Hami melon seed planting methods and key technical points
Hami melon is a relatively high-yielding fruit, commonly seen every summer. The appearance of the Hami melon has white stripes covering the whole fruit; there are green ones, yellow ones, and so on. Its sweetness is very high. When opened, the middle of the Hami melon is hollow and filled with seeds. These are the seeds of the Hami melon, and they can be used to grow Hami melons.
Hami melon seed planting methods
1. Sow at the right time. Generally, sowing should be done after the late frost, when the soil temperature 10 cm below the soil surface is stable at about 14°C. For melon fields using plastic film mulch, sowing can be done around April 20. Without plastic film mulch, the sowing period can be appropriately delayed. For winter melons intended for storage, the sowing period can be delayed to around May 20.
2. The sowing method can use hole sowing with punched holes. Along the watermark line of the melon furrow, dig holes manually, with hole spacing depending on the maturity of the variety. For early and mid-season varieties with single-vine pruning, the plant spacing is 0.45 m; for mid-late and late varieties with double-vine pruning, the plant spacing is 0.6 m. Sowing depth depends on differences in soil texture and soil moisture. If the soil is very sandy and moisture is insufficient, sow appropriately deeper and cover with slightly thicker soil; if the soil is heavy clay and moisture is good, sow shallowly and cover with thin soil. Generally, sowing depth is 3-4 cm. Sow 2-3 seeds per hole.
Preparatory work before sowing Hami melon seeds
1. Select good varieties. The currently approved new varieties Xinmiza No. 7 (8601), Xinmi No. 11 (86-1), Xinmi No. 13 (New Queen), Xinmi No. 15 (Xiangfei Mi), and Xinmi No. 23 (Jinmi Bao) should be selected.
2. Seed treatment. Before sowing, do a good job of seed selection. Both variety purity and seed germination rate should be above 95%. Soak seeds in 200-fold formalin for 2 hours, then rinse 2-3 times with clean water. In areas where viral diseases occur severely, seeds can be mixed with a 2% aqueous solution of trisodium phosphate, or seed dry-heat sterilization can be used, that is, first treat at a constant dry heat of 40°C for 24 hours, then dry-heat treat at 70°C for 5 days, and then germinate and sow.
3. To prevent underground pests, after the above seed treatment, 100-fold liquid of 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate can be evenly sprayed on the seeds, left to pile and in a cool place for 1-2 hours, and then sown.
Fertilization techniques after planting Hami melon seeds
1. Raising seedlings: Use Lünong brand special seedling fertilizer. Usage method: each pack of seedling fertilizer raises seedlings for 3-5 mu, and it can be applied to coconut coir or sandy soil. Ratio: 1 pack of seedling fertilizer to about one cubic meter of coconut coir, stir evenly and fill trays.
2. Base fertilizer before soilless transplanting: Use bio-organic fertilizer 600-800 jin/mu, Chilibor 400 g/mu, Fuqiduo 3 packs/mu.
3. Base fertilizer before soil transplanting by furrow application: Use bio-organic fertilizer 600-800 jin/mu, Chilibor 400 g/mu, Fuqiduo 4 packs/mu, potassium sulfate compound fertilizer 30 jin/mu, potassium sulfate 15 jin/mu, magnesium sulfate 8 jin/mu, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer 30 jin/mu. Base fertilizer broadcast application: Use bio-organic fertilizer 800-1000 jin/mu, Chilibor 400 g/mu, Fuqiduo 4 packs/mu, potassium sulfate compound fertilizer 100 jin/mu, potassium sulfate 40 jin/mu, magnesium sulfate 10 jin/mu, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer 100 jin/mu.
4. Root-setting water after soil and soilless transplanting: Gaomeishi humic acid 800-1000 times; after 3-4 days, micro-supplement root-promoting liquid 800-1000 times + leaf-preserving magnesium flushing fertilizer 1500 times, chemical nutrient solution calcium nitrate 1.0-2.0, potassium nitrate 1.0-2.0, magnesium sulfate 0.6-1.0, monopotassium phosphate 0.4-0.6.
5. Growth period: Under normal supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, supplementing with multifunctional organic liquid fertilizer, medium and trace element fertilizer, and trace element fertilizer should be used as a supplement.
Irrigation methods for Hami melon
The number of irrigations and the amount of irrigation water vary with soil quality, melon furrow size, and groundwater level. During the seedling stage, while maintaining a certain soil temperature, appropriately control water to promote seedling squatting, so as to help the seedlings take root. During the seedling stage, generally irrigate 1-2 times, and the field water-holding capacity should be 65%. For melon fields cultivated with plastic film mulch, generally no irrigation is done before male flowers open. The first irrigation is done at the beginning of flowering. During the flowering and fruit-setting period, generally irrigate 2-3 times, and the field water-holding capacity should be 80%. During the fruit enlargement period, water demand is greater, generally irrigating once every 7-10 days, with water-holding capacity at 85%. At this time, the temperature is relatively high. To reduce the occurrence of late blight, avoid watering at noon, and water less. The watering depth should be 1/2-1/3 of the furrow depth. During the fruit ripening period, irrigate 1-2 times, and the irrigation depth should not exceed 1/2 of the furrow depth. The field water-holding capacity is best at 55%. Irrigation must be stopped 10 days before fruit harvest. It is advisable to irrigate melon fields with well water. Irrigation requires single-furrow irrigation and must not be cross-irrigation. Flood irrigation and cross-irrigation must be avoided.
The seed planting of Hami melon is mainly concentrated in the early summer each year, and generally uses the shallow sowing method. In the early stage of planting, you can choose the varieties you like to plant. Hami melon is a relatively drought-tolerant variety, but we should also water it appropriately and not excessively, generally using the single-furrow irrigation technique.