Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Soilless Watermelon Cultivation Techniques
Soilless cultivation is a relatively new type of cultivation technique; it does not require soil, and the most common forms are hydroponics and mist culture. Nowadays many people use this technique to grow crops anytime and anywhere, and many can also grow them at home. Watermelon, this large fruit, can likewise be grown using this technique.
Soilless Watermelon Cultivation Techniques
1. Use a porcelain basin or plastic bag with a diameter of 30 cm and a height of 45 cm; put 15 cm of pebbles in the lower part and fill the upper part with 80 to 90 percent clean river sand.
2. Sow the sprouted watermelon seeds in the river sand, sowing 1 to 2 seeds per basin, and finally keep one strong seedling, or raise seedlings in nutrient bags and then transplant them into the river sand. When the sown seedlings have just grown true leaves, and after the transplanted seedlings have survived, begin watering with nutrient solution, using 200 to 500 grams per plant, applying once each to the upper and lower rows; the amount used at the seedling stage can be smaller, and the amount used later can be increased. When the temperature is high and the light is strong, an extra watering can be given at noon. Each plant can retain only 1 main vine or 1 side vine, and bear 1 to 2 melons.
3. Pinch off the growing tip 7 to 8 leaves ahead of the fruiting site. Other management is the same as for general cultivation. Nutrient solution formula: 15 grams of urea, 5 to 10 grams of calcium nitrate, 3.5 to 4 grams of monopotassium phosphate, 1.8 grams of potassium chloride, 0.35 to 0.4 grams of ferric chloride, 5.6 grams of borax, and 1.5 grams each of manganese sulfate, copper sulfate and zinc sulfate. The pH value of the nutrient solution is 5.5 to 6.
What Is Soilless Cultivation
Soilless cultivation is a modern seedling-raising technique that uses lightweight materials such as peat or forest leaf mold and expanded vermiculite as seedling substrate to fix the plants, allowing the plant roots to come into direct contact with the nutrient solution, and adopting mechanized precision sowing to produce seedlings in one step. The seedling trays selected are divided into cells, sowing one seed per cell and producing one plant per cell; the roots of the grown seedlings intertwine with the substrate, and the root ball is shaped like a plug that is larger at the top and smaller at the bottom, commonly called plug soilless seedling raising.
How to Supplement Carbon Dioxide in Soilless Watermelon Cultivation
Carbon dioxide is an important raw material for photosynthesis in watermelon to manufacture nutrients, and it is also an important factor determining yield and quality. In greenhouse soilless watermelon cultivation, watermelon absorbs carbon dioxide very quickly. Because no organic fertilizer is applied, the carbon dioxide content is relatively low. Therefore, insufficient carbon dioxide is an important limiting factor in watermelon production. According to experiments, applying carbon dioxide can promote watermelon fruit setting and fruit expansion, and has an obvious yield-increasing effect. Now, carbon dioxide topdressing has become an indispensable measure in soilless cultivation abroad. The specific methods for supplementing carbon dioxide in the greenhouse are as follows:
1. Open windows for ventilation. After 10 a.m., without affecting the room temperature, open the windows for ventilation to supplement the shortage of carbon dioxide in the greenhouse with carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
2. Ammonium bicarbonate plus sulfuric acid produces carbon dioxide.
3. Apply dry ice or compressed carbon dioxide. Abroad, carbon dioxide generators and burning white kerosene are generally used to produce carbon dioxide.
How to Increase the Solution Supply Temperature in Soilless Watermelon Cultivation
In soilless cultivation, no matter which form is used, the nutrient solution temperature directly affects the growth of the watermelon root system and the absorption of water and mineral nutrients. The suitable growth temperature for the watermelon root system is 18°C-23°C. If the nutrient solution temperature is higher than 28°C or lower than 13°C for a long time, it is unfavorable to root growth. Greenhouse soilless watermelon cultivation is very prone to the problem of excessively low temperature, so measures to heat the nutrient solution can be taken so that the solution temperature meets the requirements of the root system. If the gravel basin or trough cultivation method is used, the cultivation container can be placed above the ground as much as possible, and a suitable temperature can be maintained in the greenhouse to raise the temperature of the root system.
Why is watermelon a product of summer? Because watermelon has a very good effect of reducing heat and quenching thirst, and is a sacred product for relieving summer heat. Every summer, basically every household will buy watermelon to eat. Watermelon can be made into various foods or drinks, so cultivating watermelon is a very good business opportunity.