Torpedo is a popular Central Asian melon variety, known for several centuries. Features and basic rules of its agricultural technology are given below.

History and characteristics of the variety

The birthplace of the variety is Uzbekistan, where this melon is also called Mirzanchul. It has been grown in Europe since the 17th century.

Did you know? Mention of melon is found in the Bible, it was grown in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and ancient Rome. A wild-growing species is now almost never found.

Grade description

The main characteristics of the plant are:

• the fruit is elongated, oblong;
• fruit length 30–40 cm, weight 6–10 kg;
• skin color is yellow, with a fine mesh;
• the peel is thin and dense;
• the pulp is white, with a rich taste;
• the smell includes aromas of vanilla, honey and pear;
• medium-bush bush, main lash up to 2 m;
• ripening period of 85–95 days, in a hot climate - 60–70.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Melon Torpedo has the following advantages:
• excellent taste;
• good transportability;
• the possibility of long-term storage.

• The disadvantage of this variety can be considered:
• increased demands on heat;
• the need for rationing the crop in mid-latitudes.

Calorie, benefit and harm

The nutritional value of melon allows you to use it for daily use. With various dietary schemes, it is important to know how many calories are contained in 100 grams of torpedo melon, as well as the ratio of BJU.

Ripe pulp is characterized by such indicators:

• 35.7 kcal;
• 7.7 g of carbohydrates;
• 0.24 g of fat;
• 0.6 g of protein.

Did you know? Melon seeds are rich in zinc, which is useful for strengthening hair and cleansing the skin.

What vitamins and minerals in a melon determine its benefit can be seen from the following list:

• vitamins A, C, B and PP;
• potassium, calcium, iron and sodium;
• cellulose.

Eating melon improves metabolism and blood composition, cleanses the intestines and removes cholesterol. The antidepressant effects of delicious pulp are also noted. What else can be useful melon torpedo for the body? Her cosmetic functions were appreciated by women using freckle whitening, skin moisturizing and hair strengthening products. Eating melon has some contraindications.

These include:

• severe diabetes mellitus;
• peptic ulcer of the stomach;
• dysentery and intestinal dysfunction;
• kidney disease.

In some cases, bloating and flatulence may occur.

Important! It is not recommended to combine the use of melon with dairy products, as well as cold water and alcohol.

How to choose a ripe and sweet melon when buying

To enjoy the fullness of taste, you need to know how to choose a delicious melon. Given the timing of variety ripening, Torpedoes should be bought no earlier than the end of August - beginning of September. Summer fruits are most likely grown with growth accelerators.

The following rules will tell you how to determine the ripeness of a melon:

• ripe fruit makes a dull sound when tapped on the peel;
• the color of the pulp should be white or slightly creamy, without a green layer near the skin;
• seeds and internal partitions should easily move away from the pulp;
• the tail of the fetus must be dry.

A high-quality fruit has a density and springiness, and also has a uniform yellow skin color. Orange or green spots can indicate problems with soil composition, immaturity or the presence of nitrates. Dark spots will be a clear sign of the corruption of the fetus. If the melon smells of acetone, most likely it was ripped unripe and then ripened for a long time.

In this process, substances that have a taste and smell of acetone are ultimately formed. It is also possible that such a smell is a sign of treating the fetus with chemicals for long-term storage. Reasons why melon may be bitter may be due to the way the plant is grown. This taste gives an excessive amount of nitrates or fusarium.

Important! You can’t buy melon in the market near the highway, as the fruits quickly absorb harmful elements from the air polluted by cars.

How to plant

Growing a melon requires certain environmental conditions, as well as compliance with the basic rules of agricultural technology of gourds.

The timing

Planting dates should take into account the particular region. You need to focus on the indicator of daytime temperature at +20 ... + 25 ° C and nighttime at least + 15 ° C, which are necessary for the healthy development of seeds. Melon can be grown by direct sowing in open ground or a greenhouse, as well as through seedlings. For European regions, a seedling method is recommended, due to which it is possible to accelerate the ripening of the variety.

Site selection

Land for planting gourds should be as sunny as possible and protected from the cold wind. The most important factor for the soil is air and water permeability. Melon grows heavily on saline and flooded lands, with close proximity to groundwater.

For planting, plots suitable for growing winter wheat, legumes, onions and cabbage are suitable. Avoid places where the plants of the pumpkin family grew. The maximum yield is achieved by annual transfer of melon to a new place, and return to the previous place after 6 years.

Important! Shared storage with potatoes or beets should be avoided due to the strong smell, as well as a company of apples whose ethylene accelerates melon ripening too much.

Seed preparation

Large seeds are taken for sowing without any signs of damage. To grow Torpedo, it is recommended that you buy seed from a trusted supplier and verify that they have not expired.

Further training takes place in this way:

1. Selected specimens must be soaked for a day in cold water.
2. Throw seeds to the surface.
3. The remaining seeds must be pickled in a potassium permanganate solution for 6 hours.

Sowing technology

Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out 35 days before the intended planting in the main place. Separate cups are immediately prepared for seedlings, since sprouts do not need picking.

You can independently prepare the soil mixture of the following composition:

• 1 part peat and sand;
• 2 parts of humus.

The depth of seed placement in the ground is approximately 1-1.5 cm. After sowing, the cups are covered with glass or film and left at a temperature of at least + 25 ° C in a shaded place. When seedlings appear, it is necessary to transfer the seedlings to a bright place and provide moderate watering.

10 days before planting in the open ground, the seedlings are quenched, leaving them in the fresh air for an increasingly longer period. Sowing in open ground or a greenhouse is performed in May, after sufficient heating of air and soil. Given the spreading of the lashes, it is necessary to leave between the rows from 1 to 1.5 meters. If you grow the culture on a trellis, the interval can be reduced to 80 cm.

How to care in the open ground

Outdoor care includes watering and top dressing, as well as measures to form a plant to ensure the ripening of fruits.

Temporary shelter

Temporary shelter from the film is used in the regions of the middle lane as an alternative to a stationary greenhouse. The film is installed at a height of about 70 cm. Shelters are prepared 5-6 days before planting, thereby providing additional heating of the soil. Remove the film at the beginning of flowering, around the end of June.

Watering

Watering the plants is carried out in case of prolonged dry soil, using warm water for it +20 ... + 25 ° C. Prolonged drought is critical during flowering and fruiting. During ripening, soil moisture is reduced and then completely stopped to allow the fruit to gain maximum sweetness.

Top dressing

The optimal is three times the number of dressings, which is carried out according to this scheme:

• the first top dressing a week after planting with a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 g per liter of water), 2 l per bush;
• the same top dressing is carried out in the budding phase;
• after 3 weeks, a solution of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers is administered, based on 50 and 20 g per bucket of water.

Bushes

The formation of melon is especially important for the regions of the middle band, when it is necessary to limit the number of fruits on one plant, so that they have time to ripen in cooler conditions. On one plant, leave 2-3 lateral shoots, and pinch the main lash after ovary 3-4 fruits. Extra ovaries are removed after the fruits reach a diameter of 5-6 cm.

Soil care

The best soil care is mulching, which allows you to reduce the number of weeds and ensure a sufficient level of moisture and friability. After the appearance of the fruit, they are tied in a net to the trellis or put cardboard, slate or straw under them. During ripening, it is recommended to turn the fruit over to ensure that it has uniform access to the sun.

Harvesting and storage

Technical ripeness occurs 30–35 days after the ovary. The characteristic signs of ripeness are the rings around the stem, a bright color and cracks in the peel, a pronounced smell.

This harvesting method is recommended:

1. A week before harvesting, an incision is made on the stalk to half the thickness to reduce the outflow of nutrients.
2. In the remaining days, the fruits are constantly turned over in the sun.
3. The fruits are harvested in dry weather with a peduncle, so harmful bacteria will not get into the wound from a cliff, and the melon will be stored longer.

For long-term storage, the fruits are removed slightly immature, however, a green melon is likely to deteriorate or be tasteless. It is optimal to store torpedo melon in a ventilated cellar with a humidity of about 80%. Storage temperature should be +2 ... + 4 ° C. To save the torpedo melon until the New Year at home, you can hang each fruit in a grid or place them in boxes of sand.

A large number of stored on special shelves with soft bedding. In any case, it is important that the fruits do not touch each other. They are examined and turned over several times a month, taking ready-made specimens for food. How long is the cut melon stored? In the refrigerator, slices can be kept for no more than two days, in a tightly closed container. In addition to eating fresh, the flesh of the melon is dried and dried. Jam and candied fruit, fruit puree soups, frozen desserts, salads and snacks are prepared from it.Melon is one of the most fragrant and delicious crops. The Torpedo variety can be grown on personal plots not only in the southern regions, but also in the middle lane, using special agricultural techniques.