One of the most beloved summer fruits is the watermelon. Let's try to figure it out, is a watermelon a fruit or a vegetable or a berry? Some refer it to fruits, others to berries, others call it a vegetable. In fact, none of them are one hundred percent right. Most botanists would say that a watermelon is a berry, because in science, a berry is understood as a single or multi-seeded fruit with a juicy pulp and thin skin. However, according to the last criterion, watermelon cannot be confidently attributed to berries, since it has a thick rind. Therefore, scientists have identified a separate category - pumpkin berry.

What is watermelon

This is an annual herb, a species of the genus Watermelon (Citrullus), the Pumpkin family (Cucurbitaceae). The wild fruit of a watermelon weighs no more than 250 grams, has a round shape and does not at all look like what we are used to seeing on store shelves. The weight of the fruit of a cultivated plant can reach 16 kg. What a watermelon looks like depends on the variety. The shape can be round, oblong and even cubic. The color of the peel of the fruit, depending on the variety, can be green, white or even black. But most often the watermelon has a green striped skin.

Watermelon

The pulp of a ripe berry is pink, red, and in some varieties it is yellow or white. Watermelon seeds are flat, egg-shaped.

Note! Seed germination lasts up to 5-8 years.

Homeland and distribution of watermelon

Watermelon Siberian Lights

It is believed that the birthplace of watermelon is South Africa, from where it spread throughout the world. In those places, the wild plant colocynth is found, which today serves as one of the important sources of water for the Bushmen. Scientists have carried out genetic studies, which have shown that this plant may be the ancestor of the watermelon. In the twentieth century BC. the watermelon has already been cultivated by people as a cultivated plant. This is evidenced by the seeds found in the buildings of the Twelfth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt.

Interesting! The watermelon was revered as a food source in the afterlife and was often placed in the tomb of the pharaoh. This is indicated by drawings and found seeds.

In ancient Rome, they were also familiar with this plant. According to the verses of Virgil, one can determine that the watermelon was eaten fresh, salted, or jam was made from it. By the 10th century, the Chinese also met him. They loved this fruit so much that in September every year they organized a “watermelon holiday”, where the main treat was this juicy fruit.

Watermelon Festival in China

The watermelon came to the territory of Russia during the Crusades in the XIII-XIV centuries. There is also a version that it was brought earlier by overseas merchants, in the VIII-X centuries. Be that as it may, both versions point to the spread of culture to the Volga region. The watermelon will become more widespread in 1660, when a royal decree was issued on the delivery of fruits to the royal court from Astrakhan, where the "watermelon and melon gardens" were located. In those days, watermelons were not consumed raw, but prepared in an unusual way: the pulp was soaked in soda, and then molasses with spices and allspice was prepared from it.

Later, Peter I, while traveling to the Caspian Sea, was cured of ailment with watermelons. Then he issued a decree on growing the plant in the lower reaches of the Volga, since Turkish and Iranian fruits cracked during transportation and therefore were not stored for a long time.The peasants could not disobey the tsar's decree and sowed watermelons for a long time until they bred the necessary varieties that would be drought-resistant and had the desired sweetness. It was these varieties that became the ancestors of the famous southern Ukrainian and Russian (Astrakhan and Volgograd) varieties. Today agronomists manage to grow pretty good fruits even in the Moscow region.

The most famous varieties of watermelon in Russia

How to grow a watermelon at home in the garden

In total, more than 1000 varietal varieties of watermelon are known. Therefore, we will consider only those that are most suitable for the climatic conditions of Russia and the CIS.

  • Light. One of the most delicious watermelons grown in central Russia. A distinctive feature of the variety is the dark green color of the peel, without any stripes and spots. The fruit is not large, does not exceed 3kg. The advantages include unpretentiousness, resistance to temperature extremes, minimal maintenance, short ripening period and transportability.

Twinkle

  • Producer. The territory of Moldova and Ukraine is ideal for its cultivation. The fruits are large, oblong, reaching a weight of 12 kg. The rind is light green in color with distinct stripes. The advantages of this variety include the ability to grow on sandy and sandy loam soils, long-term storage, resistance to diseases and pests, high productivity.

Producer

  • Astrakhan. This variety is most widely distributed in the southern territories of Russia. The fruit is round or oblong, has a very juicy aromatic red pulp. The mass of one watermelon reaches 10 kg. The peel is green, has a clear pattern. The advantages of the variety include drought resistance, good yield, long-term storage and transportability.

Astrakhan

  • Photon. One of the earliest varieties grown in our territories. This watermelon ripens at the end of July. Fruits are medium in size, up to 6 kg, slightly elongated. It has a thick skin with distinct stripes. The benefits include fast ripening, disease resistance, high yields and transportability.

Photon

  • Gift of the Sun. This variety is grown in Russia and the CIS, but in greenhouses. Very tasty fruit weighing no more than 4 kg. It has a distinctive feature - a bright yellow rind with dark yellow stripes. The advantages include good yield, disease resistance and portability.

Gift of the Sun

  • Lunar watermelon. This variety was bred quite recently, in 2007, but has already gained popularity. It has one unusual property - a rich yellow pulp. The fruit is round, up to 4 kg, with a thin peel, light green with stripes. The advantages include fast ripening, high yield, disease resistance, portability, unpretentiousness in agricultural technology.

Watermelon Lunar

Interesting! The legendary watermelon, which entered the Guinness Book of Records, weighed 121.93 kg, it was grown in 2005.

Root system feature

Yellow Watermelon

The ability to extract moisture in arid areas is realized through a powerful root system. The watermelon root goes into the soil as deeply as the soil type and structure allows. On heavy and loamy soils, the root penetrates to a depth of no more than 0.25-0.7 m, on light sandy loam and loamy soils, the root can reach a depth of 1 m or more.

Root system

In the ground, at a distance of 1–2 cm from the plow horizon, the root thickness sharply decreases, but it has strong lateral branches. The lower the main root, the shorter and weaker the lateral ones. The radius of the root system of a watermelon can reach 3.5 meters. It is because of this feature of the root system that the cultivation of the soil where watermelons grow occurs very rarely and not deeply.

Why is watermelon useful?

First you need to find out what vitamins are present in watermelon. The nutritional value of watermelon is only 25 kcal. It is due to such a low energy value that those who are losing weight love it so much.In addition, the berry contains 92-95% water.

Why is watermelon useful?

The pulp of watermelon contains vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Watermelon seeds also contain enough nutrients. Especially there is a lot of cholecalciferol (vitamin D), which is involved in strengthening teeth and bones. It also contains B vitamins, carotenoids, zinc, selenium and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Useful properties of watermelon for the body:

Prevention of kidney ailments. Due to the high water content in watermelon, it has a diuretic property, which is the best prevention of urolithiasis and nephritis. In addition, the potassium content is able to break down and move kidney stones, reducing pain and eliminating the disease altogether.

  • Normalizes blood pressure.
  • Maintaining water balance in the body in hot weather.
  • Prevention of eye diseases.
  • Reduces the risk of cancer.

Prevention of ailments

Contraindications to the use of watermelon

In the absence of individual intolerance, the use of a small watermelon will not lead to any serious consequences. You should refrain only in the following cases:

  • impaired renal function;
  • violation of the outflow of urine;
  • kidney stones over 4mm;
  • with diarrhea and colic.

Contraindications for use

Pregnant women, especially in recent months, should also limit the use of watermelon. Otherwise it will lead to very frequent urination and general discomfort.

Diseases and pests of watermelon

In fact, there are a lot of diseases and pests. Below are just a few of the most common diseases in our territories.

  • Fusarium. A disease caused by a fungus that invades the root system. This is precisely the danger of this disease. While the root system is affected, it is impossible to recognize it, and when visible lesions have already appeared, the watermelon cannot be treated. Sick plants are pulled out, and the rest are sprayed with fungicides.

Fusarium

  • Anthracnose. Also a fungal disease, which manifests itself at the initial stage with yellow and brown spots on the leaves. Then yellow-pinkish pads appear, which gradually turn into dark ulcers. The disease spreads to the stems and fruits. The leaves dry out, rot, and the fruits become deformed and stop growing. Especially anthracnose spreads in rainy weather. The plant can be cured by spraying with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid. The bush is processed evenly with a break of 7-10 days. The drug works only where it gets.

Anthracnose

  • Root rot. Also a fungal disease, which can be caused by a sharp change in temperature, high humidity, diligent watering with soil solutions. Signs of root rot are black-brown spots on the stem of the shoots. The roots get thicker and burst, and the upper part of the plant breaks down into threads and dies. The plant can be cured only at the initial stage. The frequency and volume of watering is reduced, the water is replaced with a solution of potassium permanganate. The roots are taken out of the soil and treated with copper sulfate. At an advanced stage, the bushes are destroyed.

Root rot

So, now we know exactly which family the watermelon belongs to, what is a watermelon - is it a berry or a fruit? In addition, it is now clear how it is useful and what varieties are grown in our country.