow all the recommendations for growing and caring, you can get a good harvest. Due to the fact that the fruits remain fresh and juicy for a long time, and are also well transported, Slavia melon can be grown not only for one’s own needs, but also for sale.

Melon reviews Slavia