How to Grow Pepino Melon? The Cultivation Method of the "King of Anti-Cancer"
Pepino melon, also known as pepino, longevity fruit, Fengguo and so on, is a fruit native to South America, with a unique taste, crisp and juicy, deeply loved by the public. So, what are the cultivation methods for pepino melon? Let's learn about them together!
1. Site selection and land preparation
Pepino melon has strong adaptability to the growing environment and is not strict about soil requirements; it can quickly adapt and grow normally in any kind of soil. However, it is undeniable that in fertile, loose-textured, slightly acidic soil, pepino melon trees grow better, yield more, and produce better-quality fruit. Based on these conditions, the orchard location should be chosen in a place with strong soil permeability, convenient irrigation, sufficient water sources, and sufficient sunlight. Then level the land, and according to the land area, dig trenches evenly across the land. The field beds should follow a specification of 70×10 cm in width and height, and disease-free seedlings with thick branches should be used for planting.
2. Fertilizer and water management
In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer at planting time, there should be two additional topdressings during growth. The first topdressing should be when the seedlings grow to 30 cm, and the second should be before the flowering period. Each time, apply 5-6 jin each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer per mu. The tree roots must not be damaged; fertilization should be carried out about 10 cm away from the tree roots. During flowering and fruiting, a small amount of trace elements can be appropriately sprayed to promote flowering and fruiting, but the concentration each time must not be too high. It can be applied more often but not in excessive amounts. The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are the stages when pepino melon needs water the most, and during this stage it should be watered frequently.
3. Pruning and trimming
Pruning and trimming pepino melon is a relatively important step, because pepino melon grows quickly. For trees that are growing too vigorously, overly long branches should be pruned. Only about 4 strong, evenly distributed branches should be kept on the main trunk, and all the rest should be removed. In addition, the flower clusters on side branches must not exceed three, and the fruits on a flower cluster must not exceed three. The fruits on each tree should preferably not exceed 30. Excess flower clusters and fruits should all be removed, because too many flowers and fruits will lead to insufficient nutrient supply and make it impossible to ensure the normal development of all fruits. Instead, it may reduce the quality of all fruits due to malnutrition.
4. Timely harvesting
Pepino melon generally matures at the seasonal transition in August-September. Harvesting can begin when obvious purple stripes appear on the fruit surface, or when there are no stripes but the surface is smooth and reflective. If you plan to store the fruit for a period after harvesting, it can be harvested when it is 80 percent ripe. After harvesting, store it at room temperature for 1-2 months, and in spring it will fully ripen and enter the market.
The above are the cultivation methods for pepino melon summarized by the editor. I hope they can help you!