Latest Prices of Melon Seeds and Detailed Planting Methods

Melon is also known as gangua, xianggua, bailangua, etc. It is an annual trailing herbaceous plant of the genus Cucumis in the Cucurbitaceae family. Its fruit is an important fruit of midsummer, has a long history of cultivation, and is widely cultivated throughout our country, with many varieties. The fruit shape, color, size and taste also vary by variety. Let us take a look at the price of melon seeds and the planting methods below!

How much is a jin of melon seeds?

The price of melon seeds is about 50-80 yuan per jin, but prices vary greatly depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and market. Melons are mostly propagated by seed in production, and there are many varieties. The suitable sowing period is from August to October, and no later than November. For spring sowing, it can be chosen in February to March, but it is best to ensure harvest around the Qingming and Guyu solar terms. Generally, varieties with a long growth period, such as the American zucchini, can be considered for early sowing, while those with a short growth period can be sown later, such as the early green zucchini.

Growth habits of melon

1. Soil: The most suitable soil for the growth and development of melon is loam or sandy loam with deep soil layer, rich organic matter, fertility and good aeration. Soil in which the solid phase, gas phase and liquid phase each account for 1/3 is ideal.

2. Humidity: Melon is drought-tolerant and not waterlogging-tolerant, but because its root system is shallow, it has relatively high requirements for soil moisture and relatively low requirements for air humidity. The relative air humidity is best controlled below 50%.

3. Temperature: The suitable temperature for the growth and development of melon is 18-25°C, and the suitable temperature for flowering and fruiting is 22-25°C. Its adaptability is broader than that of cucumber, and its low-temperature resistance is also very strong.

4. Light: Melon cultivation requires sufficient light. The daily sunshine duration should be more than 10-12 hours. If maintained at 14-15 hours/day, it will grow well.

Sowing methods of melon

1. Seed selection: Place the melon seeds to be sown on a clean wooden board or tabletop and select them by hand, removing seeds that are deformed, moldy, damaged or insect-eaten, and keeping plump, uniform seeds for later use.

2. Sun-drying seeds: Spread the selected melon seeds evenly on clean paper or a straw mat, choose sunny weather for drying, and turn them once at intervals so that the seeds receive sunlight evenly.

3. Disinfection: Put the sun-dried melon seeds into hot water at 55-60°C, keep stirring gently in the same direction, maintain the temperature at 55-60°C for 20-30 minutes, then remove the seeds and drain the water.

4. Soaking seeds: Put the disinfected and drained melon seeds into a container, pour in warm water at 25-30°C and soak for 5-6 hours, then pour the seeds into a larger container to rub off the mucus on the seeds, and wash them clean after rubbing.

5. Promoting germination: After soaking the melon seeds, shake off the surface water vigorously, wrap them in moist cotton cloth, then put them in a plastic bag and place them in a place at 25-35°C to promote germination. When the seed radicle grows 1-2 mm, they can be sown.

6. Raising seedlings: After germination, place the melon seeds 2 per nutrient pot containing nutrient soil and sow them in the fruit field for film-covered seedling raising. When the seeds grow into seedlings, conduct one round of selection, remove the weaker melon seedlings, and then plant them out.

Planting methods of melon

1. Timely planting: The suitable seedling age for melon is 30-35 days, and the suitable planting period is when the seedlings grow to 3 leaves and 1 heart. Its root group has strong absorption capacity, and it is best on loose sandy land with thick and fertile soil. It is also relatively salt-alkali tolerant and can grow on mildly alkaline land.

2. Pinching and vine training: Melon fruits mainly grow on secondary vines and tertiary vines, so pinching and vine training are necessary to promote fruiting. The six-vine style is generally used. When the vine has 5-6 leaves, leave 4 leaves and pinch the tip, keep 2 secondary vines, and thereafter keep 3 tertiary vines on each secondary vine.

3. Timely topdressing: After pinching the melon, use 500 kg of dry human manure and 50-100 kg of cake fertilizer per mu, apply them in a ring 10 cm outside the roots, cover with soil, then apply 100-200 kg of plant ash. After each melon harvest, apply 200-300 kg of diluted manure and 5 kg of superphosphate per mu.

4. Reasonable irrigation: During the seedling stage of melon, mainly control water and properly restrain seedling growth. At the early flowering and fruit-setting stages, combine promotion and control to prevent excessive vine growth and fruit abortion. In the middle and late stages, management should strengthen irrigation to adapt to high temperatures and the vigorous growth needs of melons and vines. Stop watering at the maturity stage to improve quality.

5. Artificial pollination: Melon is a monoecious crop with unisexual flowers. Most varieties have both female and male flowers, and pollination is mainly by insects. When temperatures are low in early spring and there are few insects, cultivation in greenhouses generally requires artificial pollination.

6. Laying grass and turning melons: Melon fruits touching the ground are easily harmed by the larvae of the yellow squash beetle, causing quality decline or yield reduction. Therefore, when training the vines, lay grass under the vines. When the melons grow to half size, turn them in time, which also helps avoid pests and makes the coloring and flavor of the melons uniform.

Pest and disease control of melon

1. Phytophthora blight

[Damage] When leaves are infected, irregular dark green water-soaked lesions first appear, then expand into soft rot. When dry, the lesions turn brown and easily rupture. When the stem base is infected, spindle-shaped dark green water-soaked sunken lesions first appear, then constrict and rot around the stem base, and finally the plant dies.

[Control] Disinfect seeds before sowing, sterilize nutrient soil, and at the early stage of disease use 64% oxadixyl-mancozeb at 500 times, 72.2% propamocarb at 800 times, or 58% metalaxyl at 500 times for spraying, then spray again after 7-10 days.

2. Gummy stem blight

[Damage] When leaves are infected, nearly round lesions first appear, or light brown “V”-shaped lesions extend inward from the leaf edge. When stems and vines are infected, oval to spindle-shaped lesions first appear. In severe cases, leaves dry up and stems and vines rot.

[Control] At the early stage of disease, use 75% chlorothalonil at 600 times, or 70% thiophanate-methyl at 800 times + 80% mancozeb at 800 times for spraying. After harvest, promptly remove diseased residues to reduce sources of inoculum.

3. Anthracnose

[Damage] When leaves are infected, round to spindle-shaped or irregular water-soaked spots first appear. When petioles or stems and vines are infected, water-soaked light yellow round spots first appear, slightly sunken, then turn black. When fruits are infected, water-soaked sunken brown lesions first appear.

[Control] Select disease-resistant seeds, disinfect seeds with hot water, and at the early stage of disease use 70% thiophanate-methyl at 800 times, 75% chlorothalonil at 600 times, or 80% carbendazim-thiram at 800 times for spraying, then spray again after 7-10 days.

4. Melon aphid

[Damage] Adult aphids and nymphs like to suck sap on the growing points, young leaves, leaf undersides and tender stems of melon seedlings, causing leaves to curl and stop growing. When damage is severe at the adult plant stage, pollination cannot occur, and leaves may even fall off.

[Control] Use 10% imidacloprid at 1500 times, or 5% acetamiprid at 800 times, or 5% cypermethrin at 2000 times for spraying, or 80% dichlorvos at 1000 times to spray the greenhouse roof, or use 300-400 ml of 80% dichlorvos per mu mixed with water and fine sand for fumigation.

5. Red spider mite

[Damage] Nymphs and adults suck sap on the underside of leaves, causing leaves to lose green color and turn yellow and white, affecting the formation of photosynthetic products. In severe cases, leaves dry up, pollination cannot occur, and even the whole plant dies.

[Control] At the early stage of occurrence, use 20% pyridaben at 1500 times or 1.8% abamectin at 3000 times for spraying.