How is powdery pumpkin grown on mountains in summer?
How is powdery pumpkin grown on mountains in summer? Please explain in detail. Powdery pumpkin has the advantages of strong adaptability, a short growing period, good fruit shape, waxy eating quality, sweet and pleasant flavor, rich nutrition, excellent quality and high yield. Powdery pumpkin varieties include Jinli pumpkin, Ganli pumpkin, Tianli pumpkin, Banli pumpkin, Dongsheng pumpkin, ...
How is powdery pumpkin grown on mountains in summer? Please explain in detail.
Powdery pumpkin has the advantages of strong adaptability, a short growing period, good fruit shape, waxy eating quality, sweet and pleasant flavor, rich nutrition, excellent quality and high yield. Powdery pumpkin varieties include Jinli pumpkin, Ganli pumpkin, Tianli pumpkin, Banli pumpkin, Dongsheng pumpkin, Juhong pumpkin, etc. Trial planting of powdery pumpkin was successful. Powdery pumpkin cultivated on high mountains comes to market in August to September, and can play a major role in easing the off-season supply of vegetables in summer and autumn, increasing the variety of types, and enriching the market supply; both its economic benefits and social benefits are good.
1. Variety selection
Choose powdery pumpkin varieties that are disease-resistant, tolerant of high temperatures, strong in fruit setting, good in drought tolerance and suitable for high-mountain cultivation. Through trial planting, Ganli pumpkin, Jinli pumpkin, Dongsheng pumpkin and Juhong pumpkin are relatively suitable for high-mountain cultivation.
2. Plot selection
1. Choose a suitable altitude and terrain
The suitable germination temperature for powdery pumpkin seeds is 25-28°C, the most suitable temperature for plant growth is 18-32°C, the temperature for flowering and fruiting must be above 15°C, the most suitable temperature for fruit development is 25-27°C, and above 35°C the floral organs cannot develop normally. The flowering and fruiting period of powdery pumpkin cultivated on high mountains is mainly from July to September. In order to meet the requirements of the environmental conditions for powdery pumpkin growth and development, in our mountainous areas it can generally be planted at an altitude of 550-1300 m, with plots at an altitude of 700-1100 m being best, and plots facing south, east or southeast being better.
2. Soil selection and crop rotation
Powdery pumpkin has a relatively wide adaptability to soil. Generally, it is best to choose sandy loam or loam with relatively deep soil layers, abundant organic matter, loose and fertile texture, and good drainage and irrigation.
3. Selection of sowing period
The suitable sowing period for high-mountain cultivation of powdery pumpkin is from early May to early July. Powdery pumpkin takes 50-60 days from sowing to the beginning of harvest, and the harvest period is 1-1.5 months. Vegetable growers with a relatively large area of high-mountain powdery pumpkin can sow in stages for balanced market supply. To prevent flower and fruit drop caused by high temperatures, the sowing period should be appropriately delayed for low-altitude plots, while for high-altitude plots the sowing period can be slightly earlier.
4. Raising strong seedlings
Raising strong seedlings is the key to a high yield of high-mountain powdery pumpkin. In order to make the seeds emerge quickly, completely and uniformly, the seeds should be carefully selected, disinfected and soaked for germination before sowing. For the nutrient soil used to raise strong seedlings, it is best to use garden soil that has not grown cucurbit crops within 2-3 years, and the nutrient soil needs to be mixed with decomposed organic fertilizer, superphosphate and plant ash.
There are two basic methods of seed disinfection: 1) Hot water soaking. The water temperature is 55°C, and the amount of water is 5-6 times the volume of the seeds. Stir constantly while soaking the seeds, and maintain the water temperature for 15 minutes. 2) Chemical treatment. Chemical treatment is further divided into two methods: soaking seeds in a chemical solution and mixing seeds with chemical powder. For soaking seeds in a chemical solution, first soak the seeds in water for about 2 hours, drain them, then soak the seeds in a chemical solution of a certain concentration, take them out after 10 minutes, wash them clean and dry them. Commonly used chemicals include 1% potassium permanganate, 40% formalin, etc. For mixing seeds with chemical powder, mix the chemical and the seeds evenly so that the chemical adheres to the surface of the seeds. The amount of chemical used is generally 0.1%-0.5% of the seed weight. Commonly used chemicals include dexon, carbendazim, etc.
Sow the germinated or soaked seeds one seed per pot in nutrient pots, or sow them evenly and flatly on the seedbed soil, cover with 1 cm of soil, cover with sparse rice straw, and set up a shed for heat preservation or for shading and rain protection. When the seedlings emerge after 3-4 days, remove the rice straw, and control the temperature at 26-30°C during the day and about 15°C at night. When the seedlings have 4 true leaves, they can be hardened off and transplanted.
5. Land preparation and transplanting
Powdery pumpkin has well-developed main and lateral roots, so deep plowing of the land is required. Deep furrows and high beds are beneficial for drainage and irrigation.
In fertilizer application, attention should be paid to the combined application of the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, with emphasis on the application of nitrogen and potassium. Base fertilizer is generally applied in furrows, opened in the middle of the bed and applied one week before transplanting, with 1500 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 15 kg of ternary compound fertilizer and 40 kg of superphosphate applied per mu. Spray the seedling bed once with chemicals and apply fertilizer once before transplanting, so as to transplant with fertilizer and chemicals.
Powdery pumpkin is vining, with thick stems and vines, few branches, and low fruit-bearing position; it begins to bear fruit at the 6th-7th node, and is suitable for close planting. It can be cultivated trailing on the ground or on trellises. For ground-trailing cultivation, plant about 350 plants per mu; for trellis cultivation, plant 600 plants per mu.
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