How to Plant Buddha's Hand Melon Best
A comprehensive explanation of the best way to plant Buddha's Hand melon and master the cultivation techniques of green plant maintenance will certainly help you. Let's learn about it together!
Buddha's Hand melon is also known as vegetable pear, double-hand melon, fist melon, and foreign towel gourd, belonging to the perennial climbing root herbaceous plants of the Cucurbitaceae family. It was first cultivated in Mexico and Central America and was introduced to China in the early 19th century. Currently, Buddha's Hand melon is cultivated sporadically throughout the country.
Compared with other crops, Buddha's Hand melon has strong adaptability, is relatively easy to cultivate, has few pests and diseases, generally does not require spraying for pest control, and is a safe, environmentally friendly, pollution-free vegetable. Fresh Buddha's Hand melon has low calorie content, high trace elements, especially high in zinc, which is not possessed by other vegetables. Buddha's Hand melon can be eaten raw, in cold dishes, stir-fried, in soup, used as filling, pickled, or marinated. The juicy tender buds of Buddha's Hand melon taste particularly like asparagus and are one of the ideal vegetables to make up for the shortage of fruits and vegetables in winter.
Ⅰ. Requirements of Buddha's Hand Melon for Planting Environment
Buddha's Hand melon is a typical perennial vegetable that prefers warm climate conditions, is not heat-tolerant, and not cold-tolerant. The optimal temperature for seed development is between 18-25 degrees Celsius, and the optimal temperature for seedling growth is between 13-20 degrees Celsius. When the temperature is higher than 30 degrees Celsius, the plant growth will be significantly inhibited; when it is lower than 5 degrees Celsius or higher than 35 degrees Celsius, the leaves and vines will be damaged and gradually wither. Buddha's Hand melon is a short-day plant and will not bloom or bear fruit under long-day conditions. The normal growth of the plant requires moderate light intensity, and strong light has an inhibitory effect on the plant. Buddha's Hand melon plants prefer a humid climate, only with sufficient water supply can high-quality and high-yield crops be obtained. Buddha's Hand melon is not tolerant to waterlogging, and if waterlogging occurs for a long time, it is particularly prone to root rot. Buddha's Hand melon prefers high air humidity, and when the air humidity is low, it will inhibit plant development. If there is insufficient soil moisture during the flowering and fruiting period, the plant will bloom less and shed more flowers, ultimately leading to a low fruit setting rate and small fruit size. Since Buddha's Hand melon has a high yield, a large amount of fertilizer is required, and more base fertilizer should be applied. In the early stage of top dressing, nitrogen fertilizer should be used to promote stem and leaf growth, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied in the later growth stage. Of course, it is necessary to choose a shaded environment, soil rich in organic matter, deep soil layer, and good water-retaining ability for cultivation.
Ⅱ. Growth Characteristics of Buddha's Hand Melon
The fruit of Buddha's Hand melon is pear-shaped, with a single fruit weight of 250-500 grams. It is monoecious with separate flowers, the leaves are palmate and pentagonal, alternate; the stems are climber, with strong branching ability, and the main vines can grow up to 10 meters or more. In addition, the plant has a well-developed root system and is not strict about soil requirements; it prefers a warm and humid planting environment with evenly distributed rainfall and is a typical short-day crop. Buddha's Hand melon prefers a warm climate with evenly distributed rainfall and is not tolerant to high temperatures and severe cold. At 0 degrees Celsius, the stems and leaves of Buddha's Hand melon will suffer from frost damage, and at 20-25 degrees Celsius, it grows most comfortably. When the temperature is higher than 35 degrees Celsius, growth will be significantly inhibited. The optimal temperature for flowering and fruiting is between 15-20 degrees Celsius. Below 15 degrees Celsius or above 25 degrees Celsius can affect flowering pollination, leading to a decrease in fruit setting rate, and below 5 degrees Celsius, the fruit stops expanding.
Ⅲ. High Yield Planting Techniques for Buddha's Hand Melon
1. Variety Selection
Green Skin Variety
This variety has a strong growth势, thick and long vines, more fruit, stable and high yield, and can produce tubers. The fruit is long and large, with or without spines, the skin color is green, the taste is light, but the quality is slightly poorer.
White Skin Variety
This variety has a weaker growth势, thin and short vines, fewer fruits, low yield, round and small fruit shape, smooth without spines, white-green color, dense tissue, good taste and excellent quality.
Guling Double Hand Melon
The plant has strong branching ability and disease resistance. The fruit is pear-shaped, the skin is green, smooth and shiny, without obvious spines, the flesh is dense, and the quality is excellent.
2. Land Preparation
Buddha's Hand melon has a long growing period and deep roots and leaves. Generally, it is not cultivated in a large area and can be chosen to be planted in front of houses or in scattered plots, open terrain, well-ventilated, fertile soil, deep soil layer, and abundant water sources. Before formal planting, we need to deeply turn the soil and dig a planting hole with a diameter of 1.2-1.5 meters and a depth of 0.5-0.8 meters. Then, mix the surface soil excavated with plant ash, farm manure, compound fertilizer, etc., and fill it into the hole and tread it firmly, with 20-25 kilograms of farm manure applied to each hole as base fertilizer. For low-lying areas prone to waterlogging, it is necessary to pile up the soil first, make a small earthen mound of 1 meter square, and bury the base fertilizer in the mound to provide the necessary nutrients for growth.
Buddha's Hand melon how to plant best
3. Seedling Raising
We can start indoor germination from late January to mid-February every year; from late February to early March, place the seeds in flowerpots or plastic bags for seedling raising in sunny fields, of course, if conditions permit, greenhouse or plastic tunnel seedling raising can be used to effectively raise strong seedlings. During the germination of Buddha's Hand melon, the temperature should be controlled between 15-20 degrees Celsius. If the germination temperature is too high, the germination speed is fast but the seedlings are not strong. After the seeds have germinated, they should be sown in flowerpots or large plastic bags filled with nutrient soil and watered thoroughly. Generally, only one melon is planted per pot, with the melon stem end down, covered with 4-6 centimeters of soil on top, and then placed in a sunny field, greenhouse, or plastic tunnel for seedling raising, keeping the temperature at 20-25 degrees Celsius during the seedling raising period. For seedlings that have become too tall, the top should be pinched off when there are 4-5 leaves to promote the growth of lateral buds.
In addition to using melon seedlings for seedling raising, we can also perform division and cuttage seedling raising. When using cuttage seedling raising, it is necessary to raise seedlings in advance using melon seedlings; generally, in November-December, use greenhouses for seedling raising to fully extend the seedling raising period, promote more and stronger branches, and facilitate subsequent cuttage seedling raising. In mid-to-late March, cut the vines into small sections, each containing about 2-3 nodes, soak them in indole acetic acid solution for 5-10 minutes, and then insert them into the seedling nutrient soil, strengthen保温 and moisturizing to effectively promote root growth, and the survival rate of cuttage can reach over 80%.
4. Transplanting and Planting
Buddha's Hand melon can be transplanted after the frost-free period. If using greenhouse cultivation, it can be transplanted in mid-to-late March, and field planting is mainly done in mid-to-late April. When transplanting Buddha's Hand melon, the holes should be large and deep, with a length, width, and depth of 1 meter. Fill the excavated soil with organic matter, farm manure, compound fertilizer, etc., mix it thoroughly with the soil in the hole, and then cover it with about 20 centimeters of soil and tread it firmly.
When transplanting the plants, the seedling pots or plastic bags should be removed first, placed in the hole with soil, leveled with the ground surface, and then covered with soil. After transplanting, water should be applied promptly to promote seedling recovery. As for the planting density, if seedling raising is used, large seedlings are transplanted, and 20-30 plants can be planted per mu. If small seedlings cultivated by cuttage are used, the density can be slightly increased, with a row spacing of 3-4 meters and a plant spacing of 2 meters, allowing for 50-70 plants per mu.
5. Field Management
(1) Water and Fertilizer Management
March to May is the hot and dry season, but because the plants grow rapidly, the water requirement gradually increases, and it is necessary to use a small amount of water frequently, not large-scale irrigation, to avoid reducing soil temperature. It is best to cover the base of Buddha's Hand melon with 10-20 centimeters of稻草 or wheat straw, and then cover it with a layer of plastic film to reduce water evaporation and keep the soil sufficiently moist. After June and July, the plant growth明显 accelerates, but it is still mainly vegetative growth, gradually entering the flowering and fruiting period, especially about 10 days before flowering pollination, the fruit growth rate accelerates, and the water requirement further increases. If the weather is dry at this time, it is necessary to increase the frequency of watering and reduce water evaporation to keep the soil sufficiently moist. The first application of water and fertilizer can be done about 15 days after the plants have survived, applying a small amount of urea water solution in shallow furrows to promote seedling growth; the second top dressing is generally at the end of May, applying 0.2-0.3 kilograms of ternary compound fertilizer per plant in furrows; the third top dressing is at the end of June, applying 0.2 kilograms of ternary compound fertilizer and calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer per plant in furrows; the fourth top dressing is generally in late July, applying 0.5-0.6 kilograms of ternary compound fertilizer per plant in furrows; the fifth top dressing can be done in mid-to-late August, applying 1 kilogram of compound fertilizer or 2-3 kilograms of plant ash per plant in furrows. After this, the plant roots will cover the ground, and in September, during the fruiting period, we can optionally spray 1-2 times of foliar fertilizer, mainly potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution.
(2) Shed Construction and Vine Training
Buddha's Hand melon is a vine plant with strong branching ability. Therefore, when the plants begin to vine, it is necessary to set up sheds and support the vines on the shelves in time for vine training and lateral branching operations. The shed should be sturdy and not easily blown down or crushed. It needs to be built according to the characteristics of the garden or stream,顺势而搭, with a height of 1.5-2 meters and a canopy area of 15-20 square meters per plant.
The lateral vines and grandchild vines of Buddha's Hand melon bear fruit earlier. Therefore, during the planting process, we should及时摘心, generally when the plants grow to 45 centimeters, we can start pinching the top to promote the rapid growth of the lateral vines. Determine 1-2 strong lateral vines to climb on the shelves and when the lateral vines grow to a certain node, pinch the top again to effectively promote the growth of the grandchild vines. After the vines are on the shelves, there is no need to remove lateral branches, let them grow freely, but attention should be paid to adjusting the direction of stem extension to ensure even distribution and increase ventilation and light penetration. If there are too many lateral branches, causing dense growth, they should be thinned appropriately. The vines of Buddha's Hand melon have a strong apical dominance, and for vines that droop below the shelf, they should be supported in time to avoid plant withering.
(3) Inter-row Cultivation and Earthwork
In the early growth stage of Buddha's Hand melon, the stems and leaves grow slowly, and attention should be paid to inter-row cultivation and loose soil, especially earthwork. In combination with开环沟施肥, loosen the soil and build up the earthwork to effectively promote root growth, but the number of times should not be too many, controlled at 3-5 times. In July and August, during the high temperature period, attention should be paid to timely fertilization and watering for drought resistance, and a layer of crushed straw should be covered around the root soil to keep the soil moist for a long time and reduce the frequency of watering.
(4) Artificial Pollination
Field-grown Buddha's Hand melon generally does not require artificial pollination. For Buddha's Hand melon cultivated in solar greenhouses, artificial pollination should be strengthened during the flowering and fruiting period when insect activity is reduced. When the flowers are fully open, collect the male flowers, peel off the corolla, and pollinate one female flower with one male flower. This usually needs to be done in the morning from 8-9 o'clock.
(5) Pest and Disease Control
Buddha's Hand melon has few pests and diseases and almost no pesticides need to be applied during growth. Of course, sometimes there will be some pests and diseases. The main pest is aphids, which can be controlled by spraying 50% imidacloprid wettable powder 4000-6000 times liquid when it first occurs. Then there is the stink bug, which can be controlled by spraying 10% pyrethrin 1500-2000 times, or high-efficiency chlor氰菊酯 1500-3000 times liquid. The main disease of Buddha's Hand melon is wilt disease, which should be controlled by spraying 75% carbendazim wettable powder 500-800 times liquid when it first occurs, continuously applying for 2-3 times, with an interval of 10-15 days.
6. Harvesting and Storage
About 15-20 days after flowering, when the fruit is 200-300 days old, we need to harvest in time. Buddha's Hand melon is mainly sold as a tender fruit and should be harvested when the skin is tender and green, harvesting one batch as it matures. If harvested too late, the fruit peel fiber increases and the product quality decreases. During the peak fruiting period, it is generally picked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Before the first frost, all fruits should be picked to prevent frost damage. When picking, choose fruits that are 250-500 grams in weight, without damage or pests, and place them in baskets for storage. Under room temperature of 5-8 degrees Celsius and relative humidity of 70%-80%, they can be stored for 4-6 months. For seeds, it is necessary to harvest mature fruits 30 days after flowering, but overripe cracked fruits or germinated fruits are not suitable for seed use.
Conclusion: Buddha's Hand melon has a long growth period, many branches, and when cultivated in large numbers, it is very beautiful and spectacular, and can also be planted as an ornamental plant to beautify the environment. Currently, the prospects for planting Buddha's Hand melon are broad, and it can be used to create tourist and观光农业, greatly increasing the added value of its products.
This article shares a comprehensive introduction to how to plant Buddha's Hand melon best and master the cultivation techniques, hoping to bring some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.