Sweet and large watermelons are a favorite treat for many adults and children, and Ataman is considered one of the best types of this culture. The fruits are unpretentious in care, have large sizes and excellent taste characteristics, so they are often grown on large and small land plots. This article presents the characteristics of the Ataman cultivar, methods of growing a crop, the rules for planting it and recommendations for caring for plants, as well as tips for collecting and storing crops.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Watermelon Ataman has gained popularity among gardeners due to its high taste, large fruit size and early ripening. The pulp of ripe berries contains many useful elements - vitamins B, C and PP, folic acid and organic acids.

Important! Calorie content of fruits is only 27 kcal per 100 g, so they can be included in the diet even during the diet.

The main characteristics of Ataman watermelon are listed below:

1. The variety belongs to early ripening. Fruits ripen 40–45 days after planting watermelon seedlings and only 65 days after sowing seeds directly into open soil.
2. The bush is large and has a fast growth rate.
3. On each plant, up to five oval striped berries of an elongated shape are formed.
4. The weight of one watermelon is 12–16 kg. Outside, it is covered with a smooth and elastic dark green peel with light stripes.
5. The pulp of the fetus is colored in a bright bright red color and has a granular structure. It is juicy and sweet due to the presence of 7% sugar in its composition.
6. With proper care of plants, from 1 m² you can collect about 2.2 kg of fruit.
7. The variety has a strong immunity to Fusarium and Anthracnose, and the fruits are well tolerated and well stored.

Some gardeners grow on their sites a Dutch hybrid of this variety - Ataman watermelons f1. It differs from the Ataman variety by a more stable immunity to diseases, the same plant size, as well as the friendly ripening of one-dimensional and sweet fruits. Up to 2 kg of watermelon pulp can be consumed per adult per day, and for children under 3 years of age - no more than 100 g.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of growing different varieties of watermelons:

Advantages and disadvantages

Compared to other varieties of watermelons, the Ataman variety has a number of advantages that encourage gardeners to make a choice in his favor.

• The main benefits of the fruit are listed below:
• early harvest ripening;
• pronounced taste, excellent yield indicators;
• attractive presentation of berries;
• the possibility of growing crops in a greenhouse and open ground;
• immunity to common diseases;
• good keeping quality;
• excellent transportability while maintaining an attractive appearance.

Watermelons of this variety have several drawbacks, but they are insignificant compared to a long list of fruit benefits.

• The main disadvantages of berries include:
• the need for regular watering;
• the size and taste of the fruit depends on the weather conditions of the growing region;
• seeds obtained from ripe Ataman watermelons are not suitable for planting, because they do not preserve the above characteristics of the variety.

Optimal conditions for growing

The highest crop yields are achieved only if there are certain conditions for growing plants. These include - choosing the right site or creating the right microclimate when planting a watermelon in a greenhouse.

Did you know? To make the storage of watermelons more convenient, a Japanese farmer from Zantsuji, in 1981, developed a variety of cubic fruits.

The homeland of the striped berry is southern Africa, which is characterized by a dry and hot climate, therefore planting a plant is necessary taking into account the following requirements:

• ample sunlight or artificial light - in the shade, watermelons grow poorly and the fruits will be small, and their flesh will not pick up enough sugar and lose its bright taste;
• comfortable air temperature during the plant vegetation - in the range of +25 ... + 45 ° С, since the culture does not tolerate frost at all and dies when the temperature drops to +5 ° С, and as a result of a long stay of the plant at +15 ° С its growth and fruit formation slow down;
• humidity 50-60% - this condition is important for the successful cultivation of a crop in a greenhouse, since at low humidity the plant begins to wilt, and at high humidity it can rot;
• loose and light soil - sandy soil, which allows air and water to pass through well, is best suited, and in a too moist clay soil, the plant will begin to rot;
• neutral soil acidity - too acidic or alkaline soils have a detrimental effect on the roots of the striped berry and can cause the appearance of diseases or pests;
• good predecessors - It is recommended to plant watermelon where root crops, cabbage and perennial herbs were grown last year, and pumpkin and solanaceous crops are considered to be bad predecessors for the plant.

Re-planting Ataman watermelons in the same area is possible only after 6-8 years.

Cultivation methods

Watermelon Ataman can be grown in an open area or in closed ground. Planting striped berries in a greenhouse is recommended for regions with insufficiently warm and long summers. For areas with a favorable climate, growing plants in an open area, under bright sunlight, is more suitable. Wherein, seeds can be sown immediately in the soil or previously grown seedlings on the windowsill.

The second option allows you to get the first berry crop three weeks earlier, therefore it is used more often. Regardless of the chosen method of cultivation, it is necessary to observe the timing of sowing seeds and adhere to the technology of planting, observing the necessary interval between plants. In more detail about the methods of planting Ataman watermelon - later in the article.

Seedling method

Sowing seeds for growing watermelon seedlings of this variety is carried out in small containers. After the green seedlings are strong enough, they are transplanted into a greenhouse or an open area. Choosing this method of growing Ataman watermelons, you need to sow the seeds at the right time, provide the young sprouts with proper care and transplant them to a permanent place at the appropriate time.

Landing time

From seeds sown at the right time, you can get strong sprouts, which by the time of transplantation will reach the desired size and well rooted in a permanent place. If sowing is done too early, then at the time of seedlings transfer to the soil they will be overgrown and will transfer this procedure much worse. A late planting of seeds will not allow you to get an early crop of fruits. The timing of planting seeds on watermelon seedlings depends on where this crop will be grown in the future.

Did you know? In addition to the pulp, the peel of the watermelon is also used in cooking - candied fruit, jam and jam are prepared from it.

Therefore, sowing is carried out:

• for heated greenhouses - in the first decade of March;
• for unheated greenhouse - in the end of April;
• for open area - in the first decade of May.

Landing technology

Regardless of the selected method of growing crops, the procedure for sowing seeds for seedlings is standard. But it must be borne in mind that it is very undesirable to disturb small watermelon seedlings with a transplant, so it is better to immediately place planting material in peat pots or other individual containers of small sizes.If you properly prepare watermelon seeds for sowing, you can significantly increase the percentage of their germination

Step-by-step instructions for sowing seeds for seedlings are presented below:

1. Inspect planting material and discard spoiled seeds. Then soak them in a bowl of warm water and a growth stimulator for about half an hour.
2. Prepare individual cups with a diameter of 10 cm and a height of up to 12 cm. The volume of each container should be at least 300 ml.
3. Fill the containers with a substrate consisting of garden soil, peat and humus, mixed in the same ratio.
4. Place 2-3 watermelon seeds in each cup, deepening them into the soil by 3 cm. After emergence, the strongest stem is left, and the rest are removed.
5. Sprinkle the soil with seeds in water, and then place containers under glass or film. Put the future watermelon seedlings in a well-lit place with an air temperature of +25 ... + 30 ° C. The shelter is periodically raised for ventilation.
6. When the top layer of the soil dries, it is sprayed with warm water.
7. When, after about a week, from the moment of sowing, green shoots appear, the containers are freed from shelter.

Video: planting watermelon seeds for seedlings

Seedling Care

In order to grow strong watermelon seedlings, which successfully adapt in a constant place after transplanting, you need to provide her with proper care. To do this, it is enough to create suitable microclimate conditions for young shoots, providing them with sufficient moisture and fertilizers.

Important! Ataman seedlings need to be protected from drafts - they can cause withering and death of seedlings.

The basic rules for the care of Ataman watermelon seedlings are listed below:

• put the cups with sprouts in a well-lit place - daylight hours for them should last at least 12 hours, and when there is a lack of sun, seedlings are placed under artificial light sources;
• to make small ones appear sprouts stronger, their 1.5 weeks transferred to a cool room (+17 ... + 18 ° С), and then contain them at +22 ... + 25 ° С;
• you need to water the seedlings sparingly and only with warm water - at the same time, one should not allow overmoistening of the soil, and carefully pour water under the root of seedlings;
• 10-12 days after emergence, you need feed them with complex mineral fertilizers, dissolved in warm water;
• 7-10 days before transplanting into the soil begin hardening of the sprouts - for this they are taken out for 1 hour on a balcony or street, gradually increasing the time spent by seedlings in the fresh air.

For good growth, watermelon seedlings need light and heat

Planting seedlings in the ground

By the time the watermelon sprouts are transplanted to a permanent place of cultivation, the soil temperature should be at least +12 ° C. At this point, the seedlings are usually around 30 days old, and each seedling has 5-6 leaves. The exact timing of planting seedlings in the soil depends on the method of growing crops and climatic conditions of the region. In the greenhouse, seedlings can be transplanted already in the second half of May, and seedlings in open ground are usually planted in the first decade of June.Hardened seedlings are more resistant to unstable outdoor weather conditions

Step-by-step instructions for transplanting Ataman watermelon sprouts into a greenhouse are described below:

1. Prepare the soil in the greenhouse. To do this, remove the top layer of soil with a thickness of 25–30 cm and add a mixture of humus and hay, as well as ready-made nitrogen-containing fertilizers, into the formed depression.
2. Pour the soil with fertilizer with hot water and lay on top the removed soil layer.
3. Dig holes about 70 cm apart. The depth of each of them should be about 10-12 cm.
4. Carefully remove the seedling from the individual container with the earthen lump and immerse it in the hole.
5. Sprinkle its roots with loose earth to the very top. Sprinkle the sprout with a small amount of warm water so that the soil around the plant is well moistened.
6. Install a trellis next to the seedlings to garter the lashes of the bush.

Video: planting seedlings of watermelon in the open ground

The rules for transplanting Ataman watermelon seedlings in open ground are slightly different from the algorithm for planting plants in a greenhouse. In the fall, you need to dig the soil on the site and make such fertilizers (the amount is indicated per 1 m²):

• rotted manure - 5 kg;
• superphosphate - 40 g;
• ammonium sulfate - 30 g;
• potassium salt - 20 g.

Did you know? Watermelons were grown in Ancient Greece - this is evidenced by the seeds of the culture found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Detailed instructions for this procedure are presented below:

1. Prepare planting holes up to 12 cm deep, placing them in rows with an interval of 1-1.5 m. At least 2 m are left between rows.
2. Pour 2 liters of warm water onto the bottom of each well.
3. Carefully remove the seedling from the individual container and place it in the hole so that the cotyledon leaf plates are near the surface of the soil.
4. To fill in the recess with the seedling with loose earth and slightly compact it with your hands. In a radius of 10 cm from the stem of the plant, pour a layer of sand to protect against root rot.
5. Sprinkle the sprouts with a little warm water to moisten the soil.
6. The first few days to shade plants from direct sunlight until the sprouts adapt in a new place.

Video: preparing a planting hole for planting watermelon seedlings

Seed directly into the ground

When grown in areas with warm and long summers, you can immediately sow Ataman watermelon seeds in open ground. But with this method of growing, the ripening time of the first striped berries is increased to 2 months. Land on the site must be prepared in advance.

Important! The exact time for sowing Ataman watermelon seeds in open beds depends on climate conditions, but usually fall at the end of May.

To do this, perform the following actions:

• in autumn, all plant debris is removed from the soil - fungal spores or pest larvae may remain on them;
• before the onset of winter, rotted manure and potassium-phosphorus preparations are introduced - in 4 months they will dissolve in the ground and make it as nutritious as possible;
• carry out deep digging of the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm - this will help to destroy insect larvae wintering in the ground and fungal spores;
• immediately before planting, the soil surface must be loosened.

Land for watermelons is prepared in the fall, it is fertilized with manure (4 kg per 1 sq. M.). Watermelons do not tolerate fresh manure, and besides, it can lead to the formation of fungal diseases. And if the land is cultivated in November, then during the winter the manure will cross over and not harm the culture

The rules for planting seeds in open ground are listed below:

1. Select large watermelon seeds with a flat surface, put them in a thermos and pour hot (+50 ° С) water. Keep planting material in a thermos until small green sprouts appear, and then remove and put it on a paper towel.
2. At a distance of about 1 m from each other, dig holes 8–10 cm deep.
3. Mix a little garden soil with 1 kg of humus, a handful of wood ash and a pinch of complex mineral fertilizer. Put the mixture on the bottom of the hole and pour 2 liters of warm water on it.
4. When the moisture is completely absorbed into the ground, put them on a mound of nutritious soil mixture of 2-3 seeds.
5. To fill up the deepening with loose soil to the very top, and then slightly compact its surface. Watering is not necessary - it can wash the seeds from the ground.
6. You can cover the bed with a film of seeds sown with seeds at night - this will accelerate the emergence of seedlings. Green sprouts appear about a week after planting.

Video: planting watermelon seeds in open ground

Care Features

Ataman watermelon is unpretentious in cultivation and does not require specific care. To maintain the required temperature and comfortable humidity in the greenhouse, it is recommended to carry out ventilation.So that young shoots grow well and develop, you need to periodically remove weeds in the beds and loosen the soil around the plants. An adult bush has a branched root system, which is located close to the soil surface, so it is easy to accidentally damage it during loosening. The main components of proper crop care are watering and timely top dressing.The cultivation procedure is carried out 1-2 days after watering, but only during the period of active growth of the lashes

Norms of watering and top dressing

In order for Ataman watermelon to successfully grow green mass, and its fruits are large and sweet, you need to provide the plant with enough water and nutrients. Proper watering takes the most important place in the list of activities for caring for the bush, and fertilizers make the berries sugar and help to increase crop productivity.

Important! When growing Ataman watermelons in a greenhouse, you need to run the bees inside the premises for pollination of gourds or independently carry out this procedure manually.

Basic watering rules are listed below:

• Ataman watermelon is watered once a week, spending about 30 liters of water per 1 m², and during a period of intense heat or the beginning of flowering, plants are irrigated every 3-4 days;
• you need to water the bushes under the root so that water does not fall on the leaves - it can cause sunburn on them;
• for irrigation of watermelon, you can use only warm water - the roots of the plant are sensitive to cold water, which can cause bush disease;
• it is impossible to overmoisten the soil on the bed, and in the season of prolonged rains the bushes need to be covered with a film - excess water can cause root rot;
• watering is stopped 10-14 days before the planned harvest - this will give the watermelon pulp a sweet taste and a fine-grained structure.

When applying fertilizer to the beds with watermelons, Ataman adhere to the following rules:

• in mid-June, the bushes are watered with a solution of ammonium nitrate (20 g per 10 liters of water) - about 2 liters of the obtained liquid fertilizer are needed per plant. You can replace saltpeter with chicken droppings or mullein, diluting them with water in the proportions of 1:20 and 1:10, respectively;
• before flowering, ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride (4 g each), as well as 6 g superphosphate, are introduced under each plant;
• 14 days after the end of flowering, the bushes are once again fed with prepared phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, diluting them with water according to the instructions on the package;
• before top dressing with dry fertilizers and after it, it is necessary to water the watermelons with water;
• after the ripening of berries has begun, top dressing is not introduced.

Video: feeding watermelons

Pest and Disease Control

In the process of improper care, high humidity, as well as a decrease in air temperature, Ataman watermelon can be affected by disease or be attacked by pests. It is easiest to eliminate the problems that have arisen at the initial stage, so every gardener should know the first signs of plant damage and treatment methods.

A list of the main diseases and pests of this culture is presented below:

1. Powdery Mildew The causative agent of the disease are spores of the fungus located in the upper layers of the soil. The first sign of infection is a powdery white coating on the leaves, which subsequently causes drying of the entire green mass of the bush. In this case, the fruit ovaries are deformed and fall, and the formed berries become tasteless and rot. To cure the bush, fungicides are used (for example, “Skor”, “Fundazol”).
2. Root rot. The disease affects the underground part of the plant, so it can be difficult to detect. In this case, the bush begins to lag behind in growth, its leaves and stems look sluggish, and the base of the stem becomes brown and loses its elasticity. At the initial stage, the plant can be cured by adjusting the irrigation regime and treating the roots with a solution of 500 ml of water, 8 g of copper sulfate and 20 g of ash.
3. Bacterial spotting. This disease is especially dangerous, because it cannot be cured, and the affected bush must be destroyed. A sign of infection is the appearance of watery areas on the leaves of watermelon. The edges of these spots are painted in yellow-green color and gradually grow, affecting the entire surface of the sheet. As a result, the green mass of the plant blackens and dies, and round growths form on the berries.
4. Wireworm. The pest looks like small larvae of brown or red color, which gnaw young shoots of watermelon and formed fruits. Through holes left on the berries lead to rotting of the crop and make it unsuitable for storage and transportation. Traps are installed against the wireworm in the form of glass jars dug into the ground with pieces of root crops. Traps are periodically replaced, destroying the tracks that hit them. In case of severe damage, special preparations are used to kill the pest (for example, Zemlin, Diazorin).
5. Gourd aphids. This insect settles on the underside of the leaf and watermelon stalks and feeds on the plant's juices. The green mass of the bush, at the same time, is covered with a sticky coating, which eventually turns black and leads to wilting of the leaves. Aphids can be controlled with a mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash by spraying it on watermelon leaves and soil. With severe pest damage, insecticides are used (for example, “Fufanon”).

To prevent the appearance of diseases and pests, it is enough to implement simple preventive measures:

• plant watermelons in well-lit areas protected from cold drafts;
• adhere to the recommended planting pattern to eliminate excessive thickening of crops;
• carry out the correct watering;
• adhere to the fertilizer schedule to increase the immunity of gourds;
• regularly remove weeds and take them out of the site so that they do not attract pests;
• loosen the soil around young plants to destroy insect larvae and fungal spores.

Harvesting and storage

The ripened watermelons of the Ataman variety should be cut off from the lashes on time, since the overripe fruits are not suitable for long-term storage and transportation, and their flesh becomes softer and can even ferment. When grown in a greenhouse, berries are picked in the second half of July, and in an open area in early August.

The fact that the watermelon has reached maturity is evidenced by such signs:

• dry stalk of brown color;
• a bright yellow large spot on the side of the fetus;
• contrasting color of the peel with alternating clear dark and light stripes;
• the appearance of a thin wax coating on the surface of a watermelon;
• sonorous sound that is heard when tapping the palm of the hand with the palm of the fetus.

The basic rules for harvesting and storage of crops are listed below:

• watermelons need to be protected from bumps and deformations - they can lead to cracking of fruits;
• the fruits are cut with a sharp knife, leaving a small piece of the stalk on them to avoid decay of the peel at the site of damage;
• when stored in a room with an air temperature of +10 ... + 15 ° С and a relative humidity of 85–90%, the berries remain fresh and tasty for 2-3 weeks;
• during transportation, watermelons are laid on a flat surface covered with soft material - this will protect them from cracks;
• Only fruits with whole peels are laid for storage, placing them at a certain distance from each other - to prevent rot.

Important! Berry picking is carried out exclusively by hand - this will prevent mechanical damage to the skin.

Growing watermelons of the Ataman variety is possible even for a novice gardener. Plants do not need specific conditions, but at the same time they are pleased with a generous harvest of delicious berries. To do this, you just need to follow the recommendations listed in this article for planting crops and follow the simple rules for caring for plants.