From July to November, people like to eat tasty and sweet watermelons. Now they are grown not only in the south, but even in the Non-Chernozem zone. Indeed, for their normal ripening, two warm months are enough, therefore, watermelons are cultivated even in Siberia.
Watermelon is a berry belonging to the pumpkin family, but it is quite difficult to grow it. This requires special conditions. For the appearance of sweet fruits, the temperature should not fall below 25 degrees for a long time. The field on which watermelons grow is called melon, but in the Middle Strip and to the north they are cultivated most often under a film.
The birthplace of watermelon is Africa. And now in the deserts there grows its wild variety - colocynt. It has small poisonous fruits that are not afraid of any heat. Another type of watermelon that is common in America is citron. But woolly watermelon is more famous. It is he who is so loved by many. Now there are a huge number of varieties that differ in size, thickness and color of the peel, density and color of the pulp.
Watermelon - the berry is tender, does not tolerate transportation. The most delicious and sweet varieties are so thin that they can burst at any touch. Therefore, breeders are trying to develop varieties of watermelons that are resistant to "moving" and storage. They have a thick peel, they can be shifted and even thrown without fear that the berry will burst. True, such watermelons lose in taste and are very difficult to cut.
Most likely, this melon culture came to Russia from Central Asia. Already in the 11-12 century, watermelons grew on the Volga. But they spread throughout the country only from the end of the 19th century. They, of course, adapted to local conditions, but the best watermelons still grow in our southern steppes of the Volga, Krasnodar Territory, Azov and Transcaucasia. They are considered the most delicious and are distinguished by their large size, large seeds and light color with clear stripes.
But watermelon - a berry loved by many people, can very well grow tasty and much more north. These, for example, are such varieties: “Siberian Lights”, “Spark”, “Sugar” and even “Astrakhan” and “Early Kuban”. In the Middle lane, "Skorospelka Kharkovskaya" and "Medovka" mature well. But you need to grow them with seedlings and cover them with a film when the temperature drops.
Watermelon - the berry is quite unpretentious. The conditions for its growth depend on the variety. There are those that become sweet only in the hot and dry steppe air, and in heavy rains they rot and burst. But there are those who like excess moisture, for example, in Kashmir the berries are grown in hammocks suspended above the water and stuffed with wet algae.
Watermelon is not only a pleasant taste. Often they are used in folk medicine to reduce edema and improve digestion. The pulp is used in face masks that rejuvenate the skin. Using a watermelon diet, you can lose weight and cleanse your body of toxins. Honey is boiled from the pulp, and large pieces with a peel can even be salted.
Thick-skinned watermelons are well stored until the New Year. But you can increase this period using a simple method: wash the fruits well so as not to damage the skin, dry, lay separately in a wire mesh and hang. In this state, watermelons can remain until spring (just remember to check them periodically).