The best varieties of watermelons

Most of all, in watermelon, we appreciate the sweetness and sugar content. Which, perhaps, in the case of watermelon is not the same thing, no matter how paradoxical it may seem. A watermelon at a break forms a delicate graininess, granularity, which gives it a special enhancement of taste – not cloying, but some kind of subtle coolness on the tongue

Watermelons are a southern culture, they are very thermophilic (1), but modern varieties are early, they ripen quickly and manage to produce a crop even in a short summer. Therefore, when choosing varieties, it is important to pay attention not only to their taste, but also to the ripening time. This is especially important for the middle zone, the Urals, Siberia and the northern regions, because their taste and aroma depend on whether they have time to reach full maturity.

Rating of the top 25 best varieties of watermelons according to KP

early ripe

These varieties ripen in 2 – 2,5 months from the appearance of the ovaries and they can be harvested from July 15 to August 15, depending on the growing region and the duration of warm weather. As a rule, they have a thin skin and are not stored for a long time. This is a summer treat. Breeders and producers, often foreign ones, are more focused on a beautiful and unusual type of watermelon, so their varieties are mostly early ripening and surprising in colors and shapes.

1. Ultra early

New domestic variety. Ripens 80 days. The plant is compact with limited branching of lateral shoots. The fruits are round, dark green with darker stripes. Weight 2,5 – 4,5 kg. The flesh is carmine red, tender, grainy, juicy and very sweet. Disease resistant and hardy. Yields are highly dependent on growing conditions.

Suitable for the middle lane and Siberia.

2. Where

A new imported hybrid with excellent results in Sweden and Finland. It is surprising that at low temperatures and low light it ripens for 70-75 days. The fruits are elongated, dark green with lighter longitudinal stripes. The pulp is bright raspberry, sweet, crumbly, fragrant. The inner layer near the peel is white and very thin, which is convenient for eating, but not suitable for long-term storage. The seeds are small and few. Weight 7 – 10 kg.

Created specifically for the northern regions for seedling cultivation and planting under the film. Suitable for the Moscow region.

3. Light

Old domestic variety. Ripens 71 – 87 days. The lashes are not long. Fruit-balls are black-green with a hidden pattern, small. Weight 1,7 – 2,3 kg. The bark is thin, fragile. The pulp is orange-red, tender, juicy, sweet. The taste is good. Productivity -1,7 – 2,6 kg per 1 sq. m. Relatively resistant to anthracnose, powdery mildew.

Recommended for the Central Black Earth, East Siberian and Far East regions (2).

4. Sorrento

Relatively new Dutch hybrid. Ripens 65 – 76 days. The lashes are not long. The fruits are round, green with darker stripes. Weight 4,2 – 5,9 kg. The flesh is dark red, medium density. The taste is excellent. Productivity – 1,8 – 3,6 kg per 1 sq. m. Resistant to Fusarium.

Suitable for the North Caucasus and Ural regions (2).

5. AU Producer PVP

New American variety. An improved representative of the variety type Crimson Sweet. Ripens 65 – 83 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are round, light green with dark stripes. The pulp is unusually sweet, tender, granular, without streaks. Weight 2,5 – 5,2 kg. The skin is thick. Resistant to fusarium, anthracnose. Productivity – 1,2 -1,9 kg per 1 sq. m, maximum – 5,1 kg per 1 sq. m. Stored for 2 weeks.

Suitable for the North Caucasus region (2).

6. Suga Baby

American old variety. Ripens 75 – 85 days. The main lash of the plant is of medium length. The fruits are rounded dark green with darker stripes. The bark is thin. The flesh is dark red, with a high sugar content. Weight 1,0 kg. The taste is excellent. Productivity – 1,2 – 1,7 kg per 1 sq. m. Resistant to low spring temperatures, powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Recommended for the Central Black Earth region (2).

7. Sugar baby

An analogue of the Shuga Baby variety. Ripens 75-85 days. The main whip is not more than 1,8 m. Fruits-balls are dark green. The bark is thin, dense. Weight 3 – 4 kg, but can reach 6 kg. In a greenhouse, a 1 kg fruit is already tasty. The flesh is dark red, juicy, grainy, sweet and tender. In low light, the taste deteriorates noticeably – it becomes watery.

Recommended for all regions of Our Country (2).

8. Top Gun

Young Dutch hybrid. Ripens 55 – 76 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are white rounded with dark green stripes. The bark is thick. Weight 3,8 – 6,3 kg. The flesh is red, tender. The taste is good. Productivity – 1,2 – 1,6 kg per 1 sq. m, but with regular watering it reaches 5,6 kg per 1 sq. m. Resistant to Fusarium.

Suitable for the Central Black Earth, North Caucasus, Nizhnevolzhsky, Ural, West Siberian regions (2).

9. Lunar

Domestic variety, bred in 2003. Ripens 70 – 90 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are wide ellipses, light green with narrow dark stripes. The bark is thin. Weight 2,0 – 3,0 kg. The flesh is light yellow, tender. The taste is good and excellent, with hints of lemon, honey and vanilla. Productivity – 1,6 kg per 1 sq.m. Stored for 30 days.

Good for all regions (2).

10. A gift from the sun

Domestic variety, known since 2001. Ripens 64 – 73 days. The main lash is short. The fruits are round, yellow, with narrow dark golden stripes. The bark is thin, fragile. The flesh is red, tender. The taste is good. Weight 1,6 – 3,2 kg. Productivity 3,3 kg per 1 square. m. The fruits are stored for 15 – 20 days. Drought resistant.

Suitable for all regions (2).

11. Siberian lights

Domestic, bred in 2000. Ripens 78 – 95 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are wide ellipses, dark green with barely noticeable narrow black-green stripes. The bark is thin, bending. The flesh is dark red, tender. Weight 1,0 – 2,4 kg. The taste is good and excellent. Productivity 1,5 – 3,4 kg per 1 square. m. Unsuitable for transportation over long distances. Fruits are stored up to 20 days. Relatively resistant to Fusarium.

Recommended for the West Siberian and East Siberian regions (2).

12. Skoryk

Domestic old variety, known since 1994. Ripens 62 – 87 days. The main whip is long. The fruits are round, green with wide, dark green, scalloped, blurred stripes. Bark of medium thickness, leathery. The flesh is bright red, fibrous, tender, juicy, sweet, with a strong aroma. Weight 2,1 – 3,8 kg. The taste is good. Productivity – 1,1 – 2,6 kg per 1 sq. m, with irrigation up to 8 kg per 1 sq. m. It is slightly affected by bacterial spotting and anthracnose, and moderately by powdery mildew.

Recommended for the Lower Volga and Far East regions (2).

13. Moon and stars

Not just a new, but an innovative domestic hybrid. This means that the plant meets many of the modern needs of summer residents. Ripens 80 – 90 days. Unusual and beautiful in appearance. On a dark green-violet surface, bright yellow spots of various sizes are scattered. You can find one large, like a full moon. Why not a picture of the night sky! But even inside the fruits are unique – the flesh is red-pink with a honey tint, both in color and in taste. And almost no seeds. Weight 12 – 15 kg, sometimes 25 kg!

Growing a hybrid is not troublesome. It can be sown even in open ground at a temperature of at least 15 ° C in loose fertilized soil. The main whip reaches 4 m. Productivity is 30 – 60 kg per bush.

Suitable for all regions except the northern ones.

14. Photon

Domestic variety, included in the State Register in 2000. Ripens 82 – 109 days. The main whip is 1,5 – 2,5 m. The elliptical fruits are green with dark prickly stripes. Bark 1,4 cm thick, leathery. The pulp is red, granular, tender, juicy. Weight 2,9 – 6,1 kg. The taste is good. Productivity – 1,9 – 3,9 kg per 1 sq. m. Transportable. Anthracnose resistant.

Recommended for the Nizhnevolzhsky, North Caucasian, Far Eastern regions (2).

15. Gift to the North

Domestic relatively new hybrid. Ripens 75 – 85 days. The fruits are round, light green with dark green prickly stripes. Weight up to 10 kg. The pulp is rich red, crispy, juicy. Tastes like southern watermelon. Resistant to diseases, transportable, not afraid of drought. It does not tolerate night frosts and stagnant water, therefore, in open ground, plants are covered with a film until mid-June. Irrigation yield – 3,0 – 3,5 kg per 1 sq. m.

Designed for the northern regions.

16. Winner 395

Domestic old variety. Ripens 70 – 80 days. The fruits are spherical, slightly elongated, green with dark bluish ribbon stripes. Weight 4 – 6 kg. The flesh is red-pink, granular, juicy, very sweet. Productivity – 1,8 – 2,2 kg per 1 sq. m.

Suitable for the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions.

17. Great Beijing Joy

Domestic relatively new hybrid, belongs to a whole series. Ripens 80 – 85 days. Scourge of medium length. The fruits are round, green with black-green stripes. The bark is thin and strong. The flesh is bright red, granular, very sweet. Weight from 8 – 12 to 16 kg. Productivity – 24 – 32 kg per 1 square. m. Transportable. Keeps for a short time.

There are other interesting hybrids in this series:

Beijing Joy Delicatessen F1 – its fruits are sweeter and the bark is more elastic than that of the Great Beijing Joy;
Beijing Joy Peasant F1 – ripens 95 – 105 days, fruits are oval, with a thick strong bark, the flesh is red, sweet, granular-sugar, weighing more than 8 kg;
Beijing Joy Farm F1 – ripens 85 – 90 days, the fruits are round, green with a black stripe. the pulp is red, juicy, sweet and granular, weight 5 – 8 kg, unstable to sudden changes in temperature.

Hybrids in this series are suitable for all regions.

The middle-ripening

Watermelons the average ripening period is harvested from late summer to early – mid-autumn. In the middle lane, they require additional shelter at the beginning of summer and at the end of August – September, as well as on cool days during the season. They are good not only for eating fresh, but also for pickling and pickling due to their denser, less grainy flesh.

18. Crimson Suite

An American old titled variety that came to Europe relatively recently and has become a high standard among sugar watermelons. Bred by famous breeder Charles W. Hall. Ripens 80 – 85 days. The plant is not very branchy. The fruits are round-oblong, dark green with light green stripes. Bark of medium thickness. The flesh is crisp, purplish-red, without veins, with a high sugar content, it is not for nothing that the name translates as “raspberry sweetness”. Weight 8 – 12 kg, but usually not more than 5 kg. Resistant to fusarium, anthracnose and drought. Resistant to transportation. Productivity – 2 kg per 1 square. m.

Suitable for all regions.

19. Astrakhan

Domestic old variety, in the State Register since 1977. Ripens 75 – 85 days from seeds sown immediately in open ground. The plant is medium-sized. The fruits are round and elongated, light green, reticulate with dark spiny stripes. Bark of medium thickness, leathery. Weight 5,6 kg. The pulp is red, dense, tender, very sweet, juicy. The taste is good. Productivity – 4,9 kg per 1 square. m. Resistant to anthracnose and partly to Fusarium wilt.

Suitable for the North Caucasus, Ural and Lower Volga regions (2).

20. Honey

Domestic relatively new variety (in the State Register since 2012). Ripens 85 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are wide ellipses, light green with slight spotting and prickly stripes. Bark of medium thickness. The pulp is red, medium density. Weight 3 – 6 kg. The taste is excellent. Productivity – 7,0 kg per 1 sq.m. It is well transported and stored for 30 days without loss of quality.

Suitable for all regions (2).

21. Charleston Gray

The French variety, we have appeared relatively recently and is unusual, because it looks like a fodder one. But he has many virtues. Ripens 76 – 90 days. The main whip is of medium length. The fruits are cylindrical, whitish, almost without a pattern with barely noticeable spots. Weight 3,4 – 7,9 kg. Bark of medium thickness. The flesh is pink-red. The taste is good and excellent. Productivity – 2,1 – 3,1 kg per 1 sq. m, with irrigation 3,8 – 4,6 kg per 1 sq. m. Transportable, stored from 40 days to 3 months. Anthracnose resistant.

Recommended for the North Caucasus region (2).

22. Romance

Dutch new popular hybrid. Ripens 68 – 82 days. The fruits are round, green with dark stripes. The pulp is red, medium density. The taste is good and excellent. Weight 3,0 – 7,8 kg. Productivity – 2,3 – 3,0 kg per 1 sq. m. Transportable, stored for a month.

Suitable for the North Caucasus and Ural regions (2).

Late

Late watermelons are picked in October and even November. These are varieties with thick bark. They are well tolerated by transportation and long-term storage.

23. Chill

Domestic variety, bred in 1983. Ripens 85 – 90 days. The plant is powerful, there are many lashes, the main one is more than 5 m. The fruits are elongated-spherical, green with a slightly noticeable net and almost black prickly stripes. The bark is medium, leathery, the flesh is pink-red, granular, tender, sweet, juicy. Weight 4,2 kg. The taste is good. Productivity – 1,4 – 2,8 kg per 1 sq. m. Medium susceptible to anthracnose, powdery mildew, fusarium. It is well transported and stored for 3 months. In the middle lane, watermelons of this variety are harvested in greenhouses in November, and you can eat it as early as January. Your own watermelon on the New Year’s table and at Christmas is a real miracle!

Recommended for the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions (2).

24. Icarus

Domestic old variety. Ripens 88 – 110 days. The main whip is long. The fruits are wide ellipses, dark green with faintly visible prickly stripes. The bark is of medium thickness, leathery, bending. The pulp is red-raspberry, granular, very sweet, tender, juicy, fragrant. Weight 3,0 – 5,4 kg, but sometimes up to 16 kg. The taste is good and excellent. Productivity 1,3 – 1,7 kg per 1 sq. m, maximum – up to 2,9 kg per 1 sq. m. Perfectly transported, stored up to 5 months. Drought resistant. Susceptible to anthracnose, moderately resistant to fusarium.

Suitable for the North Caucasus and Lower Volga regions (2).

25. Bykovsky 22

Domestic, very old variety, known since 1948. Ripens 92 – 105 days. The main whip is less than 2 m. Fruits are whitish balls with narrow green slightly prickly stripes. The bark is medium, flexible, durable. The flesh is bright pink, granular, juicy, sweet. Weight 4,3 – 5,0 kg. The taste is good. Productivity – 2,1 – 3,6 kg per 1 sq. m. Moderately affected by powdery mildew. Drought-resistant, well transported, long-term storage.

Suitable for the Lower Volga region (2).

How to choose a variety of watermelon

When choosing a variety, you should focus on whether there is space for growing. If space is limited, it is worth stopping at plants with short lashes. For example, there is a variety Bush 334, in which the main lash is only 60 cm, while others are no longer than 1 m, or even 20-30 cm in general. Varieties with a compact main lash can also be attributed Gift of the sun (1-1,4 m) and Sugar Lightning F1 (1,5-2,0 m).

If there is enough space, mono sow plants whose main lash is long – 2,1-2,5 m (Foton) and even very long – more than 2,5 m (Skoryk).

Paradoxical at first glance, the criterion for choosing a variety is not too high a percentage of sugars in fruits – these are recommended for diabetics (Bykovsky 22, Astrakhan). In addition, their flesh is dense, so they are ideal for salting, which can also become a selection criterion.

If the family is small, you should look at varieties with small, portioned fruits of 1,2 – 1,4 kg, which are easy to eat in one sitting. They are no less sweet and fragrant and at the same time original (Dragon egg).