How to manage Buddha's Hand Melon
This article provides a guide on managing Buddha's Hand Melon and shares some tips on its cultivation and care. Let's take a look together.
Buddha's Hand Melon has the advantages of high yield, easy management, no need for pesticide spraying, rich nutrition, good storage and transportation, and the ability to supplement market supply during the autumn and winter off-season. It also has low calorie content, high trace element content; low sodium and high potassium content, making it a good low-calorie and low-sodium food. It can be eaten raw, stir-fried, or used in soups. Due to its extensive root system, it has strong water and nutrient absorption and is drought-resistant.
How to plant and manage Buddha's Hand Melon to achieve quality and high yield? Here is a simple introduction to the planting techniques of Buddha's Hand Melon for your reference.
One, Planting Buddha's Hand Melon
Buddha's Hand Melon can be planted after the frost has passed. For greenhouse cultivation, it can be planted in mid-to-late March, and for open-field planting, mid-to-late April is suitable. When planting Buddha's Hand Melon, the hole should be large and deep, with dimensions of 1 meter x 1 meter x 1 meter. Fill the hole with 1/3 of the excavated soil, apply 200-250 kilograms of decomposed high-quality manure to each hole, mix it thoroughly with the soil in the hole, cover it with 20 centimeters of soil, and press it down with your feet. When planting, remove the seedling pots or plastic bags, place them in the hole with soil, level with the ground surface, and then cover with soil. Water after planting to promote seedling growth. The planting density, if using seedlings, large seedlings can be planted at 20-30 per mu. For small seedlings using section cuttings, the density can be increased appropriately, with a row spacing of 3-4 meters and a plant spacing of 2 meters, planting 80-120 plants per mu.
Two, Training Buddha's Hand Melon Vines
Buddha's Hand Melon has strong propagation and climbing abilities, grows rapidly, with dense leaves and vines that can shade each other, which easily leads to wilting and fruit drop if left unmanaged. Therefore, when the vines reach about 40 centimeters long, use bamboo stakes or ropes to let the tendrils of Buddha's Hand Melon wrap around and guide the vines to climb on trellises, trees, or walls.
Three, Pruning Buddha's Hand Melon
From planting to the vigorous growth stage of the Buddha's Hand Melon plant, the stem elongates slowly while the lateral branches at the base of the stem grow quickly, easily forming a bushy growth that can affect the extension of the vines and their climbing onto the trellis. Therefore, the trellis must be sturdy and tall. Buddha's Hand Melon has a strong ability to produce lateral branches, with one lateral bud at each leaf axil. If left unmanaged, the branches on the trellis can become too crowded, affecting ventilation, sunlight, and plant growth. It is important to remove other lateral buds promptly. After the vines are on the trellis, pay attention to adjusting the direction of stem growth to ensure even distribution on the trellis and prevent the leaves from becoming dense. After climbing, do not remove lateral branches, but adjust the direction of stem growth to ensure even distribution and good ventilation and sunlight.
How to manage Buddha's Hand Melon
Four, Field Management of Buddha's Hand Melon
1. Management of Buddha's Hand Melon seedlings. Within one month after planting, focus on covering and warming the seedlings to promote their growth and development. During this period, do not apply fertilizer, only water lightly. As the stems and leaves grow slowly in the early stage, control watering and frequently till the soil to promote root development.
2. Management during the rapid root development stage. Planting Buddha's Hand Melon requires frequent tillage to promote root development and lay the foundation for the plant's vigorous growth in the fall. Keep the soil moist during the summer to ensure the safe growth of Buddha's Hand Melon.
3. Management during the vigorous growth stage. Around mid-to-late June, apply 5 kilograms of human manure and 2 kilograms of compound fertilizer per plant. As the above-ground part of the plant grows significantly faster and enters the vigorous growth stage, apply heavy fertilization and water to promote rapid growth of the above-ground part, produce more lateral branches, and lay the material foundation for more flowering and fruiting.
4. Management during the flowering and fruiting stage. This period has high daily transpiration, requiring sufficient water and fertilizer to keep the soil moist. Foliar application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer 2-3 times or application of decomposed animal manure can be used. Spraying a plant growth regulator like "Strong Melon Stalk" at the initial fruiting stage can thicken the melon stalk, enhance nutrient transport, prevent flower and fruit drop, and result in beautiful, well-shaped, and delicious fruits.
Five, Harvesting Buddha's Hand Melon
Buddha's Hand Melon flowers and fruits集中ly, which has a significant impact on vine growth. It is important to harvest in a timely manner to reduce nutrient consumption, which is beneficial for the growth and development of the next batch of melons, thereby increasing yield. Generally, each plant can yield 200-600 melons, with an output of 3000-5000 kilograms per mu.
The above introduction (Green Plant Enthusiast Network) on how to manage Buddha's Hand Melon and its cultivation and management can hopefully bring you some help. Don't forget to visit the Green Plant Enthusiast Network for more experience and knowledge!