How to Grow Cutting Melon (Kan Gua)? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

Cutting melon is a variety of Chinese pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), a new type of melon in the Cucurbitaceae family, Cucurbita genus, that can be cut and eaten at any time and regenerates rapidly. In China it is distributed in Hubei, Hunan, Shandong, Henan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and other places. Its growth characteristics and cultivation techniques are basically the same as those of ordinary pumpkin, it has low requirements for the natural environment and soil, and it can be planted in both spring and summer. Let us take a look at the cultivation methods of cutting melon!

Cultivation Patterns of Cutting Melon

Cutting melon can be planted on a large scale in open fields, or intercropped with spring greenhouse cucumbers or greenhouse cabbage, or planted in scattered spots around houses. Cutting melon has a long growth and harvest period, and only one crop is planted per year. Because its fruits are slender, uniform and ornamental, cutting melon can be grown in pots. For pot cultivation, a large pot with a diameter of more than 1 m should be chosen.

Growth Habits of Cutting Melon

1. Temperature conditions: The suitable temperature for cutting melon seed germination is 25-30°C. At 15°C germination is slow, and at 30-35°C germination is fastest, but the sprouts are thin and weak. The suitable daytime temperature for stem and leaf growth is 23-30°C, and the nighttime temperature is 15-18°C. Growth is slow when the temperature is above 35°C or below 15°C. The suitable temperature for young fruit growth is 25-30°C during the day and around 15°C at night.

2. Light requirements: Cutting melon is a short-day crop and is not very demanding about light. It is best suited to medium-intensity light conditions. Under weak-light conditions in a winter greenhouse it can still flower and set fruit and grow well. Under short-day conditions of no more than 12 hours per day, it is favorable for female flowers to form earlier, increase in number, and have lower node positions. Excessive light in late spring and summer is also unfavorable for growth and development, and can easily cause plant wilting and the occurrence of viral disease.

3. Moisture conditions: Cutting melon has a well-developed root system and relatively strong drought resistance, but because its leaves are large and transpiration is vigorous, it needs to absorb a large amount of water. During the young fruit swelling period, it should be watered in time to meet the needs of growth and development. However, from the seedling stage until the first young fruit is set, if the soil moisture is too high, it can easily cause excessive stem and leaf growth, leading to flower and fruit drop.

4. Soil nutrition: Cutting melon has strong adaptability to soil. It is best to plant it in loose, fertile loam with good drainage and irrigation. It has a relatively high fertilizer requirement, and using nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements together gives high yield and good quality. In addition, appropriate amounts of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, zinc, manganese and other trace elements are also needed. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, it will cause excessive stem and leaf growth, leading to flower drop, fruit drop and poor product quality, and it will also make the plant more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Seedling Raising Techniques for Cutting Melon

1. Seed soaking and sprouting: Cutting melon is generally grown by direct seeding in open fields, but to bring it to market earlier, the method of raising seedlings and transplanting can also be used. Before soaking the seeds, sun-dry them for 2-3 hours, then scald them in hot water at 55°C for 2 minutes. Stir constantly while scalding, and after the water temperature drops, change to clean water and soak the seeds for 8-10 hours. During this time, scoop them out and rinse once, then change to clean water and continue soaking, then place them in a constant-temperature box at 28°C to sprout before sowing.

2. Preparing nutrient soil: The formula for the nutrient soil used for raising cutting melon seedlings is 5 parts fertile, pest- and disease-free garden soil, 3 parts fully decomposed compost, and 2 parts fine sand or peat, mixed thoroughly and evenly. For every 1 cubic meter, add 100 g of Lüheng No. 3 and 100 g of trichlorfon, cover with plastic film and pile it up to ferment for 2 days. After filling the pots, arrange them neatly and water thoroughly. Place 1 sprouted seed flat in each pot and cover with 0.8 cm of fine soil.

3. Seedling stage management: Cover the cutting melon seedling bed with plastic film to keep it warm and moist. Before emergence, the temperature should preferably be kept at 25-30°C. After emergence, remove the film according to the temperature conditions, keeping the temperature at 25-30°C during the day and 16-18°C at night. If the temperature is still low after emergence, replace it with a new film with good light transmission. When the daytime temperature meets the requirement, remove the film to let in light, or open both ends for ventilation, and cover it again when the nighttime temperature is low.

4. Disease prevention at the seedling stage: When the cutting melon seedlings grow true leaves, spray with 0.1% monopotassium phosphate plus 0.05% dichlorvos, once every five days. When the seedlings grow three true leaves, the spray concentration can be appropriately increased, and 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 1000 times dilution should be added to prevent anthracnose and root rot. After 2 true leaves, the cover can be removed. When the seedlings have 3 leaves and 1 heart, they can be transplanted.

Cultivation Methods of Cutting Melon

1. Land preparation and transplanting: Before transplanting cutting melon, prepare the land well and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Apply the base fertilizer in furrows. Per mu, use 4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, plus 50 kg of ternary compound fertilizer and 30 kg of potassium sulfate. For scattered planting, it is best to dig large holes for transplanting, apply base fertilizer, and then transplant. For open-field planting, the density is 100-120 cm between rows and 60-80 cm between plants in the shed. Transplant 600-1000 plants per mu, depending on soil fertility: plant more on poor soil and less on fertile soil. Water after transplanting.

2. Fertilizer and water management: After transplanting and seedling recovery, apply a seedling-promoting fertilizer once, using an appropriate amount of decomposed manure slurry or cake fertilizer. After the first melon is firmly set, apply compound fertilizer as a top dressing, 30 kg per mu, and water after fertilizing. After that, apply appropriate top dressing according to growth vigor. During the fruit-setting period, keep the soil moist at all times.

3. Building a trellis: If cutting melon is grown trailing on the ground, the fruit shape becomes curved and harvesting is inconvenient. For high yield and good quality, it needs to be grown on a trellis. Build the trellis in time when the plant begins to spread and grow vines. When the melon vine grows to 0.5-0.8 m, set up the trellis. The trellis height is about 2 m. Guide the melon vines onto the trellis and fix them well with packing straps to prevent them from falling over in windy weather. A flat trellis gives high yield and good fruit shape. For scattered planting, a flat trellis is better. When planting, pay attention to artificial pollination. Carry out artificial pollination every morning from 6:00 to 7:30 to ensure the fruit-setting rate.

4. Guiding vines and pinching: When the melon vine is 1 m long, press the vine. Before pressing the vine, remove the side vines below 1 m to prevent them from competing for nutrients, then guide the vines onto the trellis. Do not pinch the main vine. After the first cluster sets fruit, pinch when there are 5-8 leaves, and keep two side vines per plant. When tying the vines, pay attention to arranging the vines and leaves evenly so that the melons hang naturally. Properly prune side vines that have already borne fruit to improve ventilation.

5. Timely harvesting: Cutting melon does not need to be picked only after the fruit is ripe before eating. During the growth period, it can be cut and eaten at will, cutting as much as you eat, so you can eat fresh melon every day. The first cluster of melons can be harvested when the skin turns golden yellow, which is beneficial to the normal growth of the later cutting melons. If the melon skin is not damaged, cutting melon can be stored for a long time after harvest.

6. Pest and disease control: Cutting melon has few insect pests and relatively mild diseases, but when they occur they should be actively controlled.

① Diseases: Cutting melon has strong adaptability to external conditions and relatively mild pests and diseases. Common diseases include powdery mildew, viral disease, Phytophthora blight, anthracnose, etc. Among them, viral disease is the most serious and often causes a large number of flower and fruit drops. For control, spray with chlorothalonil at 500-600 times dilution, or spray with leptomycin at 500-600 times dilution plus carbendazim at 500-600 times dilution 2-3 times during the growth and development period of cutting melon, which can prevent the occurrence of diseases.

② Insect pests: The main insect pests of cutting melon are aphids, red spider mites, white grubs, etc. For control, spray with 90% trichlorfon at 1000 times dilution. For underground pests, use 90% trichlorfon mixed with fried fragrant bait to trap and kill them. In early July, spray acaricide once to control red spider mites. Once the rainy season begins, spray chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl once every 7 days as appropriate to prevent powdery mildew and downy mildew, and also spray monopotassium phosphate to protect leaves and promote melons. This is a key measure for increasing yield.