What causes watermelons not to grow new roots? The latest solutions

Among the many fruits, watermelon is one of the ones we encounter most. Every hot summer, watermelon is an essential fruit for beating the heat. But some melon growers have found during planting that their watermelons are not growing new roots. What causes this? How should it be solved? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction below.

1. Improper fertilizer and water management

When planting watermelons, a base fertilizer is generally applied. The base fertilizer is mostly farmyard manure or organic fertilizer, which can raise the soil temperature, improve the soil structure, increase the soil's organic matter content, and continuously provide nutrients for watermelon growth. However, if incompletely decomposed organic fertilizer or farmyard manure is applied, the fertilizer will release a large amount of heat during decomposition, causing root burn and seedling burn. Therefore, applying undecomposed organic fertilizer is one of the reasons watermelons do not grow new roots.

Solution: When applying farmyard manure or organic fertilizer, it must be fully fermented and decomposed, especially farmyard manure. If it is not fermented and decomposed, it can also cause seedlings to be infected by pathogens.

2. Excessive fertilization

If the amount used is not controlled during fertilization, the ion concentration in the soil becomes too high, exceeding what watermelon growth requires. This causes the cell tissues of the watermelon root system to lose water and undergo plasmolysis, so no new roots grow. In this situation, the plant will also show wilting and signs of water deficiency, mainly caused by the melon grower's excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer.

Solution: When fertilizing, be sure to pay attention to the amount. It is not advisable to apply too much or too concentrated fertilizer. If excessive fertilization occurs, water promptly to dilute the fertilizer concentration, so that it is diluted for the plant and the plant is prevented from losing water and wilting.

3. Heavy clay soil

If planted in plots with heavy clay soil, compacted soil, and poor permeability, the root system will lack oxygen or suffocate, leading to weakened root activity, hindering the root system's absorption of nutrients, affecting normal root growth, and resulting in the phenomenon of no new roots growing.

Solution: When planting, choose loose-textured soil, cultivate frequently, avoid soil compaction, and increase soil permeability, especially after rain, when the soil is very prone to compaction.

4. Pests and diseases

In addition to the above reasons, pests and diseases are also one of the reasons watermelons do not grow new roots. For example, root-knot nematode disease invades the watermelon root system, weakening its absorbing capacity, thus causing plant decline, yellow leaves, and other phenomena. Large and small root galls appear on the roots, causing no new roots to grow.

Seasonal method: When planting, carry out plowing and disinfection of the soil to eliminate overwintering eggs and reduce pest damage. When the disease occurs, nematicides can be used as a root drench for control, with good results.

The above is an introduction to the causes of watermelons not growing new roots and the solutions. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.