A Detailed Guide to Muskmelon Cultivation Techniques and Management Key Points

The horn-shaped muskmelon is horn-shaped, with white-green skin, green flesh, and orange-red pulp, and a high juice content. Its taste is crisp, fragrant, and sweet, and it is loved by many people. So what are the cultivation techniques for horn-shaped muskmelon?

1. Cultivation techniques for horn-shaped muskmelon

The horn-shaped muskmelon is suitable for greenhouse cultivation with vines trained upward. In greenhouse cultivation, keep about 2000 plants per mu, train the main vine upward, retain fruit above 4-5 leaves, and there is no need to spray fruit-setting hormone. 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. For the first crop of fruit, retain 3-4 fruits per plant. When female flowers appear at the 6th-10th leaves, pinch the tips at the same time so that fruits set simultaneously and expand at the same time, making the fruits uniform and consistent.

After fruit set, leave 1 leaf on the fruit-bearing secondary vine before the fruit and pinch off the growing point, and remove all growing points above it. Generally, when the main vine grows to 25-30 true leaves and is about 40 cm from the greenhouse top, pinch the main vine to promote fruit development and control vine growth. Generally, do not retain fruit at the 10th-20th nodes on the middle section, and remove secondary vines in time. When the plant growth is weak, the secondary vine can be pinched after retaining 1 leaf. When the first crop of fruit is as large as an egg and the secondary vine fruit buds growing at upper nodes are easy to set, pinch off another 2-3, retain 2-3 fruits for the second crop, remove fruitless secondary vines early, and keep 1 growing point at the top without pinching. In the later stage, remove the greenhouse film and retain 2-3 fruits on tertiary vines to produce the third crop of fruit.

Note that pruning and pinching should be carried out after dew has evaporated on a sunny day, to help wounds heal as quickly as possible and prevent infection. It is best to use scissors for pruning, and prepare a moist medicated cloth soaked with 200-fold 75% chlorothalonil and other agents, and wipe the scissors once after cutting each plant to prevent cross-infection.

2. Effects of horn-shaped muskmelon

The fruit is short, club-shaped, thick at the top and narrow at the base, with a smooth surface and 10 ridge-like protrusions. The skin of young fruit is green-white, turning yellow-white when fully mature, and the flesh is white, crisp and tender, with high water content, a slight sweetness, and good quality. It is suitable for eating raw, and can also be pickled or used in soup. Muskmelon is rich in water and clears heat and purges fire, making it an excellent product for relieving summer heat and cooling down. People sweat a lot in summer and are prone to dizziness; muskmelon contains a lot of potassium and can effectively prevent dizziness.

Horn-shaped muskmelon is very delicious and relatively popular in the market. Now many people eat horn-shaped muskmelon and enjoy a healthy and tasty life.