Methods and skills for planting bitter melon and pest control of bitter melon

To increase the yield of bitter melon, certain techniques are still needed. Here are some key points for cultivating bitter melon:

Cultivate, weed and cultivate the soil.

Generally, after planting and watering the seedlings, the first intertillage is carried out when the topsoil is slightly dry and not sticky. If there is a strong wind or the soil is dry, you can water it again before intertillage. The second intertillage can be carried out 10 to 15 days after the first intertillage. This time, you should pay attention to protecting the new roots, and it should be shallow rather than deep. Each intertillage can be combined with some high-quality farmyard manure: such as cake fertilizer, various types of poultry feathers, and decomposed chicken manure, pig manure, etc. After the trellis is set up, when the melon vines extend to more than 50 cm, the root system basically covers the entire row, and it is generally not suitable to intertillage again. But pay attention to timely removal of weeds. During the first intertillage, if you find that there are missing seedlings or weak and diseased seedlings, you should replant them in time to preserve the seedlings.

Trellising and pruning.

When the seedlings grow to about 20 cm, it is necessary to build a trellis to guide the vines. There are two ways to build a trellis: a flat trellis and a herringbone trellis. The flat trellis has good ventilation, produces many melons, and has a high yield. The flat trellis is divided into a multi-span flat trellis and a split-span flat trellis. The multi-span flat trellis is generally in the melon row, with a wooden stake erected every 3 to 4 meters, and the wooden stakes of the entire field are connected with small bamboo, small wooden sticks or nylon nets, and the roof is about 2 meters above the ground; the split-span flat trellis is generally a trellis for every two rows of melons, and the height of the trellis is 1.5 to 2 meters. The trellis should be built firmly to avoid collapse due to wind, which will damage the melon seedlings and affect the yield. In the early stage, attention should be paid to artificial vine binding to assist the melon vines on the trellis. After the bitter melon is put on the trellis, no melons can be left below 50 cm on the main vine, and the female flowers should be removed to facilitate overall development. After the main vine has 6-7 melons, leave 5-6 leaves to top it, and remove the remaining sub-vines and grandchildren. Fertilizer and water management. Bitter melon has a long growth period and the harvest period is more than 3 months, so it is necessary to ensure sufficient water and fertilizer supply, especially in the peak fruiting period. In case of drought, water should be irrigated once every 7 days. Before watering, urea or compound fertilizer should be applied in holes at 7-10 kg per mu. In case of continuous rain, attention should be paid to drainage; at the same time, potassium dihydrogen phosphate should be sprayed on the leaves 2-3 times.

Pest and disease control.

The main diseases of bitter melon are anthracnose, which mostly occurs in the middle and late stages. For prevention and control, the residual, rotten and diseased leaves should be removed in time. You can also use 50% thiophanate-methyl 800-1000 times liquid or 70% chlorothalonil WP 600 times liquid for daily spraying at the early stage of the disease. The main pests are aphids and cabbage worms. You can use 1000-2000 times liquid of dimethoate emulsion or 1500 times liquid of 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate for leaf spraying.

Collect seeds in time.

The fruits on a bitter melon plant mature one after another. During the peak fruit-bearing period, ripe seed melons should be picked once a day; scissors should be used when picking to avoid tearing the vines. At the same time, weeds and other melons should be removed, and seeds with the same color and shape should be selected. The seeds should be picked on the same day, washed and dried on the same day to ensure the germination rate of the seeds.