How to plant honeydew melon for better results
Introduction: This article covers the planting techniques and key points of cultivating honeydew melon, as well as the green plant flower planting content. Let's dive into the introduction by the editor.
With the arrival of summer, it's also the time for many fruits to hit the market. Fruits like honeydew melon, watermelon, peaches, red grapes, and grapes are deeply loved and welcomed by people in summer. Many people want to plant some honeydew melon at home, as the fruit they grow themselves is not only healthy but also safe. So, let's teach you some planting techniques and management methods for honeydew melon.
Honeydew melon planting techniques and management methods
I. Honeydew melon planting techniques
1. Sowing: Honeydew melon generally germinates in 5-7 days after sowing. Seedlings should be checked and supplemented within 3 days after emergence, with the seeds being disinfected and soaked to promote germination. The seeds should be planted when they show white.
2. Thinning and seedling selection: Begin thinning when the true leaves are 1-2, leaving 2 seedlings per hole. Remove weak and diseased seedlings during thinning. When the true leaves are 4-5, select 1 healthy seedling per hole. If precision sowing is used, thinning and seedling selection can be completed at the 4-leaf stage.
3. Tillage and weeding: Tillage and loosening the soil can increase soil temperature, conserve moisture, and remove weeds. In fields not covered with plastic mulch, hand tools can be used to till the soil around the seedlings and combine weeding after the seedlings have emerged. Tillage depth should be over 20 cm, and weeding should be done 2-3 times before the seedlings begin to vine, removing weeds around the播种 holes and sealing the holes promptly.
4. Tipping the vines: When the plants have 5-6 true leaves, tip the vines by gently uncovering the soil on the inner side of the ridge, creating a small groove 5-7 cm deep, and then guiding the vines into the groove. Remove the first two lateral vines at the base of the stem. At the same time, apply 10-20 cm of loose dry soil around the base of the root stem.
5. Pruning vines and leaving fruit: The pruning of vines and selection of fruit depend on the variety. Early to mid-season varieties, such as Hongmi Bao, Hong Taihou, Xinmi 15 (Xiangfei Mi), and Xinmi 13 (Xin Huanghou), can use the single-vine pruning method. Mid to late-season varieties, such as Xinmi Za 7 (8601), Xinmi 11 (86-1), and Xinmi 23 (Jinmi Bao), can use the double-vine pruning method. The specific pruning method can be determined according to local habits of planting melons.
6. Pressing the vines: Press the vines with soil blocks or crossed branches while pruning. Use soil blocks to press the vines by first making a small groove at the pressing site, placing the vines in the groove, and then pressing the soil blocks on top. Press the vines 2-3 times throughout the growing period until the ridge is covered.
7. Topdressing: Generally, no organic fertilizer is applied to fields covered with plastic mulch. If the base fertilizer is insufficient, a portion of cake fertilizer or chemical fertilizer can be applied. Topdressing must be done before the female flowers open, by digging a hole between two seedlings, 20 cm below the edge of the trench, and applying 20 kg of diammonium phosphate and 5 kg of urea per mu, along with 150 kg of oil cake. After the first fruit harvest, a second topdressing can be done. Foliar application can include: 200 grams of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 300 grams of urea, each mixed into a solution of 0.02% and 0.03%, respectively. Fulvic acid 30-50 grams, mixed into a solution of 0.0003% to 0.0005%. Spray 5 ml of spray treasure with 50 kg of water. The above solutions should be sprayed evenly on the leaves in the early morning and evening.
8. Harvesting: Harvest honeydew melon as required, leaving a 10 cm T-shaped handle.
II. Honeydew melon planting management methods
1. Temperature management
In spring, seedling raising emphasizes保温 and disease prevention, using multi-layer plastic film coverage and ground heating cables. The "two high and two low" method of temperature management is used, i.e., before emergence, maintain a seedbed temperature of 30-32°C during the day and 18-20°C at night to promote uniform seedling emergence; before the first true leaf unfolds, slightly lower the temperature to 25-28°C during the day and 15-16°C at night to prevent tall seedlings; when the third true leaf appears, slightly increase the temperature to 30-32°C during the day and 18-20°C at night to promote early true leaf emergence; one week before transplanting, perform low-temperature hardening of seedlings to gradually adapt them to field conditions.
2. Water management
Water should be strictly controlled during the seedling stage, watering appropriately in the morning on sunny days, depending on the moisture level of the seedling trays. After watering, wait for the moisture on the plant surface and soil surface to evaporate before covering with plastic film.
3. Humidity and light management
Ventilation to reduce humidity is the key to preventing seedling diseases. Therefore, after the seedlings have emerged, as much as possible, uncover the small hoop house plastic film to increase ventilation and reduce the humidity of the seedbed air. Even on cloudy and rainy days, short periods of ventilation to reduce humidity and increase light should be performed.
Honeydew melon planting disease prevention and control methods
I. Damping-off disease
1. When seedlings are infected, they can be sprayed with a copper-ammonium mixture. The formula is: 2 parts copper sulfate, 15 parts ammonium sulfate, 4 parts lime, mixed thoroughly and sealed for one day before use. One part of the medicine powder is mixed with 400 parts of water for spraying.
2. Spray 70% methyl thiophanate at a concentration of 500-800 times.
II. Wilt disease
1. Root drenching with medication: Drench with 70% methyl thiophanate or 40% ultra-fine multi-fungicide at a concentration of 300 times. Dig a small round pit 10 cm deep and 8-10 cm in diameter around the base of the plant, expose the main root base, fill the pit with the medicine solution, and do not seal the pit to allow the roots to be trained for disease resistance.
2. Smearing: Mix 1 part of 70%敌克松 with 20 parts of flour, add water to make a paste, and apply to the base of the diseased plant for good control.
Honeydew melon growth period management
1. Fertilization
Honeydew melon plants grow strongly and should coordinate the growth of stems and leaves with fruit setting to prevent excessive growth and vine collapse. Topdressing should be a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, avoiding a single application of fertilizer or excessive nitrogen, and avoiding chlorine-containing fertilizers. Honeydew melon seedlings require less fertilizer for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while more is needed during the fruit-setting period. Spray "Melon and Fruit stalk Strengthener" before flowering, during the young fruit stage, and during fruit expansion to strengthen the conduit system, increase nutrient supply during the flowering and fruiting period, strengthen flowers and fruit, promote fruit expansion, and have a significant yield-increasing effect. It is non-toxic and non-polluting, an efficient product for producing pollution-free fruit.
2. Watering
The first watering in plastic mulch-covered melon fields is done at the beginning of the flowering period; generally, 2-3 waterings are done during the flowering and fruit-setting period. During the fruit expansion period, water every 7-10 days. At this time, the temperature is high, so to reduce the occurrence of phytophthora blight, avoid watering at noon and water less. Watering must stop 10 days before fruit harvest.
3. Preventing frost damage in advance
In winter, the temperature is relatively low, and early-season honeydew melon seedlings are prone to frost and snow damage, which can delay maturity. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent this by spraying plant protectant "New High-fat Film" on honeydew melon seedlings to form a protective film, which can disinfect, protect, and prevent damage from frost.
Simple plastic greenhouse cultivation techniques for honeydew melon planting
I. Cultivation facilities for honeydew melon planting
1. Use a simple steel pipe greenhouse: Shoulder height 1-7 meters, top height 2-5 meters, surrounded by insect-proof netting, and covered with greenhouse film. The ridge width inside the greenhouse is 0-8 meters, height 0-2 meters, using a soft tube system for drip irrigation, and the ridge surface is covered with plastic film.
2. Use a one-time fertilization technique: All fertilizers are applied before planting in combination with land preparation, and no topdressing is done during the growing period. The fertilizer formula is: compound fertilizer 80 kg/acre, calcium superphosphate 50 kg/acre, potassium sulfate 10 kg/acre, peanut bran 45 kg/acre.
II. Cultivation management for honeydew melon planting
1. Variety selection: Choose the珍珠 honeydew melon produced by the Huizhou Lihuo Company. The珍珠 honeydew melon can adapt to local climate and soil conditions, has strong resistance to wilt disease, weighs 2.5-4 kg per fruit, has high yield and good quality, is popular in the market, and has high economic value. It can be cultivated in greenhouses throughout the year or in the open field in autumn.
2. Seedling raising: The suitable sowing period is from mid-January to mid-September. Seed treatment involves soaking the seeds in warm water for 4 hours, then disinfecting with a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution for 30 minutes, washing with clean water, wrapping in a wet cloth, and placing in a 30°C environment to promote germination. After the seeds have germinated, use a nutrient bag for seedling raising and control water and fertilizer and temperature and light management to grow strong seedlings. When the seedlings have 2 leaves and 1 heart, it is the most suitable time for transplanting. Plant in double rows, with a spacing of 0-5 meters and 1300 plants per acre.
III. Management
1. Tying vines: When the plants have 5-6 leaves, they can start to build a trellis to support the vines.
2. Pruning vines: Use the double-vine single-fruit pruning method, i.e., keep the main vine and select one strong lateral vine, and leave 2 leaves at the 10-15 internode to top as the fruiting vine, removing all other lateral and grandchild vines. When the main vine has 23-26 leaves, top it along with the retained lateral vine.
3. Pollination: Perform artificial pollination at 8-10 am when the flowers open. When the melon weighs about 100 grams, select one melon, and cut off the rest of the melon and its vine. When the melon weighs about 500 grams, hang the melon.
4. Water control: Supply a large amount of water during the expansion period after flowering to promote fruit expansion. In the netting formation period after the expansion period, strictly control water to facilitate quality improvement and netting formation. Appropriate foliar fertilizer should be sprayed in the later stage to prevent early senescence of the plant.
5. Harvesting at the right time: Harvest about 45 days after pollination.
The above comprehensive introduction to how to plant honeydew melon and the key points of its cultivation techniques is hoped to bring some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.