Watermelon Growing Environment Requirements and Cultivation Techniques and Management Key Points
There are many varieties of watermelon, and different varieties differ in sweetness, rind, and flesh form. Watermelon is grown in most parts of our country, among which Lanzhou in Gansu, Xinjiang, Dezhou in Shandong, Liyang in Jiangsu and other regions are relatively famous. Today let us take a look together at what requirements watermelon has for the growing environment? What are the key points of cultivation techniques and management?
I. What requirements does watermelon have for the growing environment?
1. Temperature requirements
Watermelon is suitable for growing and developing in a relatively high-temperature environment, so it is very tolerant of high temperatures, but the most suitable growing temperature is between 18 and 32 degrees Celsius.
2. Light requirements
Watermelon is a light-loving plant. If there is sufficient light, it will generally produce watermelons of good quality and high grade. Especially during the fruiting period, the light needs to meet 10 to 12 hours; below 8 hours, the quality of the fruit produced is poor.
3. Soil requirements
Watermelon is suitable for growing in sandy soil with good looseness, strong drainage, loose texture, and deep soil layers; weakly acidic soil is relatively suitable.
4. Water requirements
Watermelon is tolerant of drought, so when there is a lot of rain, excess water must be drained promptly; otherwise, when humidity is too high, diseases are very likely to occur, leading to reduced yield and quality.
II. Key points of watermelon cultivation techniques and management
1. Land preparation and fertilization
In addition to choosing suitable soil for planting watermelon, attention must also be paid to the fact that the plot for planting watermelon should not be continuously cropped; generally, rotation is done once every four to five years. The previous crop should be selected from grass-family crops such as corn and rice.
The land for planting watermelon must be deep-plowed in winter, drainage ditches dug around it, and beds opened according to a certain row spacing. Dig a ditch on one side of the bed surface to apply base fertilizer. One mu of land needs about 6,000 jin of farmyard manure, then add 30 to 40 jin of phosphate fertilizer, and also mix in borax, zinc fertilizer, etc.
2. Planting and management
When watermelon seedlings grow three to five true leaves, they can be planted on a sunny day with a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, taking care to choose a windless environment. Two to three days before planting, the seedbed should be watered thoroughly; after planting, water enough to settle the roots, seal the planting holes, and cover with a small arch shed for insulation.
If low-temperature weather is encountered, an additional layer of shed film needs to be added. For one week after planting, insulation measures should be increased to promote seedling recovery; generally, wind protection is not used, and the film of the small arch shed is uncovered during the day.
3. Vine extension period management
This period is mainly to promote root and stem-leaf growth, increase leaf area to improve photosynthetic efficiency, accumulate abundant assimilates, and provide the material needs for the normal development of flower organs.
4. Flowering and fruit-setting period management
During the flowering and fruit-setting period of watermelon, attention should be paid to the phenomenon of excessive vegetative growth in the plants, and water and fertilizer should be well controlled. For plants found to be growing excessively, methods such as twisting the shoot tips and pinching after pollination can be used to increase the fruit-setting rate.