How to grow melons (bailan melon)? Detailed growing techniques

Melon, also known as muskmelon, melon, Wallace melon and so on, is a common seasonal fruit, sweet in taste, crisp and tender and juicy, deeply welcomed by everyone. So, what growing techniques are there for melons? Let's find out together!

1. Growth habits

Melon is suitable for growing in loam or sandy loam with deep soil layers, rich in organic acids, fertile soil and good aeration. Melon is a drought-tolerant plant that does not tolerate waterlogging, and its root system is relatively shallow, so it needs relatively high soil moisture and relatively low air humidity. An air humidity of around 50 is most suitable for melon growth. Its optimum growth temperature is between 18-25 degrees, and the optimum temperature for flowering and fruiting is between 22-25 degrees. Generally, in the western regions of our country, such as Xinjiang, Gansu and other places, it is more suitable for planting melons. These places have sufficient sunshine, large temperature differences between day and night, and sandy loam soil, so the melons grown are sweeter and of higher quality.

2. Seed selection and sowing

The selection of seeds should be based on the local soil, climate and the farmers' own needs to choose excellent varieties. Before sowing, disinfect the seeds first, which can reduce the incidence of diseases later. The disinfection method is: soak the seeds in a low-concentration carbendazim solution for 10 minutes to complete disinfection. Melon seeds can be sown in spring and autumn. Spring sowing is in February-March of spring, and autumn sowing is in August-November. When sowing, nutrient pots or nutrient bags can be used for raising seedlings, or the method of direct seed sowing can be used. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer, with 3000-5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. The fertilizer should be applied deep in the soil layer, then covered with soil and sown, with 2-3 seeds per planting hole. After sowing is completed, water thoroughly to promote seed germination.

3. Seedling stage management

Muskmelon seedlings grow very quickly after emergence, especially seedlings raised in nutrient pots or nutrient bags, so in order to avoid excessive seedling growth, we must strictly control water and temperature. After emergence, keep the daytime temperature at around 20-25 degrees and the nighttime temperature at around 10 degrees. At the same time, strengthen fertilizer and water management and apply a thin compound fertilizer solution once a week, which can promote seedling growth. It is worth noting that during the seedling stage, timely cultivating and weeding should be carried out to promote root development. While avoiding weeds robbing seedlings of nutrients, it can also prevent and control diseases, because many diseases come from the root system. When the root system is not well developed, the diseases will be more severe.

4. Pest and disease control

Melon has many pests and diseases. The main diseases at the seedling stage are root rot, powdery mildew and rust. Metalaxyl or metalaxyl-copper can be sprayed to control root rot, and Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed to control powdery mildew and rust. The main insect pest of melon is aphids, followed by cutworms, armyworms, cotton bollworms and so on, which can be controlled by spraying imidacloprid, Tianwangxing emulsifiable concentrate and Mieshaoli emulsifiable concentrate.

The above is the melon growing method compiled for you by the editor. I hope it can help you.