Cultivation Methods and Technical Key Points for South American Ham Melon
AbstractCrop rotation selection and land preparation: Choose level land or low-lying land with ample sunlight and fertile soil for planting. Planting requirements: Plant the seeds in nutrient pots, and transplant when the outdoor temperature stabilizes above 20°C. When transplanting, the plant spacing is 1.3-1.6 m, and each hole is given 5-7.5 kg of farmyard manure and about 200 g of chemical fertilizer as base fertilizer. When transplanting by hand, place the seedlings into the holes and then water the soil thoroughly. Field management: During the growing period, hoeing for weed control should be carried out, and pests and diseases should be controlled in a timely manner.
1. Crop rotation selection and land preparation
1. Choose level land with good drainage, ample sunlight and fertile soil, or low-lying land and hilly land with irrigation conditions for planting. Do not practice continuous cropping on plots previously planted with watermelon or other cucurbit crops.
2. Open rows and prepare the land at a plant spacing of 2 m and a row spacing of 2.5 m. About 120-140 seedlings can be planted per mu, and 5-8 kg of oxidized farmyard manure can be applied at the base of each seedling.
3. Later, topdressing can be carried out according to the growth of the South American ham melon.
2. Planting requirements
Pick out the germinated seeds every day, plant them in nutrient pots, and transplant when the outdoor temperature stabilizes above 20°C.
3. Sowing in the seedbed
Place 8-cm horse manure or chopped straw at the bottom of the seedling bed, spread a layer of soil on top, tread it lightly flat, and disinfect with 70% dexon wettable powder at 0.3-0.6 g per sq m, while also covering with plastic film.
4. Seedbed management
1. Water appropriately during this period, but do not allow waterlogging. Prevent rodent damage and insect pests. Generally, phoxim and trichlorfon mixed with wheat bran (poison bait) can be used for control. At the same time, remove weeds in a timely manner and spray foliar fertilizer.
2. Pinch the growing point when the true leaves have grown to 3-4 leaves to avoid excessive vegetative growth. The suitable temperature for the seedbed is 25-28°C, and at night it should not be lower than 15°C. The seedling age is generally 35-40 days, and hardening off should be carried out 5-7 days before transplanting.
5. Timely transplanting
1. Dig large holes: Before transplanting, dig holes 20 cm×20 cm. With a plant spacing of 1.3-1.6 m, keep about 120-140 plants per mu. Each hole can be given 5-7.5 kg of farmyard manure and 100-250 g of chemical fertilizer (diammonium phosphate, potassium fertilizer and magnesium powder in a ratio of 3:1:1) as base fertilizer.
2. Manual transplanting: Before planting, water the nutrient pots thoroughly, then place the seedlings into the holes, cover with soil and water thoroughly. At the same time, cover with plastic film, cut holes and release the seedlings. Double-film transplanting can also be chosen, that is, adding an arched film after transplanting.
6. Field management
1. During the growing process, hoeing for weed control should be done manually, and pests and diseases should be controlled in a timely manner. Combined with topdressing, empty ridges can be leveled and covered with straw, using about 1 kg of rice straw or wheat straw per sq m.
2. Avoid weed infestation. When the main vine has grown to about 50 cm, combined with irrigation, apply 100-250 g of urea per plant as topdressing. Do not apply topdressing too close to the main root to avoid root burn, and do not scatter urea on the leaf surface to avoid leaf burn.
3. Each plant can retain 2 main vines. Both main vines should be laid horizontally on the empty ridges, and directional soil can be banked once.
4. When the first-order branches grow to 3 leaves, pinching can be carried out. Watch for and pinch off the second- and third-order branches. Generally, each plant can retain 4-6 melons, each weighing about 2-6 kg.