How to manage winter melon during the fruiting period? See the latest key points here
Winter melon is a vegetable for autumn and winter. Through greenhouse technology, it can be marketed around the Spring Festival. If management is improper during the fruiting period of winter melon, it will not only cause extremely low yields, but also lead to severe pests and diseases and a serious decline in yield. So how should winter melon be managed during the fruiting period? Follow the editor and take a look.
1. Pollination
Winter melon can use artificial pollination to increase the fruit-setting rate. The specific method is to remove the petals of the male flower when it opens in the morning, then smear its pollen onto the pistil of the female flower. You can also use a cotton swab to rub the stamens of the male flower, then use the cotton swab to smear it onto the pistil of the female flower. Both methods can significantly increase the fruit-setting rate. It is best to choose around 8 a.m. for pollination, and preferably no later than 10 o'clock. Pollinate for 1-2 days. If the male flower withers, the female flower gradually shrinks, and the young melon keeps growing larger, it means pollination was successful.
2. Removing vines and pinching the top
Side vines will grow between each leaf stalk and stem of winter melon. These side vines consume a large amount of nutrients from the plant as they grow, so at this time the side vines should be removed promptly. This is to avoid affecting the plant's fruit setting and fruiting. It should be noted that these side vines grow and develop extremely quickly, so generally they need to be removed once every other day. After fruit setting, pinch the top of the main vine when 7-10 leaves are kept in front of the melon, which helps concentrate nutrients and improve the fruit-setting rate.
3. Fertilizer and water management
After the winter melon has set fruit steadily, the growth and development of the young melon has a very large demand for fertilizer, so fertilizer should be applied heavily. Generally, 15 kg of urea should be applied per mu with irrigation water, and topdressing should be done once every half month. In the middle stage of fruiting, water generally once every 7-10 days. In the late stage of fruiting, watering should be frequent, generally once a week, to keep the soil moist, which is conducive to the rapid expansion of the melon.
4. Pest and disease control
The main pests and diseases of winter melon are powdery mildew, fusarium wilt and aphids. When powdery mildew occurs, round spots or irregular white lesions appear on the leaves. When it occurs, triadimefon or sulfur suspension concentrate can be used for control, sprayed once every week. Fusarium wilt also mainly appears on the leaves and stems, causing the leaves to wither and the stems to die. Carbendazim can be used to drench the roots for control, once every 10 days. Aphids have strong reproductive capacity and can cause damage for multiple generations in a short time. Imidacloprid can be used for control, sprayed once a week.
The above is an introduction to the key points of winter melon management during the fruiting period. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.