Detailed Explanation of Greenhouse Bitter Melon Cultivation Techniques and Management Key Points
To plant bitter melon in a greenhouse, you first need to select a suitable variety, then grow seedlings and arrange transplanting. Transplanting is generally carried out around February each year, and management work can begin after true leaves emerge. Management focuses on watering and fertilizing, checking for pests and diseases, removing field weeds, and finally arranging harvesting.
Greenhouse Bitter Melon Transplanting Management
1. Greenhouse temperature and humidity control
After transplanting, keep the greenhouse closed during the seedling recovery period to raise the temperature and promote recovery. Before the end of March, keep warm and prevent freezing, with appropriate ventilation during the day. Before the end of April, pay attention to keeping warm at night and ventilation to reduce humidity during the day. After May, focus on ventilation, cooling, and dehumidification. When the midday temperature reaches 30°C, begin ventilation, and stop ventilation when the greenhouse temperature drops to 25°C in the afternoon. In June, remove the bottom skirt film of the greenhouse and keep the roof film to prevent rain.
2. Fertilizer and water management
Bitter melon likes fertilizer and moisture. Under conditions of sufficient water and fertilizer, the yield is high and the quality is good. On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, fertilizer and water management must also be strengthened. Although bitter melon is tolerant of fertilizer, its tolerance is weak at the seedling stage, and slightly concentrated fertilizer will burn the seedlings, so topdressing should be light in the early stage and heavy in the later stage.
3. Pruning and trellising
Strengthen pruning and cultivate with supports. When vines begin to grow tendrils, promptly set up A-shaped, arch-shaped, or trapezoidal trellises and guide the vines onto them. Bitter melon mainly sets fruit on the main vine, so side vines should be removed. Under conditions of sufficient water and fertilizer, a few side vines can also be retained in the later stage to increase later yield. At the same time, old leaves and diseased leaves should be removed at any time in the middle and late stages of production to facilitate ventilation.
4. Artificial supplementary pollination
Because the temperature is low during early-maturing cultivation of bitter melon, the greenhouse door is opened less, air movement in the greenhouse is small, and insects are rarely seen for pollination, natural pollination is difficult. Therefore, artificial pollination is required, and 20-40 mg/L 2,4-D should be applied to the female flower pedicel or young fruit to increase the fruit-setting rate of bitter melon, overcome fruit abortion, promote fruit expansion, and increase yield.