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Small melon varieties
Small melon is an early ripening culture; you can get tasty fruits even in the northern regions. Of course, you will have to grow the crop in a greenhouse, but it’s worth it. Breeders have bred many varieties of small-fruited melons, there are even miniature specimens.
Characteristics of small melon varieties for harsh climates
Small-fruited plants form few ovaries, no more than 20 fruits are harvested from the bush per season. In the northern regions, early ripening melons ripen in mid-July. The fruits have a short shelf life.
Small melon has a good taste and aroma
Small-fruited varieties for the northern regions:
- “Dream of Sybarite”. Honey melon with a long fruiting period. The first fruits ripen in 55 days from germination, harvest until frost. The plant is compact, rarely sick. The mass of melons rarely exceeds 400 g. The variety is distinguished by a smooth and thin skin. The pulp is white, juicy, dense, smells good, but crispy.
- “Cinderella”. The variety bears fruit 1,5 months after planting. Resistant to temperature extremes and diseases. Fruits are oval, without pattern, pale yellow. The pulp is juicy, green or white. Fruit weight is about 1,5 kg.
- “Gold of the Scythians”. The hybrid forms only 3-5 ovaries. Fruiting in 70 days after planting. The fruits are bright yellow in color, the rind is covered with a net. Melons weigh no more than 1 kg. The pulp is juicy and smells good.
These are not all varieties that are suitable for harsh climates. The main selection criterion is the timing of the ripening of the crop. Choose early maturing varieties that are zoned for growing conditions.
Small striped melon for the northern regions
Small-fruited striped melon can be grown in the Urals, Yakutia, the Far East and Siberia. The following varieties showed good results:
- Pineapple Americano. Hybrid of very early ripening period. The mass of melons does not exceed 200-350 g. Fruits are yellow with pronounced brown stripes. The pulp is tasty, aromatic, smells like pineapple. Melons are stored for about a month in a cold room.
- “Vietnamese”. Fruiting of the crop is extended, harvesting continues until frost. Melons of fiery orange color with pronounced stripes, their mass does not exceed 200 g. The pulp is tender, juicy, with a sweet and sour taste.
- “Khandalyak”. Melons are prone to disease, do not tolerate transportation well, and are not stored. The rind is thin, with a yellow or green pattern. The pulp is loose, juicy, moderately sweet. The seed nest is small.
These plants thrive despite the short daylight hours. Indoors, they bear fruit in the second half of June, in the garden in mid-July.
If the climate does not allow the cultivation of southern varieties of melons, this does not mean that you need to give up juicy and tasty fruits. Try to plant zoned varieties, although the harvest from them will not be so rich.