What are the environmental requirements for muskmelon growth?

Muskmelon is very popular in China, and in many places it is also called pear melon, and its cultivation area in China is now quite extensive. However, although the cultivation area is wide, it is not something that can be grown just anywhere. This is because the growth of muskmelon is affected by the surrounding environment of the planting site, and both its yield and fruit quality will be affected to a certain extent. So today, the editor has brought you the environmental requirements for muskmelon growth. Let's take a look together!

1. Temperature

Muskmelon is a typical low-growing fruit and has strong heat tolerance. Different varieties have different accumulated temperature requirements, but their temperature needs are all similar. Throughout the entire growth period, the temperature should be controlled at around 30°C, and the germination temperature should not be lower than 15°C. Otherwise, muskmelon seeds will germinate with difficulty or even fail to germinate. During the muskmelon seedling stage, the temperature should also be maintained at around 22°C; below 8°C, frost damage will occur. At different growth stages, the temperature requirements of muskmelon will change somewhat. Suitable temperature is the key to ensuring healthy muskmelon growth.

2. Soil

The root system of the muskmelon plant has a strong absorption capacity and has certain soil requirements. When planting, sandy soil that is deep, loose, and rich in humus should be selected. The soil pH should also be controlled at around 6.5; slightly alkaline conditions help increase the sugar content of the fruit and enhance quality. In addition, the quality of the soil is closely related to the nutrient absorption of muskmelon. Throughout the entire growth period of muskmelon, the demand for potassium is greater than the combined demand for nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, the nutrient level of the soil is very important. It is necessary to ensure sufficient soil fertility and do a good job of topdressing during cultivation.

3. Light

Muskmelon is relatively light-loving. During muskmelon growth, at least 10 hours of light should be ensured every day, though the weak-light tolerance of muskmelon varies with different varieties. Muskmelon has a light compensation point; below this compensation point, photosynthetic substances cannot be produced, and production and consumption occur simultaneously. But if this compensation point is exceeded, nutrients begin to accumulate, promoting fruit growth and enhancing fruit quality. If light is insufficient, the growth rate of muskmelon decreases noticeably, and in severe cases it may die from nutrient deficiency.

Muskmelon fruit is very juicy, and its water demand during growth is relatively high. The water demand of muskmelon varies with growth stages. For example, during the muskmelon seedling stage, the water requirement is not great, but during important growth periods such as flowering and fruiting, the water demand gradually rises. This continues until the fruit matures, but during cultivation, relatively low air humidity should be maintained, at around 55%. Therefore, during cultivation, we should control the amount of watering well, meeting the water demand of muskmelon at each growth stage while also preventing waterlogging in muskmelon plants, which would affect muskmelon growth.

The above is a brief introduction to the environmental requirements for muskmelon growth. In fact, these factors can all be manually controlled during cultivation. However, in areas unsuitable for planting, growth will still be affected to a certain extent, so planting areas that do not meet the requirements should, as far as possible, avoid planting. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.