What's the deal with watermelons not setting fruit?
Today, the editor will explain the introduction of green plants and flowers on why watermelons are not setting fruit, and welcome corrections if there are any mistakes!
What's the deal with watermelons not setting fruit?
Secondary vines that grow between the tendrils and leaves should have all but one at the fruit-setting position pruned, leaving 3-4 leaves and then pinching the tip. All other secondary vines should be cut to avoid too many growing points, which can lead to insufficient nutrients and affect lighting conditions, thereby reducing the fruiting rate of watermelons. Additionally, when hand pollinating, the pollen from the male flower should be shaken onto the female flower. If the flower withers, it will not bear fruit.
Watermelons are widely experiencing issues with low fruit setting, difficulty in fruit setting, and low fruiting rates, and many vines that should normally bear fruit are showing empty vines, especially in greenhouse-grown watermelons.
Generally, there are four main reasons for watermelons not setting fruit: poor climatic conditions, improper cultivation management, improper water and fertilizer management, and other human factors.
In greenhouse watermelon cultivation, methods such as pruning, pressing vines, arranging vines, hand pollination assistance, selecting fruit, retaining fruit, and using hormones can be employed to increase fruit setting rates.
Removing suckers and retaining vines
After planting watermelons, to increase the number of leaves in the early stage, it's not advisable to remove suckers too early. Let them grow naturally to quickly increase the number of leaves and promote healthy vine growth.
Once the vines reach over 60cm, you can start removing suckers and pruning. Keep four main vines and let them continue growing, while removing all other small vines.
Arranging hanging vines
Select two larger vines and use a string to hang them on a trellis. When hanging the vines, wrap them in an S-shape to make the vines climb upwards in a curved manner, which can moderate the growth of the vines and improve space utilization.
Pruning secondary vines
Secondary vines that grow between the tendrils and leaves should have all but one at the fruit-setting position pruned, leaving 3-4 leaves and then pinching the tip. All other secondary vines should be removed to avoid too many growing points, which can lead to insufficient nutrients and affect lighting conditions, thereby reducing the fruiting rate of watermelons.
For the other two vines, one should be pruned with 8-10 leaves left, then the secondary vines are pruned. The other vine should also have its secondary vines pruned in a timely manner, allowing it to grow freely on the ground between rows.
When hand pollinating, it's also necessary to remove growing points and secondary vines to reduce competition for nutrients, which is beneficial for watermelon fruit setting.
Reasonable fertilization
When applying top dressing, follow the principles of light application and frequent application.
1. Seedling boost fertilizer
Fertilization can start when the seedlings have stabilized and true leaves appear, applying animal manure every 10-15 days, mixed with some urea, at a rate of about 15-20 loads of animal manure and 3-5 pounds of urea per mu.
2. Cluster fertilizer
When the seedlings have grown to 5-6 leaves, apply 100-200 pounds of decomposed cake fertilizer and 10-20 loads of animal manure per mu.
3. Fruit enlargement fertilizer
When the watermelons are the size of an egg, apply 100-200 pounds of cake fertilizer and 10-20 loads of animal manure per mu.
4. First fruit fertilizer
When the watermelons are the size of a bowl, apply 15-20 pounds of urea and 5-8 pounds of potassium fertilizer per mu.
5. Subsequent fruit fertilizer
After the first batch of watermelons are harvested, to prevent early decline and provide nutrients for the second and third batches, apply 20-25 pounds of urea per mu.
Pollination
If watermelons bloom on sunny days, insects can pollinate them, resulting in a higher success rate, and there's no need for hand pollination. However, if it often rains and insects are less active, hand pollination is necessary. First, shake the pollen from the male flower onto the female flower. If the flower withers, it will not bear fruit.
The above content about why watermelons are not setting fruit is hoped to be helpful for green plant enthusiasts!