How to plant pear melon to make it sweet: The cultivation techniques and management of muskmelon

How to plant loofah properlyComprehensive explanation of how to plant loofah properly and the cultivation techniques and management of melons in the field of green plants and flowers, the specific contents are as follows:Melon, also known as muskmelon or loofah, has a crisp and sweet flesh, is full of juice when ripe, and emits a fragrant aroma, making it one of the summer fruits favored by urban and rural consumers. The fruit has a high utilization rate and high sugar content, with soluble solids reaching 14% to 16%, and contains a higher amount of carotene and vitamin C. It is widely cultivated in China and has formed some famous and superior production areas. In recent years, it has also been cultivated in protected facilities, yielding considerable economic benefits.I. Growth Characteristics(A) Morphological characteristics: The melon root system is relatively developed, with the main root reaching over 1m in soil, the root distribution diameter is 2 to 3m, and most roots are distributed within a plow layer of 30cm. The root regeneration ability is weak and not resistant to transplantation. The stem is round, has ridges, and is covered with short bristles. The main stem can grow to a length of 1 to 5m when left uncontrolled, with a strong branching habit. The leaves are alternate, nearly round or kidney-shaped, entire or five-lobed, with short bristles on the petiole, pubescent leaves, and wavy or serrated leaf edges. The corolla is yellow, with male flowers in clusters, female flowers mostly solitary, monoecious or male flowers and bisexual flowers on the same plant, with an inferior ovary. The flowers are pollinated by insects and cross-pollinated. Male flowers start to appear from the 3rd to 5th node on the main vine, and most varieties have late occurrence of female flowers on the main vine, while the first 1 to 2 nodes of the lateral vines bear female flowers. The fruit is developed from the ovary and flower receptacle, with round, oval, spindle-shaped, or cylindrical shapes, and the fruit skin has varying degrees of white, green, yellow, or brown, or has colored stripes and spots. The fruit surface is smooth or has netting, cracks, ridges, etc., with the fruit flesh being the developed middle and inner pericarp, in colors of white, orange-red, green, yellow, etc., some with aroma. The seeds are lanceolate or oblong, vary in size, flat, without endosperm, and are yellow, grayish white, or brownish red, with a seed life of generally 5 to 6 years.(B) Growth process: The growth process of melon is similar to that of watermelon, divided into germination period, seedling stage, vine extension stage, and fruiting stage. From the opening of female flowers to fruit maturity, early maturing varieties take 20 to 40 days, while late maturing varieties take 70 to 80 days.(C) Requirements for environmental conditions: Melon, like watermelon, prefers warm and sunny conditions, is drought-resistant but害怕 flooding, and requires more fertilizer and water during the fruit expansion stage. The seed germination temperature is 25 to 35°C, the minimum temperature for root growth is 8°C, the optimal temperature is 34°C, and the maximum is 40°C; the minimum temperature for root hair occurrence is 14°C. The optimal growth temperature is 25 to 28°C. It has a strong adaptability to high temperatures, with good growth at 30 to 35°C. It requires ample sunlight; insufficient sunlight leads to slow growth, poor coloring, significantly reduced sweetness and aroma, and is prone to diseases and pests. Melon has moderate humidity tolerance, but high humidity reduces sweetness and is prone to diseases. The soil requirement for melon is well-drained, deep soil layers of sandy loam and loamy sand, with a suitable pH of 6 to 8.II. Variety Types and ApplicationsChinese melons are generally divided into two ecological types: thick-skinned melon and thin-skinned melon.(A) Thin-skinned melon has a weaker growth habit, deep green leaves, and wrinkled leaf surface. The fruit skin is smooth, thin, with a flesh thickness of 1 to 2cm, crisp and juicy or soft and less juicy, soluble solids content of 8% to 12%, with both skin and flesh edible. The single fruit weight is mostly below 500g, not suitable for storage and transportation. It is relatively tolerant to high humidity and can grow in environments with less sunlight and smaller temperature differences. It is widely cultivated in China, with the Northeast and North China as the main production areas. The main superior varieties cultivated are Baisha Mi, Baili脆, Bingtang脆, and Lao Lai Le, etc.(B) Thick-skinned melon mainly includes netted melon, winter melon, and hard-skinned melon.The plant has a strong or medium growth habit, with thick stems, large leaves, light color, and relatively flat leaf surface. The fruit is round, oblong, long elliptical, or spindle-shaped, with or without netting, thick skin of 0.3 to 0.5em, flesh thickness of 2.5 to 4.0cm, fine and soft or crisp and juicy, aromatic, fragrant, or odorless, soluble solids content of 11% to 15%, up to over 20%, single fruit weight generally 1.5 to 5kg, large ones can reach over 25kg, seeds are larger, not tolerant to high humidity, requires ample sunlight and a larger diurnal temperature difference. It is mainly distributed in Xinjiang and Gansu, with main famous products such as Gansu Bailan melon, Mazui melon, and Hami melon varieties like Huangdanzi and Hongxin脆. In recent years, introduced foreign Elisabeth melon and domestically bred small thick-skinned melon have achieved good cultivation results in North China facilities. There are also two variants of melon: Chinese wax gourd and vegetable gourd. The wax gourd has a larger fruit, long cylindrical in shape, bland in taste, crisp and loose in texture, and high in water content; the vegetable gourd has a slender cylindrical fruit, smooth skin without hair, the flesh is denser and not sweet, mainly used for pickling.III. Cultivation Techniques(A) Cultivation methods: Melon prefers warm and hot conditions and is not frost-resistant, with the cultivation season limited by frost and accumulated temperature. In the Northwest and Northeast, it is cultivated once a year, sown in spring and harvested in autumn; in North and South China, it is sown in spring and harvested in summer. Thick-skinned melons are mostly cultivated on high ridges, forming a unique irrigation method in the arid areas of the Northwest; using high ridges and sandy field dry cultivation methods. In North China, thin-skinned melons are cultivated on flat ridges, and thick-skinned melons are cultivated on high ridges. In South China, high ridges or melon mounds are used for cultivation, convenient for drainage.(B) Direct seeding and seedling raising: Both direct seeding and seedling raising are possible. Direct seeding should be done when the 10cm soil temperature is stable at 15°C, using dry seeds or germinated seeds for direct seeding. Early maturing cultivation can use plastic film mulching to advance sowing or seedling transplantation. When raising seedlings, use a nutrient钵 to protect the roots, with a seedling age of 30 to 35 days, transplanting when there are 3 to 5 true leaves. Sowing methods and seedbed management can refer to those for watermelon. To prevent soil-borne diseases, black-seed pumpkin and gourd can be grafted. The row spacing for melon is 1.3 to 1.7m, plant spacing is 0.3 to 0.6m, with 1,000 to 1,500 plants per 667m2.(C) Field management1. Thinning and setting seedlings: Direct seeded plants can emerge from the soil 7 to 10 days after sowing, thinning twice respectively when the cotyledons are expanded and when there are 2 to 3 leaves, and setting seedlings when there are 4 to 5 leaves.2. Mulching and pressing vines: In areas with heavy soil or excessive rainfall, when the vines are 30cm long and female flowers occur, mulch under the vines to increase temperature and moisture retention. Press the vines using the open pressing method, using soil blocks to press leaves or vines.3. Cultivating and mounding soil: For direct seeded plants, the first cultivation is done when the cotyledons are expanded, only loosening the surface soil, filling in cracks, and crushing soil clumps; after transplanting or after transplanting, a fine cultivation is carried out, first removing weeds, then loosening the surface soil. When cultivating, mound soil around the root neck to secure the melon vines and prevent wind damage.