What spacing between plants and rows is suitable for planting watermelon

AbstractWhen planting watermelon in a greenhouse, you can follow a planting density with a wide row spacing of about 90-100cm, a narrow row spacing of about 40-50cm, and a plant spacing of about 40-50cm. For open-field watermelon planting, the plant spacing and row spacing can be determined according to different maturity periods. Generally, the plant spacing is controlled at about 40-50cm, and the row spacing is controlled at about 1.6-2.2m. Early-maturing varieties can be planted a little more densely, and late-maturing varieties can be slightly sparser.

1. Plant spacing and row spacing for planting watermelon

Greenhouse planting: Generally, when planting watermelon in a greenhouse, you can make full use of the favorable conditions of the greenhouse and plant with wide and narrow rows, hanging vines, and trellis cultivation. The wide row spacing is 90-100cm, the narrow row spacing is 40-50cm, and the plant spacing is 40-50cm. The planting density per mu can be increased to 1800-2400 plants.

Open-field planting: For open-field watermelon, the plant spacing and row spacing can be determined according to different maturity periods of the watermelon. Under normal circumstances, the plant spacing can be controlled at about 40-50cm, and the row spacing at about 1.6-2.2m, adjusted appropriately according to different varieties. Early-maturing varieties can be planted more densely, while late-maturing varieties can be sparser.

2. Later-stage management of watermelon planting

1. Bud removal and vine retention

After planting watermelon, in order to increase the number of leaves in the early stage, do not remove buds too early. Let them grow naturally so as to increase the number of leaves as soon as possible, promote robust vine growth, and wait until the vines grow to more than 60cm before removing buds and pruning branches. When removing buds, keep 4 large vines and let the vines continue to grow, and cut off all the other small vines.

2. Arranging and hanging vines

Select 2 relatively large main vines from them, and use watermelon hanging lines to hang the vines on the trellis. When hanging the vines, wrap the vines in an S shape so that the vines bend and climb upward, which can ease the vine growth vigor and improve space utilization.

3. Pruning secondary vines

(1) For the secondary vines growing from the leaf axils of the vines, except for 1 at the fruit-setting node position, which should be kept and pinched at 3—4 leaves, all other secondary vines should be cut off to avoid too many growing points, which can cause insufficient nutrients, affect light conditions, and reduce the watermelon fruit-setting rate.

(2) For the other 2 watermelon vines, keep 8-10 leaves on 1 vine and pinch it, then prune off the secondary vines. For the other vine, also prune off the secondary vines in time and let it grow freely on the ground between rows. During artificial pollination, it is also necessary to remove the growing points and secondary vines, thereby reducing competition for nutrients, which is beneficial for watermelon fruit setting.

4. Retain mature leaves

In the early growth stage of watermelon, retain relatively more mature leaves, thereby increasing the early leaf area of the watermelon, fully improving space utilization, and also producing organic nutrients. It can also promote well-developed roots, strong seedlings, and fruit development, laying a good foundation for later high yield and high quality.

5. Controlling vine growth during the fruit-setting period

(1) When planting watermelon in open fields, during the fruit-setting period, as the young fruit expands rapidly, the growth of the vines will begin to slow down until it pauses. However, when planting in a greenhouse, due to high planting density and sufficient fertilizer and water, the vines will still continue to grow vigorously. If left to grow freely, it will lead to vine canopy closure, deterioration of light conditions, reduced photosynthetic products, and easy occurrence of pests and diseases, causing watermelon yield to decline as well.

(2) During this period, pay attention to timely controlling vine growth. When the vines grow to about 2 meters, promptly remove the vine tips and cut off branches, thereby improving light conditions, increasing photosynthetic efficiency, and also inhibiting vine growth, prompting nutrients to be supplied to the young fruit.