Melon Cantaloupe (musky): photo and description

Few gardeners in Our Country grow melons in their summer cottages. This crop is traditionally cultivated in more southern regions. However, there is an exception to every rule. One such exception is the Cantaloupe melon. This is the only type of melon that can be successfully grown in Our Country.

Description of cantaloupe melon

Cantaloupe melon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. The homeland of this plant is the territory of modern Turkey. The melon got its name in honor of the Italian town of Cantolupo in Sabino. Here was the estate of the Pope, to whom these fruits were once presented for dessert.

The botanical description and characteristics of the Cantaloupe melon are given in the table:

The strongest aroma gave this plant a second name – Musk. Sometimes Cantaloupe is also called Thai melon.

Cantaloupe melon varieties

Thanks to breeding work, many varieties of musk melon were bred. The most famous of them are the following:

• Iroquois;
• Blondie;
• Charente;
• Gaul;
• Prescott;
• Parisian.

Muscat Melon White

An early ripe variety that ripens in 60-70 days from the moment the seedlings are planted in open ground. The shape of the fruit is round, the peel is smooth. Fruit weight can reach up to 2 kg. The pulp is quite juicy and sweet, has a greenish tint.

It has good transportability. It is preferable to grow in greenhouses. The fruits can be consumed fresh and dried.

Melon Cantaloupe Green

The variety got its name due to the fact that the skin of the melon is green. The fruits are small, rounded. Their average weight is 1-1,2 kg. The surface has a pronounced mesh relief. The peel is quite dense, so the crop can be easily transported over long distances. The flesh has a greenish color with a creamy tint, very juicy.

Melon Cantaloupe Yellow

The fruits of this variety grow up to 1,5-2,2 kg. They are rounded, segmented, with a pronounced relief. Ripens at the end of August. In the middle lane, it is recommended to grow in greenhouses, but there are also reviews of good yields when planting Cantaloupe yellow melon in open ground. The flesh is orange with a greenish tint, very juicy and aromatic.

It has a high sugar content (up to 14%), it is recommended for use both fresh and dried, dried.

Growing cantaloupe melon

It is best to grow Cantaloupe melon in central Our Country in a greenhouse. This is a guarantee that the fruits will ripen even in rainy and cold summers. The seedling method is most often used; in more southern regions, seeds can be planted immediately in open ground.

Preparation of seedlings

Planting seeds for seedlings is usually done in early April. It is preferable to use individual peat pots for this. This will allow you to avoid picking in the future and will greatly simplify further work on transplanting plants into open ground or a greenhouse. Before planting, the seeds are usually soaked overnight in a growth stimulator or aloe juice. Seeds are planted in a soil substrate, watered with warm water, after which the pots are covered with foil and placed in a well-lit, warm place.

The soil in pots must be regularly ventilated and moistened with warm water. After 3-4 weeks, the grown plants are ready for transplanting. During this time, you need to prepare the beds on which melons are to grow.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

For planting Cantaloupe melon, you need to choose a sunny, well-lit place. The soil is preferably loose, light and breathable, loamy or sandy, with a slight acid reaction. Melon beds can be dug up in advance, at the same time introducing humus, rotted manure or compost into the soil, and then covering them with black covering material. This will allow the earth to warm up well. By the time of planting seedlings, its temperature should be at least + 18 ° C.

You should not choose low-lying places where water can accumulate for planting Cantaloupe melon. Therefore, initially the beds should be made high or at least raised. A good result is also obtained by growing Cantaloupe on the so-called “warm” beds, which have good thermal insulation.

Rules of landing

After the earth has warmed up enough, you can start planting the Cantaloupe melon. They are usually planted in rows. The distance between adjacent plants should be at least 30-35 cm, between adjacent rows – at least 1 m. Previously, small mounds of earth are poured onto the beds in the right places, on top of which they land. If the seedlings were grown in peat pots, they are planted with them. Otherwise, before removing the seedling, the ground in the pot must be soaked in advance with water for the convenience of extracting the plants.

After planting, the mounds with seedlings and seeds are watered abundantly with water. For the first time, it is better to cover the plants with plastic wrap if they are planted in open ground. It will be possible to remove it completely after the plants take root and get stronger.

Watering and top dressing

Cantaloupe should not be watered frequently. Watering should be rare, but plentiful. Water must not be allowed to stagnate between rows or furrows. You can increase the frequency of watering only during dry periods. You can determine the condition of plants by the leaves. If they turn yellow or become stained, then the plant does not receive enough moisture. Watering should be carried out strictly under the root, preventing water from getting on the leaves. Completely stop watering at least a week before harvest.

There is no special need to feed melons if manure or humus was introduced when digging the soil. If the soil is poor, the plants can be fed with a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer. After flowering, Cantaloupe can only be fed with superphosphate and potash fertilizers. The use of organic matter is still a priority, if it is possible to do without mineral fertilizers, it is better to do so.

Formation

If you do not take any measures to form the plant, then you can not wait for the fruits at all. The melon will simply spend all its strength on the growth of the vine and the growth of green mass. To limit growth and make it bloom and bear fruit, pinch the top of the plant after 7-8 full leaves appear on it. This gives a powerful impetus to the lateral branching of the vines and the appearance of flowers on them. After the formation of the ovaries, as a rule, 2 creepers are left, on which 3-5 fruits are formed. In the future, you need to regularly cut off the stepchildren that the plant forms in excess.

In the photo – cantaloupe in the garden:

Because the Cantaloupe stem is a tendril-like vine, some gardeners grow this melon on a trellis or vertical net. In this case, the fruits are formed on weight and do not come into contact with the soil. If the vine lies on the ground, a wooden plank, a piece of foam or other material should be placed under each of the emerging melons to prevent contact of the fruit with the ground.

Harvesting

The average ripening period of the Cantaloupe melon is 60-70 days, while from the moment the fruit ovary appears to reaching removable ripeness, about a month passes. Fruiting is quite friendly, begins in the second half of August and continues until mid-September. Under good weather conditions, all the left fruit ovaries can ripen. A sign of maturity is the strong musky aroma that the ripe fruit emits.

It is not worth pulling with the harvest, as the aroma will weaken over time. Another sign is cracking of the stem. In an overripe melon, it can completely disappear.

It is necessary to collect and transport the collected melons carefully, avoiding shocks. Cantaloupe has a limited shelf life, so harvested fruits must be consumed or processed within 3 weeks.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests rarely attack Cantaloupe. Their appearance is usually the result of improper care, for example, excessive watering, as well as a consequence of adverse weather conditions. Here are the most common diseases most commonly found on melon.

1. Downy mildew. Identified by yellow spots on the leaves. The spread of the disease can be prevented by treating plants with fungicides, such as chlorthalonil. Prevention of the appearance of this type of mold is tying vines or other way to limit their contact with the ground, for example, growing on a horizontal grid.
2. Microspherella rot. The vines become brittle, a yellow-orange liquid is released at the fracture site. This disease has no cure. The affected plant must be removed and the soil treated with fungicides. It is not recommended to plant melon in this place in the future.
3. Fusarium wilt. It is determined by gray spots on the leaves and the general sluggish state of the plant. Diseased plants must be destroyed, and the soil treated with any fungicide.

Of the pests, Cantaloupe is most often attacked by the following insects:

1. Nematodes. The presence of nematodes can be determined by the characteristic nodes at the roots and on the stems of the plant. It is very difficult to remove nematodes. Most likely, the landing of Cantaloupe in this place will have to be abandoned.
2. Aphid. It is determined by the black sticky coating on the leaves, which can lead to their withering. Leaves with aphid colonies must be cut off and destroyed, the plant must be treated with natural insecticides. You can use tools such as Karbofos, Aktelik, etc.
3. Spider mite. It is determined by the presence of a thin web that entangles melon leaves. At an early stage, the spread of the mite can be stopped by cutting off infected leaves and treating the plants with acaricides. With a large population, melon cultivation may have to be abandoned.

During the ripening period, Cantaloupe fruits can also be damaged by other pests. Therefore, it is so important to isolate them from direct contact with the soil. It is also important to keep the beds clean, remove plant debris in a timely manner and prevent waterlogging of the soil.

Use in cooking

Despite the small size of the Cantaloupe melon, culinary experts all over the world unanimously note its good taste and excellent aroma. This is what led to its wide distribution in various regions, from Asia to North America. Cantaloupe is distinguished by a short shelf life, however, even during this time the entire crop can be processed. And its culinary application is very wide.

Dried cantaloupe melon

Dried musk melon Cantaloupe preserves all the useful vitamins and minerals that it is so rich in. Its pulp contains riboflavin, folic acid, retinol, ascorbic and nicotinic acids – a real storehouse of useful substances. It is quite difficult to make dried melon on your own, but it can be easily purchased at any store that sells dried fruits.

In the photo above – dried nutmeg melon. This product retains its natural bright color, characteristic melon flavor and is an excellent substitute for artificial sweets.

Cantaloupe cantaloupe

Like dried, dried cantaloupe is quite common in stores. You can try to cook this product yourself by cutting the flesh of a ripe fruit into small pieces and drying them under the sun. You can use them as a sweetener, and also use them as a filling for pies. Pieces of dried melon can be added to compotes or yoghurts.

Candied Melon Cantaloupe

Candied melon Cantaloupe has a pronounced aroma and excellent taste. In addition to valuable trace elements, they contain beta-carotene. This is the only variety of melons with the presence of this substance in its composition. Candied fruits are widely used as a sugar substitute because they contain sucrose.

Cantaloupe melon calories

The calorie content of 100 g of Cantaloupe melon is only 33,9 kcal. This is approximately 1,5% of a person’s daily requirement. It takes 4 minutes of cycling or 22 minutes of reading books to burn that many calories. Dried melon is more caloric, its energy value is 341 kcal per 100 g of product. 87% of the total calories come from carbohydrates contained in it, in particular sucrose. That’s quite a lot. Therefore, Cantolupe should not be consumed by people with diabetes.

Cantaloupe melon reviews

Conclusion

Cantaloupe melon is quite easy to care for and does not require much labor to grow. In greenhouse conditions, this crop can be cultivated in a variety of regions, and we can say with confidence that the result will be good. Ripe cantaloupe melon is sweet and fragrant, and grown with your own hands – especially.