How to Grow Hami Melon? The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Hami melon is one of the common fruits that we eat often. It is a type of melon, also known as snow melon or tribute melon, and is an excellent variety of melon. Its fruit is large and flavorful, and the Hami melon from Xinjiang is the most famous of all. So do you know how it should be grown? Let's take a look together.
1. Sowing Preparation
Hami melon is not suitable for continuous cropping; it is best to rotate it with other crops for more than five years. In addition, cucurbit, legume and solanaceous crops should not be planted around the growing area. The growing site should have loose soil of average fertility, ideally sandy loam rich in organic matter. Before planting, it is best to carry out summer plowing and autumn plowing, with deep plowing of 25-30cm, and winter irrigation should be carried out to help suppress alkali and mature the soil, which can eliminate weeds and overwintering pests in the soil. During the final plowing, apply 2000-3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu and an appropriate amount of compound fertilizer, spread it and mix it evenly into the soil, then harrow it fine and level it, and make drainage ditches. One week before sowing, irrigate the plot; this is the key to ensuring full and uniform seedlings, so it must be watered thoroughly and the ground must be covered.
2. Sowing
Before sowing, select good varieties and carry out seed treatment properly. After carefully selecting the seeds, soak them in 200-fold formalin for 2 hours, then rinse them with clean water 2-3 times. In areas with a high incidence of viral disease, first disinfect and sterilize with a chemical agent, then treat at a constant dry heat of 40°C for 24 hours, and then germinate and sow. The sowing time must be timely; sowing can be done when the underground soil temperature stabilizes at 14 degrees, and the sowing method can be hole sowing. The plant and row spacing of the holes depends on the variety; generally the plant spacing is between 45-60cm, and the sowing depth also depends on the soil conditions. If the soil is quite sandy, it can be sown deeply, while if the soil layer is deep and not sticky or heavy, it can be sown shallowly. Generally, use 2-3 seeds per hole and cover with 3-4cm of soil.
3. Hoop Shed Installation
For the frame material of the hoop shed, bamboo strips, bamboo poles or cold-drawn wire can all be used, but bamboo strips are generally chosen. The height of the arched shed is about 100 cm, so that workers can enter to work. Sharpen both ends of the bamboo strips so they can be inserted into the ground, then use hemp rope and plastic rope to connect each arch frame, and finally cover with plastic. The plastic must be laid flat to maintain light transmittance. After covering, press it down firmly with clods of soil to prevent damage by wind.
4. Field Management
Generally, seedlings emerge 3-5 days after sowing. At this time, the film should be broken in time, and the seedlings should be checked and replanted promptly. When the seedlings grow to 1-2 true leaves, thinning should begin. Leave 2 plants per hole; when thinning, remove diseased and weak seedlings. When there are 4-5 true leaves, final thinning should be done, leaving one healthy seedling per hole. During the seedling stage, cultivation and weeding should be done well. Cultivation can loosen the soil, increase soil permeability and promote root growth, while weeding can prevent weeds from competing with the seedlings for nutrients, allowing the seedlings to grow normally.
The above is an introduction to Hami melon cultivation techniques. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more about growing knowledge, please stay tuned to us.