Detailed Explanation of Topping and Pinching Methods for Melons and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques
Melon is a summer fruit with a very good taste, so every year when its ripe season arrives, it attracts many people to buy it. Many people grow melons now, but if you want to achieve high yield of melons, some techniques are also needed during cultivation. In addition, doing a good job of topping and pinching melons is also a necessary condition to ensure good fruiting.
High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Melons
1. Choose high-yield, disease-resistant varieties. There are many melon varieties, but the main varieties currently suitable for promotion in all parts of our province include: American zucchini, Zaoqing zucchini, Cuiyu No. 1, Jingdian Biyu, Hei Xiuli and other high-yield, disease-resistant variety groups. Farmers can choose according to actual needs.
2. Seedling raising and sowing: For careful cultivation, nutrient pots or nutrient bags can be used for seedling raising. For nutrient soil preparation, based on 1000 kg as the standard, mix in 300-400 kg of fine manure, 2.5 kg of carbendazim (200-500 g of metalaxyl or 100-200 g of cartap original powder or 100-200 g of aldicarb may also be used); 30-50 kg of calcium superphosphate, 20-30 kg of compound fertilizer, add an appropriate amount of water (soil moisture content of 40-50% is suitable), mix evenly, pile and cover for 5-7 days. Then bag (pot) and sow. It is suitable to sow one seed per bag (pot). For direct sowing, sufficient basal fertilizer should be applied, with 3000-5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, 40-50 kg of calcium superphosphate, and 30-50 kg of compound fertilizer. Apply deeply in furrows or deep pits. Then cover with soil and sow, sowing 2-3 disinfected and germinated seeds per pit.
3. Reasonable dense planting. The planting density of melons depends on the variety. Generally, for dwarf types, the row spacing is 0.60-0.80 m, plant spacing is 0.50 m, and 1600-2200 pits per mu, 4000-4500 plants are suitable; for vine types, the row spacing is 1.50-2.00 m, plant spacing is 0.50 m, and 700-800 pits per mu, 1400-1600 plants are suitable. Therefore, when farmers purchase varieties, they must understand whether the variety is short-vine type or long-vine type. If short-vine melons are planted too sparsely, high yield cannot be obtained. If long-vine type (spreading everywhere) is planted too densely, the population is large, ventilation and light transmission are poor, disease resistance is poor, fruit set is poor, and yield is also very low. Therefore, you must understand the variety and determine the planting density according to the variety.
How to Top and Pinch Melons
1. The main vine of melon rarely produces female flowers and relies on secondary vines and tertiary vines to bear fruit. Secondary vines mostly produce female flowers at nodes 1-2. Therefore, timely topping and pinching are key techniques in melon cultivation. After melon planting, when the main vine has 4-5 leaves, top and pinch in time. After secondary vines appear, select and retain 2-3 robust secondary vines, and cut off other weak secondary vines.
2. When the retained secondary vines have 5-6 leaves, pinch again, select and retain 3 tertiary vines on the secondary vines, and cut off other weak tertiary vines. After the tertiary vines set fruit, pinch and retain 2 leaves from the fruit, and pay attention to removing deformed fruits. Distribute the secondary vines and tertiary vines evenly, and press soil blocks on the secondary vines. Cut off old leaves and diseased leaves and take them out of the field.
How to Topdress Melons
1. For melon fields under plastic film mulching cultivation, organic fertilizer is generally not applied as topdressing. If the basal fertilizer is insufficient, part of cake fertilizer or chemical fertilizer can be applied as topdressing. Topdressing must be carried out before female flowers open. Between two melon seedlings, 20 cm below the furrow edge, dig holes, and apply 20 kg of diammonium phosphate, 5 kg of urea, and 150 kg of oil residue per mu.
2. After the first fruit harvest, a second topdressing can be carried out. For foliar topdressing, 200 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate plus 300 g of urea can be used, respectively prepared into 2 per thousand and 3 per thousand solutions. Fulvic acid 30-50 g, prepared into 3 per ten thousand to 5 per ten thousand solution. ③ Penshibao 5 ml plus water 50 kg. The above solutions should be evenly sprayed on the leaf surface in the early morning and evening.
Common Diseases of Melons and Their Control
1. Phytophthora blight. Disinfect seeds before sowing by soaking seeds in 55 ℃ warm water for 15 minutes. Sterilize nutrient soil by adding 2 liang of 50% carbendazim per cubic meter of nutrient soil and mixing evenly. Use chemicals at the early stage of disease onset: spray with 64% oxadixyl-mancozeb 500 times, 72.2% propamocarb 800 times, or 58% Ridomil (metalaxyl-mancozeb) 500 times, and spray again after 7-10 days.
2. Gummy stem blight. Avoid watering on cloudy days and try to ensure continuous sunny days after watering. If continuous rainy days occur after watering, pay attention to short-term dehumidification at noon. At the early stage of disease onset, spray with 75% chlorothalonil 600 times, or 70% thiophanate-methyl 800 times + 80% Taisun (or Yuesheng) 800 times. After harvest, promptly remove diseased residues to reduce sources of inoculum.
The high-yield cultivation techniques for melons are actually not difficult. First, choose good seeds for germination, and then plant at the appropriate time. Management work after planting must be done well. Topping and pinching, topdressing, and disease and pest control are all very important. Only by doing these well can good growth be ensured.