How to grow the horned melon? A detailed guide to its cultivation methods
Folklore tells of an immortal herding sheep who traveled to Panji on the banks of the Huai River (present-day Panji District, Huainan) and, charmed by this auspicious place, left behind a single horned melon before departing. Through generations of care by the hardworking and wise people of Panji, a delicacy fit for human consumption was bred forth——the horned crunchy melon. The horned crunchy melon, also known as the “crunchy melon”, is produced in Panji District, Huainan City, Anhui Province. The melon is horn-shaped, with white-green skin and green flesh. So today, the editor will introduce the cultivation methods for the horned melon.
1. The horned melon is suitable for trellised cultivation in greenhouses. For greenhouse cultivation, maintain about 2000 plants per mu, train the main vine upward, and keep melons above the 4th-5th leaf; no fruit-setting hormone spray is needed. During the fruiting period, increase the day-night temperature difference and appropriately control nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation to prevent excessive growth from affecting fruit set.
2. For the first crop of melons, keep 3-4 melons per plant. When female flowers appear at the 6th-10th leaf, pinch off the growing tip at the same time so that fruits set simultaneously and swell during the same period, making the fruits uniform.
3. After fruit set, leave 1 leaf on the fruiting branch before the melon and pinch off the tip, removing all growing points above it. Generally, when the main vine grows to 25-30 true leaves and is about 40 cm from the greenhouse roof, pinch off the main vine tip to promote fruit development and control vine growth. Generally, do not keep melons at the 10th-20th node positions; remove secondary vines promptly. When the plant is weak, secondary vines may be pinched at 1 leaf.
4. When the first crop of melons is the size of a chicken egg and the young melons on secondary vines growing from upper nodes are easy to set, pinch off another 2-3, keeping 2-3 melons for the second crop. Remove secondary vines that bear no fruit early, and keep 1 growing point at the top without pinching. Later, uncover the greenhouse film and keep 2-3 fruits on tertiary vines to produce the third crop.
5. Note that pruning and pinching should be done on a sunny day after the dew has evaporated, to help wounds heal quickly and prevent infection. It is best to use scissors for pruning, and prepare a moist medicated cloth soaked in a 200-fold dilution of 75% chlorothalonil or similar agents; wipe the scissors once after cutting each plant to prevent cross-infection.