What season is the best for planting watermelons
For most women, the best season for planting watermelons and the related experience of managing watermelon field cultivation, let's learn about it together next.
Watermelon is an annual vine plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, and it is one of the favorite fruits of the masses. Watermelon is known as the "king of midsummer", with sweet and refreshing flesh that quenches thirst, and it also has high nutritional value and a large market demand. It can be said that watermelon has become an important economic crop in our country and a fruit that helps farmers increase their economic benefits. So, when is it best to plant watermelons? The following is an introduction to the planting time and methods of watermelons.
I. Watermelon Planting Time
The sowing period of watermelons is generally determined by the type of variety, cultivation purpose, and market period. Generally speaking, some early-maturing varieties are suitable for sowing in mid-March and can be listed for sale in mid-to-late July; late-maturing watermelon varieties can be postponed to mid-to-late April sowing, with harvesting from late July to early August; for autumn extended open-field cultivation, it is suitable to sow from late June to mid-July, and harvest from September to October; autumn extended greenhouse cultivation generally sows from late July to early August, and can be listed for sale after the National Day.
II. Watermelon Planting Methods
1. Land preparation and base fertilizer: Deeply turn and expose the soil to the sun for half a month, apply 50-75 kilograms of quicklime per mu, then crush the soil and make ridges, creating a ridge with a ditch of 2.5m, with one side 40cm high and the other 20cm high; dig a planting trench 25cm deep and 40cm wide on the high ridge side, apply 1000-1500 kilograms of decomposed farm manure, 25 kilograms of ternary compound fertilizer, 1.5-2 kilograms of borax, and 4 kilograms of magnesium sulfate per mu in the trench, and mix the fertilizer and the backfilled soil evenly.
2. Select good seeds: Good seeds are the prerequisite for high yield and quality, and a reasonable layout of early, medium, and late maturity varieties can prolong the supply period of watermelons and increase economic benefits.
3. Seed treatment: Before sowing, dry the seeds in the sun for 1-2 days to increase the physiological activity of the seeds. Soak the dried seeds in warm water at about 55℃ for 5-6 hours, pour off the water, then wash the seed coat with 5% lime water, gently rub with hands until the seeds are no longer slippery, then rinse clean with water and dry the moisture for germination.
4. Germination: Germination methods such as greenhouse germination, electric blanket germination, quilt germination, and body temperature germination can be used. For large planting areas, greenhouse germination, electric blanket germination, or simultaneous germination with corn and rice can be used. Beginners can use body temperature germination and quilt warming germination. First, body temperature germination. Spread the treated seeds on a wet towel, then wrap them in plastic film or a plastic bag and place them inside an adult's内衣, and they can generally germinate within 24 hours. The number of seeds per pack should be 50 to 100 grams. Second, quilt warming germination. Mix the treated seeds with 5 to 10 times clean, moist sawdust or fine soil, put them in a small paper box, then place them in a plastic bag without sealing, put it in the bed quilt, then use 2 high-temperature glass bottles filled with boiling water, tightly capped, place them next to the seeds in the quilt, change the boiling water every 4 to 5 hours, maintaining this for 36 hours, the seeds will start to germinate. Regardless of the germination method used, when the sprouts grow to the length of a grain of rice, they should be sown.
What season is the best for planting watermelons
5. Sowing: Place the germinated seeds that have grown to the length of a grain of rice flat on the nutrient soil in the prepared nutrient cups, with the sprouts facing downward (since they are roots), and place only one germinated seed in each nutrient cup, then cover with 1 centimeter of nutrient soil, sprinkle a little 1000 times the amount of Toproth津 water (or other fungicides). Insert bamboo stakes, cover with plastic film, and press the edges of the film with fine mud. Then insert another layer of bamboo stakes about 15 centimeters apart from the first layer, cover with another layer of plastic film, and press the edges of the film with fine mud again. During this period, the temperature in the shed should be maintained at 22-28℃, and after the first true leaf grows, the temperature can be gradually lowered. A few days before seedlings emerge, the temperature should be lowered by 1-2℃ per day, finally matching the natural temperature to adapt to the post-planting natural temperature.
6. Fertilization and water management: Water management, watering at least 2-3 times during the whole growing period of watermelons, after watermelons extend vines, the leaves increase, the sunshine time is long, and more water is needed, so a "vine extension water" should be watered. When the young fruit grows to the size of a fist, water well to ensure the yield, quality, and normal growth and development of watermelons. Then, decide whether to water according to the local climate and soil moisture conditions, stop watering one week before harvesting; topdressing, watermelons are fertilizer-loving crops, and reasonable fertilization is one of the important measures to ensure the high quality and yield of watermelons. The general principle is: cautiously apply seedling promoting fertilizer, skillfully apply vine extension fertilizer, and heavily apply fruit expansion fertilizer. Topdressing should focus on fast-acting fertilizers. With sufficient base fertilizer, non-sandy soil generally does not need to apply seedling promoting fertilizer, usually two topdressings are mainly carried out, the vine extension fertilizer should be dominated by nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented by fast-acting potassium fertilizers, to promote the nutritional growth of watermelons, to ensure the formation of developed roots and sufficient leaf area required for watermelon production, generally applying 8 kilograms of urea and 5 kilograms of potassium sulfate per mu. The second is to apply fast-acting chemical fertilizers before the fruit expansion period, with potassium and nitrogen fertilizers mainly used, which is beneficial for the formation of fruit yield and quality improvement. Generally, apply 20-25 kilograms of urea and 10-15 kilograms of potassium sulfate per mu. Water and fertilizer management should be controlled according to local soil and climate conditions and the growth of the melon seedlings, achieving a combination of pursuit and control, and irrigation and drainage.
7. Pruning and pressing vines: Watermelons generally adopt double or triple vine pruning. Double vine pruning is to select one strong lateral vine in addition to the main vine, and remove all other lateral vines. This way, the stems and vines are distributed reasonably, the leaves are ventilated and well-lit, enhancing photosynthesis and disease resistance, thereby increasing yield and improving quality. Pressing vines can fix the melon seedlings, prevent them from being blown over by strong winds, and control the growth of the vines. When the main vine of the melon seedlings grows to about 30cm, lay the melon seedlings flat to force them to grow in a specified direction. There are generally two methods of pressing vines: open pressing and closed pressing. Open pressing refers to using soil blocks or branches to fix the vines on the ground; closed pressing is to loosen the soil with a spade, flatten it, and bury the vines underground. Generally, the first pressing is done when the main vine is 40-50cm, and then press every 4-6 internodes, needing to press 2-3 times.
8. Artificial pollination: To ensure that the female flowers at the right node bear fruit, artificial pollination must be carried out. The best quality and yield are obtained from the third female flower of the main vine or the second female flower of the lateral vine. Pollination is carried out every morning from 7 to 10 o'clock. When watermelons bloom in the morning, collect freshly opened male flowers from the pollination variety, fold the petals backward to expose the stamens, and then lightly wipe the stigma of the seedless watermelon female flowers open on the same day, making the pollination even. When the young fruit grows to the size of a steamed bun, the fruit begins to expand rapidly, at this time, there is generally no fruit drop, and it is necessary to select fruits in good position and shape, leaving one fruit per plant for double or triple vine pruning.
9. Timely harvesting: Depending on the maturity of different varieties, calculate the number of days after pollination based on the fruit setting mark to accurately determine the maturity and harvest in time; in addition, the characteristics of mature watermelons also include clear fruit pattern, glossy surface, shrinkage at the navel and stem end, withering of the tendrils at the fruit-setting node, sparse or fallen pubescence on the fruit stalk, and a tired and dull sound when tapped with a finger. In production, the harvesting standard is determined based on the distance of transportation, with local sales at 9 to 10 maturity, and for long-distance transportation at 8 to 9 maturity.
Have you understood the detailed introduction of the best season for planting watermelons and the management points of watermelon field cultivation brought by the Green Plant Enthusiast Network?