How to Plant Watermelons: A Method Guide
Today, let's delve into the methods of planting watermelons and the detailed knowledge of cultivation and management of watermelons, offering some very useful tips and knowledge that are worth collecting!
In the scorching summer, biting into a slice of ice-cold watermelon can be truly refreshing. As one of the most popular fruits in summer, watermelons are always in the public eye. They can quench thirst, cool down, and have diuretic effects, with sweet and juicy flesh, making them widely loved. Watermelons have also been widely cultivated, with many varieties emerging. What aspects should be considered in the cultivation of watermelons? There are techniques to be aware of in seven aspects: soil, temperature, water, sunlight, fertilization, ventilation, and pest and disease control.
1. Soil and Base Fertilizer
Watermelons prefer well-drained sandy soil that is loose, breathable, and slightly acidic. Before sowing, deeply turn the soil and let it dry in the sun for half a month. Spread 50 to 75 kilograms of quicklime per mu to disinfect. Then, break up the soil and form ridges, ultimately creating a sloping ridge with a total width of 2.5m, one side 40cm high and the other 20cm. Dig a planting trench 25cm deep and 40cm wide on the higher ridge side, and apply 1000 to 1500 kilograms of decomposed manure, 25 kilograms of ternary compound fertilizer, 1.5 to 2 kilograms of borax, and 4 kilograms of magnesium sulfate per mu, mixing the fertilizer and soil before refilling.
2. Seed Selection
Good seeds are essential for high yield and quality. It is also necessary to layout early, mid, and late maturing varieties appropriately, which can extend the supply time and achieve greater benefits.
3. Seed Treatment
To increase seed viability and improve germination rates, seeds can be dried in the sun for 1 to 2 days before sowing. After drying, soak the seeds in 55℃ water for about 5 to 6 hours, then wash them with 5% lime water until they feel slippery. Rinse with clean water and dry them.
4. Germination Promotion
Common methods for germination promotion include greenhouse, electric blanket, quilt, and body temperature. Among these, body temperature and quilt methods are used in watermelon cultivation, with the body temperature method being the simplest and most operable. It involves dividing the treated seeds into several portions of 50 to 100 grams, placing them on a wet towel, wrapping them separately in a plastic film, and putting them in a pocket to keep warm. They can germinate in about 24 hours.
5. Sowing
When the seeds have germinated to the size of a grain of rice, place them on the nutrient soil in a seedling cup, with only one seed per cup. Cover the seeds with 1 cm of nutrient soil, sprinkle with fungicide, insert bamboo stakes, cover with a film, insert another bamboo stake, and cover with another layer of film, leaving a 15 cm gap between layers. Press the edges of the film with fine sand, and maintain a greenhouse temperature of 22°C to 28°C. After the seeds have developed true leaves, gradually reduce the temperature.
6. Water and Fertilizer Management
Water the watermelons 2 to 3 times during the growing period, and increase the water volume after the vines have extended, with one "vine water" irrigation. Reasonable fertilization is also essential for high yield and quality. Top-dressing for watermelons usually happens twice: the first is the vine fertilizer, mainly nitrogen with potassium as a supplement, about 8 kilograms of urea and 5 kilograms of potassium sulfate per mu. The second is before the fruit enters the expansion stage, focusing on nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, with about 20 to 25 kilograms of urea and 10 to 15 kilograms of potassium sulfate per mu.
7. Pest and Disease Control
Fusarium wilt, vine wilt, spot disease, and anthracnose are common diseases encountered during watermelon cultivation. Fusarium wilt can be prevented by grafting, while vine wilt, spot disease, and anthracnose can be treated with methylthiophanate-methyl wettable powder 1000 times liquid, 70% Antaisen wettable powder 600 times liquid, and 10% Shigao wettable powder 1500 times liquid. For pests, be vigilant about cutworms, aphids, leaf mites, and thrips, which can be controlled with 10% Yibianjing wettable powder 2500 times liquid.
8. Timely Harvesting
Different varieties of watermelons require different ripening times. The maturity level should be judged based on the fruit-setting days, and the fruits should be harvested in a timely manner after ripening.
The above sharing on how to plant watermelons and the detailed introduction of watermelon cultivation and management are for reference by netizens.