How do you select kiwano seeds? What are the seedling-raising methods?

Kiwano, also called horned melon, is not strict about soil texture; it can be grown in sandy soil or clay soil. Its cultivation techniques and climate requirements are relatively similar to those of cucumber, loofah and so on, making it a novel and exotic fruit that is very easy to grow. So how do you select kiwano seeds? What are the seedling-raising methods? Now let's take a look together.

1. How do you select kiwano seeds?

To grow kiwano, you must choose plump, disease-free seeds. Before sowing kiwano seeds, they need simple disinfection treatment, low-temperature or alternating-temperature treatment, soaking in trace-element solutions, and so on.

2. What are the seedling-raising methods for kiwano?

1. Seed treatment

(1) Seed soaking and sprouting

After the seeds have been treated, place them at 28-30°C to sprout; they sprout in about 24 hours. During this time, the seeds should be rinsed 2-3 times to remove substances that inhibit sprouting and to promote gas exchange.

(2) Seedbed

Seedbed soil formula: 30% decomposed pig and cattle manure, 20% aged stove ash, 10% decomposed night soil, 40% peat soil. Another formula: 50% decomposed animal manure, 10% aged stove ash, 20% decomposed night soil, 20% peat ash. To each square meter of the above mixed nutrient soil, add 4 kg superphosphate, 1 kg plant ash, and 1 kg ammonium nitrate.

2. Seedling-stage management

Sow the already sprouted seeds in a sand box, first watering thoroughly to saturate the bottom layer; after sowing, cover with 1 cm of sand, cover with agricultural film or woven fabric to keep warm, and keep the temperature inside the sand box at 28-30°C. Seedlings emerge successively after 24 hours. When 80% of the seeds have emerged, lower the temperature appropriately to prevent leggy growth: 20-25°C during the day and 16-17°C at night.

Another method is to sow the sprouted kiwano seeds directly into seedbed soil made of peat soil and field soil inside a heated greenhouse, and transplant them directly when the seedlings grow to 10-20 cm, with temperature control the same as in the previous method.

3. Transplanting management

The best time to transplant kiwano seedlings into seedling-raising nutrient pots is when the cotyledons are fully spread out, that is, on the 4th day after the cotyledons open, about the 8th day after sowing. This is the best time for transplanting, because by then the stored nutrients in the seeds have basically been used up and the plant begins to rely on root absorption of nutrients for growth. If transplanting is too late, the seedling-raising period is prolonged, and after the cotyledons are fully spread out the seedlings are prone to nutrient deficiency and tend to age, which is a phenomenon that often occurs in production today. At the same time, seedlings should not be transplanted too many times; once is best. You can also sow the sprouted seeds directly into seedling pots without transplanting, reducing root damage.

The above is an introduction to kiwano. Kiwano is native to the Kalahari Desert in Africa. In recent years, it has appeared on the domestic market and has been introduced for cultivation. The product is welcomed by consumers, so it is becoming increasingly popular in the domestic seed industry.

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