Melon Kalahari

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Melon Kalahari (Latin Cucumis kalahariensis) is a herbaceous annual plant, the biological ancestor of the current watermelon, belongs to the Pumpkin family. The homeland of this type of melons is South Africa (Kalahari region), the first who began to grow them were local farmers, the Namibian tribe.

Characteristics of the species

The root system of the kalahari melon is not powerful, but it is highly branched with many small root branches. By the way, this ensures the drought resistance of the plant. The leaves are large, whole, on large petioles. Flowers are heterosexual, yellowish. Pollination occurs with the help of insects. The fruit is large, it is a fleshy berry of a round shape, yellow-green in color.

In Namibia, there are different varieties of kalahari melon: from small (with a large apple) to fairly large specimens. The surface of the fruit is smooth, segmented, reticulate. The pulp is yellow or green in color, with a clear bitterness, so it is not consumed in food. The stem of the culture under consideration is a creeping, ornate vine up to 3 meters long with large leaves. Antennae, male inflorescences and lateral stems develop in the depressions of the foliage, on which female flowers of the first and second order are located.

Usage

Kalahari melon is inedible in the wild, but farmers of the Namibian tribe have developed several varieties that can be eaten, which taste bitter. People do not eat this type of melon, but for animals it is an exquisite and juicy delicacy.

The presented type of melon is highly valued for its medicinal properties. Kalahari melon seeds are squeezed out of oil, which is useful in many areas of medicine. Basically, the oil of this plant is used in cosmetology. It has a pale yellow hue and an unobtrusive sweetish aroma. Melon contains a large amount of nicotinic and folic acids, salts, many vitamins such as C, B1, B2, and minerals - iron, copper, zinc, potassium, etc.

When used as a cream, kalahiri has a soothing and rejuvenating effect on the skin, and it also removes oily sheen. Gives elasticity to aging skin, relieves fatigue, restores a healthy complexion. Protects the skin from harmful external influences of the environment (heat, wind, heat, cold, polluted air of big cities). The fruit of the Kalahari melon contains inositol, which prevents hair loss, it restores its natural shine and healthy appearance to the hair. Ideal as a massage oil.

Growing features

The kalahari melon is a sunny plant, and it can be planted in the middle lane only through seedlings in greenhouses on insulated nutritious soil, and in areas well-lit by the sun. When selecting seeds, you need to pay attention to large and heavy specimens. After the seeds are selected, they must be kept in a dark solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, then rinsed with running water.

Sowing of kalahari melons begins in early summer, when sunny and clear weather has settled. Melon does not tolerate transplanting very well, therefore, in order not to injure the root system once again, the seeds must be sown in individual small containers. The soil must be prepared in advance; peat-based nutrient soil is best suited.

Before sowing seeds, a drainage layer must be laid on the bottom of the container, then pour the substrate and water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds must be laid out with seedlings down, no deeper than 3 centimeters and lightly sprinkled with peat. The containers with the planted seeds must be placed in a warm place and covered with cling film on top. It is advisable to feed it twice before planting in the greenhouse, the first time with organic matter, the second with mineral fertilizers.

Watering must be done carefully and very sparingly so that water does not fall on the stem, otherwise it may start to rot. The seedlings will stay in containers for about a month, then they are planted in one line in the greenhouse. The distance between the shoots should be at least 50 centimeters. The temperature regime in the greenhouse should be between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. Watering with warm water at least twice a week. The ripeness of the fruits of the Kalahari melon is determined by the wilting of the stalk, which occurs approximately in the first decade of August.