How to Grow a Pepino Melon Tree? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Key Techniques
The pepino melon is a very popular fruit, with uniquely flavored flesh that is crisp, refreshing and juicy, neither sour nor astringent. It is a fairly nutritionally complete fruit, and eating it can supplement the various nutrients the human body needs. So, how do you grow a pepino melon tree?
1. Planting plot
Choose a suitable plot. It is not very demanding about soil, and can be grown in clay soil, sandy loam, mountainous land and so on, but it grows better in sandy soil that is loose, well-drained and rich in humus. Apply plenty of base fertilizer to the chosen plot, and combine this with deep ploughing of the soil.
2. Planting the saplings
When planting the saplings, the minimum temperature should not be lower than 5°C, and the 10cm soil temperature should be stable above 12°C. Dig the planting trench, and plant strong, healthy seedlings with a complete root system, thick stems, short internodes and no pests or diseases in the trench at a suitable spacing between plants and rows. After planting, cover with soil and water, then cover with soil again after the water has seeped away, and then cover with plastic film.
3. Fertilizing and watering
Apart from the base fertilizer spread at planting time, two top-dressings are needed during the growing period. The first is when the seedlings are 30 cm tall, and the second is before flowering. Apply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and take care not to damage the roots when fertilizing; spraying a little trace elements at flowering or fruiting can promote flowering and fruiting. The periods around the start of spring and the start of autumn are when water is most needed, so water frequently.
4. Pruning the branches
If they are cutting-grown seedlings, 1 to 4 main branches may sprout, and each node of the main branches can also sprout multiple side branches. Keep 2 main branches if they are fairly dense, and 3 main branches if they are fairly sparse; leave no side branches in the early stage, and keep 1 to 2 side branches in the middle stage; for closely planted ones, no side branches need be kept.