How to Grow Horned Melon? Master 5 Key Cultivation Points

The horned melon has a relatively high market price and is in a state of short supply, making it a planting project worth trying. Below is an introduction to the 5 key cultivation points of horned melon for reference.

1. Cultivation Environment

It can be cultivated in a greenhouse, generally planted in November. Preparation in the greenhouse should begin before planting. The greenhouse frame should be covered 20 days before planting to raise the soil temperature. With about 7 days remaining, begin preparing the overhead curtain, then choose a film with good light transmission and insulation effect to enclose it. By March of the following year, the temperature rises, and the overhead curtain and film can be removed.

2. Raising Seedlings of Horned Melon

The horned melon has weaker growth vigor, and if the root of the melon is damaged, it generally does not heal easily, and its disease resistance is poor, which will reduce the yield and returns of the melon. Therefore, to prevent this, grafting is used to cultivate seedlings. This must be done in a greenhouse with heating equipment. When grafting, the thickness of the melon stem and the thickness of the rootstock stem must be consistent. Then measure the greenhouse temperature, and according to the temperature, the rootstock should be sown about 16 days earlier than the melon.

When the cotyledons spread out, it is time to graft. When doing so, be careful about the size of the incision angle. Also, spray the cotyledons once the night before grafting. Chlorothalonil can be used to prevent bacterial infection. Within 3 days after successful grafting, pay close attention to the humidity in the greenhouse. High humidity will make the graft union heal faster. Keep humidity above 90% to prevent the seedlings from losing water, and also provide shade. After 3 days, the seedlings can be allowed to absorb sunlight during the day to strengthen photosynthesis. After observing that the graft union has healed, normal management can begin.

3. Fertilizer and Water Management for Horned Melon

For horned melon from flowering to maturity, two rounds of fertilizer and water are appropriate. Depending on field conditions, one fertilizer-water application can be given before or after flowering, and one fertilizer-water application about 20 days after flowering, after which no more watering is done. During the fruit swelling period, spray the plants twice with sugar water leaf fertilizer. As a reference, use 30 jin of water with 30 grams of edible sugar, 30 grams of monopotassium phosphate, and amino acid leaf fertilizer. Among the many melon varieties, horned melon is one of the varieties with the thinnest stems and the weakest vine growth. To ensure its true horned melon quality, root replacement grafting is usually not adopted, and only own-root seedlings are used, that is, the original quality.

4. Temperature Management for Horned Melon

For temperature management of horned melon during the flowering and fruit-setting period, use 28-30 degrees during the day and above 13 degrees at night as a reference, to help nutrient accumulation in the horned melon and increase sugar content. As maturity approaches, the temperature can be raised to a maximum of 30-33 degrees, but high-temperature management must not be used in the earlier stage, otherwise the relatively shallow root system and slender plants of the horned melon will consume nutrients excessively and show premature aging.

5. Harvesting Horned Melon

Horned melon generally matures about 30-33 days after flowering, and the proper harvest time is when the flesh is crisp and palatable. If too late, the flesh becomes mealy in texture and the sugar content slightly decreases. As a reference, a mature melon shows yellow on the gray fruit surface, with green patches loose and lacking luster, and the fruit surface feels sticky to the touch. When harvesting horned melon, cotton gloves must be worn to prevent fingernails from scratching and damaging the fruit.