How to Care for a Watermelon Seedling after Germination
Today, we will introduce how to care for a watermelon seedling after germination and provide detailed information on the correct method of watermelon maintenance in the field of green plants. Here is the specific introduction:
Watermelon, also known as xigua, is also called summer melon, winter melon, and green jade house of Qingmen. It is an annual vine plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. The period from when the seed absorbs water and swells to when the seedling emerges, unfolds two cotyledons, and shows the first true leaf is called the germination period. The germination period can be further divided into the water absorption stage, germination stage, root development stage, skin shedding stage, top-nose stage, and straight-neck stage. In these six stages, the growth state of watermelons is different, so the cultivation methods are also different. Let's learn about them together.
1. Water Absorption Stage
The water absorption stage refers to the period when the dry seed absorbs water and swells. This stage usually takes 12 hours to complete. During these 12 hours, the temperature should be controlled between 15 and 20°C, providing the seeds with sufficient water and oxygen. It is not advisable to artificially increase the temperature of the water used to soak the seeds, as high water temperature during soaking will make the seeds less resistant to stress and prone to being weak after germination due to rapid growth.
2. Germination Stage
As the name suggests, the germination stage refers to the period when the seed swells and grows a sprout. During this stage, the seeds will experience 12 to 48 hours of darkness, and the temperature should be controlled between 28 and 32°C, as seeds are more likely to germinate in a warm environment.
3. Root Development Stage
After germination, the seeds will gradually grow different lateral roots. To promote the growth of these lateral roots, the temperature can be controlled between 20 and 25°C. When the relative humidity of the air is too low, spray to increase humidity, maintaining moderate humidity and keeping the soil moist. To ensure that the seeds grow well after the roots develop, it is best to keep the soil loose to ensure adequate oxygen.
4. Skin Shedding Stage
After the lateral roots grow, the seeds will enter the skin shedding stage. During this stage, the temperature can be controlled at 25°C. When the relative humidity of the air is too high, ventilate to reduce humidity, maintaining moderate humidity and keeping the soil loose, moist, and well-oxygenated.
5. Top-Nose Stage
The top-nose stage refers to the period when the cotyledons emerge after the seeds shed their skin. During this stage, the temperature should be controlled between 18 and 28°C. Water the plants when the surface of the soil is dry, maintaining the soil loose, moist, and well-oxygenated.
6. Straight-Neck Stage
The straight-neck stage refers to the period from when the cotyledons emerge to when they unfold. During this stage, it is necessary to open the covering film for ventilation in the morning or afternoon, maintaining relatively low humidity, controlling the temperature between 20 and 25°C. This way, the seedlings that emerge from the soil will not easily become tall and thin.
The above-mentioned sharing on how to care for a watermelon seedling after germination and the detailed correct method of watermelon maintenance, we hope it is helpful to you!