A Detailed Guide to the Latest Field Management Methods for Spring Melons

Melon is also known as oriental melon, apple melon, etc. There used to be large areas of wild plants, but as people discovered the taste and value of melon, market demand grew larger and larger, and supply fell short of demand. So large-scale artificial cultivation began, and the planting area became wider and wider. However, the quality of melon is directly proportional to its ripeness, and many friends do not know how to manage it to better improve melon quality. Below is a brief introduction to the field management methods for spring melon.

1. Pruning and vine hanging

Spring melon cultivation requires the single-vine pruning method, which means keeping the main vine for growth and development. For plants with good growth, all lateral branches on the cotyledon node need to be cut off and removed, and the lateral vines must not exceed 4. If the growth is relatively weak, the lateral vines on the cotyledon node can be appropriately increased to about 6, and all the rest should be removed. Pinch off the heads of the lateral vines after 2-3 leaves, which can promote nutrient absorption by the plant and strengthen its growth.

2. Temperature management

Melon is a warmth-loving fruit. The suitable daytime temperature is around 25 degrees, and at night it should not be lower than 15 or higher than 18. If the temperature is higher than 35 degrees or lower than 10 degrees, it will have a great impact on melon fruit setting and fruit swelling. Therefore, the surrounding temperature must be well controlled. The lowest nighttime temperature can be around 10-12 degrees. A large day-night temperature difference can effectively increase sugar accumulation in the fruit.

3. Fruit setting and leaf removal

From 4-10 a.m. every day, a yield-increasing agent can be mixed with water for hormone treatment and artificial pollination of melon. After the melon sets fruit, the growth and development of the fruit gradually cause the lower leaves of the melon to age, and the intensity of photosynthesis no longer has much effect or photosynthesis can no longer occur. It also affects the permeability between plants, so the aged lower leaves should be removed in time, but attention should be paid to the timing and amount.

4. Keeping and selecting fruit

A low node position for fruit setting will ultimately make the fruit small and the yield low, while a high node position for fruit setting will make the fruit large and the yield high, but the sugar content will decrease. Therefore, the node position for fruit setting should be in the middle, generally between the 10th and 15th leaves of the plant. When the young fruit grows to the size of a walnut, one or two fruits with better shape should be selected, and the rest removed, so as to increase the nutritional area of the fruit and use the substances produced by photosynthesis to be transported to the fruit nearby.

5. Water and fertilizer management

Melon generally requires large amounts of fertilizer and water. About one week after the melon has recovered from transplanting, start watering to help it recover, and afterward begin watering according to soil conditions and growth. If the growth is weak, 10 jin of urea can be applied per mu, but watering should not be done during flowering, pollination, and fruit setting, because it may cause excessive growth of stems and leaves and then lead to poor fruit setting. When fertilizing, attention should be paid to the mixed combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers, and more foliar fertilizer should be applied to improve yield and quality.

These are the management methods for melon. To obtain a high yield of melon, the first thing is to control water, fertilizer, and temperature. These conditions cannot be treated carelessly, because they all determine melon fruit setting and pollination. Close attention must also be paid to melon pests and diseases. All fruits are the same: pests and diseases will seriously harm their growth. Regularly disinfect the orchard and clean up diseased and disabled branches. I hope this can help everyone.