Shanghe Black-Skin Winter Melon

Shanghe Black-Skin Winter Melon

Shanghe Black-Skin Winter Melon is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Shanghe Black-Skin Winter Melon is a specialty of Shanghe County, Jinan City, Shandong Province.

　　The black-skin winter melon has a greenish-white rind when young and turns black upon maturity, taking on a bullet-like shape.

　　This variety is mid-to-late maturing. Under normal growth conditions, the first female flower typically appears on the 16th to 18th leaf, with subsequent female flowers emerging every two to three leaves. The young melon is greenish-white, while the mature one is black and shaped like a bullet, which is why many vegetable farmers also call it the bullet-shaped black-skin winter melon. The melon is about 60 centimeters long, with a diameter of 20–25 centimeters. It has thick flesh without hollow centers, is highly resistant to transport, and typically weighs 10–15 kilograms per melon, with some reaching over 20 kilograms. However, during high-temperature seasons, avoid direct sun exposure to prevent sunscald. The yield per mu is generally over 5,000 kilograms, and high-yield fields can produce over 10,000 kilograms. In China, the optimal growing regions for black-skin winter melons are in Hainan and Guangxi. The black-skin winter melons grown there are of superior quality, large in size, with thick flesh and no hollow centers.