Muskmelon not sweet? You may have missed these key cultivation techniques

Muskmelon tastes sweet and fragrant, with a unique flavor, a small size, and a white skin. Muskmelon is cultivated throughout China, with many varieties and high nutritional value. The cucurbitacin it is rich in has a certain effect in fighting and preventing cancer. In recent years, more and more farmers have begun to grow muskmelon themselves.The muskmelon you grow is not sweet? You may have missed these key cultivation technique points.

1. When is seedling raising generally done?

Muskmelon varieties cultivated in plastic greenhouses must have characteristics such as tolerance to low temperatures in the early stage, tolerance to high temperatures in the later stage, good fruit set, early maturity, high yield, and good quality. Several years of practice have proven that Qitian No. 1, Baitangguan, Longtian No. 1, Elizabeth, and Huangdaozi can all be cultivated.

Seedling raising should be done in a solar greenhouse to the field. Generally, raising seedlings around the lunar term “Start of Spring” is more suitable. First carry out seed treatment and remove impurities from the seeds. Sun them for 1-2 days, soak the seeds in 50°C warm water for 10 minutes, stirring while pouring the water; when the water temperature drops to 30°C, soak the seeds for 4 hours, then drain the water, put them in a clean wet cloth bag, place them in a basin for germination, and the germination temperature should be within the range of 250-30°C. Wash them twice a day. After 36 hours, once the seeds sprout, they can be sown directly into nutrient bags. If the seedlings are planned to be planted in early March, hardening off should begin half a month before planting. The method of hardening off is to lower the temperature in the greenhouse and increase ventilation. Generally, the daytime temperature should be below 20°C, the nighttime temperature must not be above 10°C, and the temperature should also be gradually lowered.

2. What should be noted when planting?

Generally, muskmelon cultivated in greenhouses is best at a seedling age of about 55 days. Seedlings raised around the Start of Spring are generally planted in late March. One month before planting, first cover with film to warm the soil, and at the same time carry out deep plowing, applying 5000 kg of high-quality decomposed base fertilizer per mu and 10 kg of diammonium phosphate, then make beds 0.65 m wide, planting two rows per bed with a plant spacing of 30 cm. You can also make ridges 60 cm wide, cover the ground between two ridges, and keep 2500 seedlings per mu. Because the external temperature is relatively low during this period and cold waves often occur, it is best to cover with plastic film plus small arches when planting, and cover with two layers of paper quilts at night.

3. How to prune branches and pinch off growing tips?

If greenhouse muskmelon is not trellised, the main method is to keep vines on both sides for pruning. Pinching off growing tips begins when the 2 true leaves of the young seedlings unfold. In order to bring them to market earlier, keep only one melon per branch vine after a melon appears, leave 4 leaves above the melon and pinch off the growing tip, and remove any new shoots as soon as they appear.

4. What are the key points for fertilizing, irrigating, and preventing pests and diseases?

Muskmelon fertilization is mainly based on base fertilizer. After pinching off the growing tips at the 4-leaf stage, in order to promote the development of secondary vines and the needs of early fruit development, 15 kg of diammonium phosphate can be applied per mu as a top dressing, and 0.3% monopotassium phosphate can be sprayed on the leaves. After the first melon harvest, decomposed large water and monopotassium phosphate can be applied per mu as a top dressing.

In principle, muskmelon irrigation should mainly be controlled, and water should not be given unless there is drought. The whole growth period can be watered four times. The first is after planting and recovery; the second is one pre-flowering watering before the first flower blooms; the third is one fruit-swelling watering when the melon grows to the size of an egg; the fourth is one leaf-surface watering 10 days before fruit harvest.

Pest and disease control: following the principle of prevention first, when planting, use 70% Dexon in a 1:5 ratio to prepare medicated soil and apply it into the ammonium, or use the biological pesticide Nongkang 120 for root drenching to control Fusarium wilt and other root diseases. Grafting seedlings can also be used to control Fusarium wilt, with Yunnan black-seeded pumpkin used as the rootstock. For aphids, Xunya No. 2 developed by the Shenyang Academy of Agricultural Sciences can be used.

5. When is it harvested?

Greenhouse muskmelon is harvested earliest on June 2. If it is grafted muskmelon, it can be about 1 week earlier. The first crop sets fruit on June 20, and the yield per mu can reach 2500 kg. The early price is 10 yuan/kg, and the average price is 6 yuan/kg. The output value per mu can reach 7500 yuan, and the net income per mu is 6000 yuan.