Melon planting technology

I believe many of you have eaten melons. The fruit is sweet, rich in sugar, starch, and a small amount of protein, minerals and other vitamins. It is mainly eaten fresh, but can also be made into dried fruit, preserved fruit, juice, jam and pickled products. Do you know the cultivation technology of melons? Let me introduce it to you.

Variety classification

According to the botanical classification method, melons are divided into 8 varieties: netted melon (var. reticulatus), hard-skinned melon (var. cantalupensis), winter melon (var. inodorus), ornamental melon (var. dudain), lemon melon (var. chito), snake-shaped melon (var. flexuosus), musk melon (var. makuwa) and Vietnamese melon (var. cocomon). According to ecological characteristics, China usually divides melons into two types: thick-skinned melons and thin-skinned melons. Famous melon varieties include: Yu Tiancui, Yu Tianxiang, Yu Tianmi, etc.

Planting conditions

1. Soil:

Melons are not very demanding on soil, but sandy loam with a deep soil layer, good permeability, and low waterlogging is the most suitable. Melons tend to age prematurely in the later stages of their growth, so sandy soil is suitable for early-maturing cultivation; while heavy clay soil is suitable for late-maturing cultivation because the ground temperature rises slowly in early spring. The pH of the soil suitable for melons is 5.5-8.0. Soils that are too acidic or too alkaline need to be improved before melon cultivation.

2. Lighting:

Muskmelons like sunlight and need 10-12 hours of sunlight per day to maintain normal growth and development. Therefore, the melon cultivation site should be selected away from villages and woods to avoid shade. When cultivating in protected areas, try to use plastic films and glass with high transparency and no water droplets.

3. Temperature:

Muskmelon likes warmth and is heat-resistant, but not cold-resistant. The germination temperature of seeds is 15-37℃. The temperature for open-field sowing in early spring should be kept above 15℃ to avoid seed rot. The plant growth temperature is preferably 25-30℃, and can grow within 14-45℃. The most suitable flowering temperature is 25℃, and the most suitable temperature for fruit maturity is 30℃. The temperature difference between day and night has a great influence on the quality of melon. A large temperature difference between day and night is conducive to the accumulation of sugar and the improvement of fruit quality.

Management skills

January to February

(1) Seeding and seedling raising. Greenhouse melon: sow seeds in early to mid-January, small arched melon: sow seeds in mid to late February. Seedbed preparation, seed soaking and germination management of melon and seedling stage can refer to watermelon. (2) Greenhouse melon planting: transplant in late February when the seedlings have three leaves and one heart. Each standard greenhouse has three beds, with a bed width of 1.2 meters, a bed height of 40 cm, a middle ditch width of 60 cm, a side ditch width of 30 cm and a ditch depth of 40 cm. Before planting, cover the entire bed with plastic film to prevent evaporation of water on the bed surface and cause excessive humidity in the greenhouse. For double-vine pruning, one row per bed, with a plant spacing of 50-60 cm, and 600-650 plants per mu; for single-vine pruning, two rows per bed, with a plant spacing of 50 cm, and 1200-1300 plants per mu. After planting, set up a middle shed for insulation. The base fertilizer is applied once, and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are generally applied in the ratio of 2:1:2. 3000 kg of decomposed manure, 25 kg of urea, 10 kg of potassium sulfate and 30 kg of superphosphate are applied per mu.

March

(1) Transplanting melons in small greenhouses: Transplant seedlings when they have three leaves and one heart in the second half of the month. The bed width is 2.8 meters, and the ground is covered with film. There is one row per bed, and the plant spacing is 40 cm. There are 500-550 plants per mu. After planting, a greenhouse is built in the center of the bed. The bottom of the greenhouse is 1.2 meters wide and the height is 80 cm. After the seedlings are planted, a simple small greenhouse is added inside the greenhouse. The base fertilizer is applied in the same way as in the large greenhouse. (2) Shed temperature management: During this period, the outside temperature is still low. Whether it is a large greenhouse or a small greenhouse, insulation and anti-freezing are the main measures. Insulation can be achieved through multi-layer covering.

April

(1) Greenhouse management: ① Temperature management: Temperature management at the beginning of the month is still mainly focused on heat preservation. The film is removed for short-term ventilation only when the greenhouse temperature is above 30℃ at noon on sunny days; the middle shed in the greenhouse is removed around April 10, and ventilation is strengthened on sunny days to prevent the temperature from being too high. The principle of greenhouse temperature control: 25-30℃ during the day and not less than 15℃ at night. ② Pruning. For double-vine pruning, select the sub-vines on the 8th to 12th nodes of the sub-vine for fruit bearing. The sub-vines with fruit bearing should be pinched with 2 leaves. After the fruit bearing node, all sub-vines should be pinched with 1 leaf or left alone. The sub-vines should be topped around the 25th node; for single-vine pruning, the fruit bearing node is 10-14, and the main vine should be topped with 25-30 leaves. The specific method is the same as double-vine pruning; for large-fruit varieties, one fruit should be left on each vine, and for small-fruit varieties, two fruits should be left on each vine. ③ Build a frame and tie the vines, artificially assist pollination, and "Melon Ling" to preserve flowers and fruits. (2) Management of small arch sheds: The general principle of shed temperature management is to keep warm. The film is generally not removed for 7-10 days after planting, and the temperature is controlled at around 30°C. To prevent the temperature in the shed from being too high, a hole can be opened at the south end of the shed for short ventilation at noon on sunny days. After the seedlings have grown, the shed temperature will drop appropriately, maintaining around 25°C during the day and around 15°C at night. The ventilation time can be extended to adjust the temperature. The simple shed in the small shed will be removed in mid- to late April. Pruning should be carried out at the end of April, with double vine pruning, using the same method as the large shed.

May-June

(1) Greenhouse management: ① Temperature management: 28-30℃ during the day and 15-18℃ at night. Increase the temperature difference between day and night to facilitate the accumulation of sugar in the fruit. ② Artificial assisted pollination (May). ③ Weeding. ④ Disease and pest control: Use thiophanate, mancozeb and other pesticides alternately to control the occurrence of diseases. (2) Small arch greenhouse management: In early and mid-May, the small arch greenhouse melons enter the initial period. Remove the film on the east and west sides to facilitate insect pollination and promote flowering and fruiting. At the same time, artificial assisted pollination; in mid-June, the small arch greenhouse is mainly protected from rain to avoid fruit cracking and fruit quality deterioration. Disease and pest control is the same as that of the greenhouse. The greenhouse melons are basically harvested at the end of May and early June, and the small arch greenhouse melons are harvested in late June. Pay attention to timely harvesting to avoid blindly rushing to harvest early to avoid affecting the quality. The average yield per mu is 1500-2000 kg.