How should cantaloupe seeds be treated so they germinate smoothly?
We all know that the seeds of many fruits are excellent beauty products; they can be pressed for oil and can also be eaten. When eating cantaloupe, the leftover cantaloupe seeds can be eaten and can also be used for planting. So how are cantaloupe seeds grown as potted plants? Cantaloupe is usually propagated by seed, so the seeds need to be pre-treated before sowing. Below, let us look at the seed treatment methods for cantaloupe!
1. Selecting and sun-drying cantaloupe seeds
Place the cantaloupe seeds in a clean place and sort them by hand. Remove seeds that are deformed, moldy, damaged or insect-eaten, and keep well-formed, plump cantaloupe seeds for later use. Spread the selected cantaloupe seeds evenly on clean paper or a straw mat and dry them in the sun when the weather is clear and sunny. Turn them once every 2 hours so the cantaloupe seeds receive even sunlight. Sun-drying promotes after-ripening of the seeds, enhances seed vigor and increases the germination rate of cantaloupe seeds. At the same time, the ultraviolet rays in sunlight and the relatively high temperature can kill disease-causing organisms carried on the cantaloupe seeds, reducing diseases spread through seeds. Moreover, the drier the seeds are, the faster they absorb water during later soaking, which is good for seed germination.
2. Disinfecting cantaloupe seeds
The warm-water disinfection method is generally used. Add about 55-60°C hot water to a clean porcelain or glass container, with the amount of water preferably 5 times the volume of the seeds. Put the sun-dried seeds into the hot water to soak and scald them, while gently stirring constantly in the same direction with a glass rod or wooden stick. Add hot water at any time to maintain a temperature of 55-60°C for 20-30 minutes, so the seeds are fully heated and heated evenly. Then stop adding hot water and continue stirring until the water temperature drops to about 28-30°C, then take the seeds out, drain the water and prepare for soaking.
3. Soaking cantaloupe seeds
Put the disinfected and drained seeds back into the original container, pour in 28-30°C warm water, and then frequently add hot water to maintain a temperature of 25-30°C. After soaking for 6-8 hours, pour the seeds into a larger container and gently rub and wash them with your hands to rub off the mucilage on the seeds (because the mucilage contains substances that inhibit seed germination, rubbing it off thoroughly is good for seed germination). After the mucilage is rubbed off cleanly, rinse the seeds clean with clear water.
4. Germinating cantaloupe seeds
Drain the soaked seeds, wrap them well in clean wet gauze, and then wrap the gauze with a clean wet towel to prevent water evaporation. Then spread the seeds flat on the bottom of a prepared container, insert a thermometer in the container near the seeds, use a heated kang, electric blanket, etc. to raise and maintain the temperature, and frequently check the thermometer reading, keeping the temperature between 25-28°C. During germination, turn the seeds frequently to remove carbon dioxide, respiration heat, etc. produced by seed respiration, exchange fresh air and supply enough oxygen. Under suitable temperature conditions, sprouts can emerge in about 24 hours, and when the seeds just begin to show white, they can be sown. During germination, try to keep the sprouts within 0.5 cm long to prevent them from growing too long. If the sprouts grow too long, they are easily broken when sown, which reduces the seedling emergence rate.