The 'Early Kuban' watermelon variety is an early-maturing variety with plants that do not form powerful vines. The fruits are spherical or blunt-elliptical in shape, weighing from 1.4 to 3 kg. Their surface is smooth, weakly segmented, light green in color with dark green stripes. The flesh is rich pink, granular, very sweet and sugary, giving the watermelon excellent taste qualities.
This variety is characterized by the simultaneous formation of an early crop and high resistance to bacteriosis, anthracnose, and fusarium. Early Kuban is a light-loving and heat-loving plant that prefers sandy, well-aerated soils. It cannot tolerate waterlogging, so the plot for cultivation should be protected from winds and well-warmed. To increase yield and fruit quality, it is recommended not to grow watermelons in the same place for more than two years in a row; it is optimal to return them to the original location every three years. The best precursors for this variety are root crops, onions, and cabbage.
Sowing seeds is carried out when the soil warms up to 15°C at a depth of 8-10 cm. Before sowing, seeds are treated in a potassium permanganate solution and rinsed with clean water. Sowing depth is 1.5-2 cm. When growing via seedlings, to obtain simultaneous and even germination, the air temperature before cotyledons appear should be 23–27°C. Seedlings are transplanted into open ground after the threat of frost in the phase of 3-4 true leaves with an interval of 140x100 cm, and in greenhouses with a 70x70 cm spacing using trellises. The most intensive irrigation is required during the flowering and fruit-setting periods.
