Muskmelon Growing Guide: A Detailed Look at the Latest Techniques

The muskmelon is the fleshy fruit of a plant in the Cucurbitaceae family, with many chambers and many seeds much like a berry, but in these fruits the receptacle and outer pericarp fuse together, often forming a thick outer rind, and in classification they are specially called “pepos”, of which the muskmelon is a typical example. The muskmelon originated in the tropical desert regions of Africa and was brought to China along with watermelon around the Northern Wei period; widespread cultivation began in the Ming dynasty, and it is now grown throughout China.

Seed Selection Methods

There are many muskmelon varieties, but the main varieties suitable for promotion and use across Yunnan include: American zucchini, Zaoqing zucchini, Cuiyu No. 1, Jingdian Biyu, Heixiuli and other high-yielding, disease-resistant variety groups; farmers can choose according to their actual needs.

Choosing the Sowing Period

Muskmelons like warmth, tolerate heat and fear cold; when the temperature falls below 15°C growth stalls, but they adapt strongly to high temperatures and can still carry out considerable photosynthesis at 40°C, so muskmelons can be sown whenever the temperature is above 15°C.

Raising Strong Seedlings

1. Seed disinfection and sprouting

Generally, 1% copper sulfate or carbendazim can be used for seed soaking and disinfection. For direct sowing, aldicarb or 3% cartap powder can be used to dress the seeds to avoid damage from underground pests.

2. Raising seedlings and sowing

For careful cultivation, nutrient pots or nutrient bags can be used for raising seedlings. To prepare the nutrient soil based on 1000 kg, mix in 300—400 kg of fine manure, 2.5 kg of carbendazim (or 200—500 g of metalaxyl, or 100—200 g of cartap technical powder, or 100—200 g of aldicarb); 30—50 kg of superphosphate, 20—30 kg of compound fertilizer, add an appropriate amount of water (a soil moisture content of 40—50% is suitable), mix well, and pile and cover for 5—7 days. Then fill bags (pots) and sow, with one seed per bag (pot) being suitable.

For direct sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 3000—5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu, 40—50 kg of superphosphate, and 30—50 kg of compound fertilizer. Apply deeply in furrows or in dug pits. Then cover with soil and sow, with 2—3 disinfected and sprouted seeds per pit.

Reasonable Close Planting

The planting density of muskmelons depends on the variety. Generally, for dwarf types the row spacing is 0.60—0.80 m and the plant spacing is 0.50 m, with 1600—2200 pits and 4000—4500 plants per mu being suitable; for vine types the row spacing is 1.50—2.00 m and the plant spacing is 0.50 m, with 700—800 pits and 1400—1600 plants per mu being suitable. Therefore, when farmers buy varieties, they must know whether the variety is a short-vine type or a long-vine type. If short-vine (bush) muskmelons are planted too sparsely, high yields cannot be obtained; if long-vine types (which sprawl everywhere) are planted too densely, the population is large, ventilation and light penetration are poor, they are not disease-resistant, they do not set fruit, and yields are also very low. So you must know the variety and determine the planting density according to the variety.