A Detailed Guide to Hami Melon Cultivation Techniques and Common Variety Classification
We have all eaten Hami melons; whether in summer or winter, they are very popular on the market. Their fresh fragrance and sweetness are their hallmark, and each variety also has subtle differences. Now, besides Xinjiang, many farmers are interested in growing Hami melons. Here, the editor summarizes for everyone Hami melon cultivation techniques and the common variety classification. Let's take a look.
I. Hami Melon Cultivation Techniques
1. Site Selection
When choosing the land for sowing, try as much as possible to choose a wind-sheltered spot with fertile soil; the soil texture should preferably contain a small amount of sand, and soil with a pH value between 5-7 can all be used for sowing.
2. Land Preparation
When preparing the land, first clear all the dead branches and weeds from the field, then spread the base fertilizer evenly over the ground, then deep-plow and level it, and wait for sowing.
3. Seed Selection
There are many seed varieties of Hami melon, and you should choose according to the natural environment of your region, such as (Queen type, Golden Phoenix type, Red Heart Crisp type, Early Gold type, the newly bred No. 86-1, etc.), and decide according to different regions.
4. Fertilization
Melon fields cultivated with plastic film mulching generally do not receive additional organic fertilizer as a top dressing. If the base fertilizer is insufficient, some cake fertilizer can be applied as a top dressing. The top dressing must be carried out before the female flowers open, digging holes between two melon seedlings, 20 cm below the edge of the ditch. After the first fruit harvest, a second top dressing can be carried out.
5. Mulching with Plastic Film
Choose transparent film or silver-gray film 70-90 cm wide to cover both sides of the melon ditch, laying it upward along the ditch wall at 10 cm from the bottom of the ditch. The plastic film is required to cling tightly to the ground and the ditch wall, and be flattened, pressed tightly, and compacted. Generally, the film is laid first and then sowing is done. To avoid the harm of late frost, you can dig holes and sow first and then cover with film, but the film must be broken in time to release the melon seedlings. Otherwise, it is likely to cause seedling scorching and missing plants.
5. Pest and Disease Control
The main insect pests are aphids and red spiders. Deltamethrin can be used for control. The main diseases are powdery mildew, anthracnose, gummy stem blight, downy mildew and bacterial angular leaf spot, etc., which can be controlled with triadimefon, chlorothalonil, metalaxyl mancozeb, agricultural streptomycin, etc. respectively.
II. Hami Melon Variety Classification
1. Xizhou Mi
Xizhou Mi is light hemp green with green stripes, with fine, dense, complete netting, orange-red flesh, fine and crisp texture, and good flavor, with a sugar content of 20%. The best is produced in eastern Xinjiang.
2. Donghu Melon
The netting is beautiful, the taste is like fragrant pear, fresh, sweet and crisp, giving off an inviting milky, fruity and wine aroma.
3. Black Eyebrow
The shape is elliptical, and the skin has more than a dozen dark green longitudinal stripes, just like a beauty's delicate eyebrows. The flesh is emerald green, fine-textured and juicy, with high sugar content, sticky to the mouth and hands. Eaten after the beginning of winter, it is even more fragrant, sweet and refreshing.
4. Xuelihong
A thick-skinned melon bred by the Xinjiang Hami Melon Research Center. It belongs to the early-to-mid maturing varieties, with a fruit development period of about 40 days. The fruit is elliptical, the rind is white, occasionally with sparse netting, and when mature it is white with a hint of red. The flesh is light red, fine and tender, crisp and refreshing, melting in the mouth.
That is all for today's introduction to Hami melons. No matter which variety it is, it has its advantages and disadvantages. When growing Hami melons, everyone should also investigate the market in advance before making a decision, and must not blindly follow the trend.