What causes muskmelon seedling death

Muskmelon is a variety belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. Its flavor is quite unique compared with other fruits, with sweet flesh and plenty of moisture. Muskmelon is also rich in nutritional value; it can even be used to extract essential oil and as medicine, and it has high value in cosmetics and medicinal uses. However, seedling death often occurs when growing muskmelon. Today I will explain the causes of muskmelon seedling death.

1. Excessive humidity

During muskmelon management, many friends water heavily in the early stage, causing large amounts of standing water in the field. But muskmelon is a specialty fruit of ** and a relatively drought-tolerant fruit. If there is too much water, it will largely cause root rot and seedling death, so heavy watering is not suitable in the early stage.

2. Excessive temperature

Muskmelon is a fruit very sensitive to water. Too much water will rot the roots and cause seedling death. But when the temperature is too high, muskmelon lacks water, the roots cannot supply enough water to the stems and leaves, the leaves have no water and cannot grow normally, and finally the entire seedling withers. So when a lack of water is found, water should be replenished immediately to avoid this from happening.

3. Excessive fertilizer

Many friends growing muskmelon for the first time do not understand how much fertilizer muskmelon needs, so they often fertilize it. This causes excessive fertilizer, and the substances in the fertilizer burn the roots, causing disease to occur, which indirectly leads to seedling death. Muskmelon should not be given too much fertilizer; a moderate amount is enough.

4. Insufficient light

During seedling growth, this is caused by insufficient light duration leading to insufficient temperature. The main symptoms are thin roots and stems and relatively thin leaves. Because the roots are thin and cannot absorb enough nutrients, the surface of the stem is uneven, causing water loss to speed up, and the seedlings lack water and shrivel. In addition, excessive nitrogen content and too low carbohydrate levels in the seedlings can also cause disease.

5. Damage from disease

Seedling damping-off is the most destructive disease of muskmelon. It invades the seedling roots. It makes the seedling roots and stems rot and soften, and yellow water-soaked small spots appear on the stems. While the leaves are still green, the seedlings collapse and die over a large area. This pathogen has strong adaptability and usually invades during the seedling stage, then causes large-scale lodging of seedlings. Gray mold invades young leaves when the seedlings emerge, causing irregular brown patches on the young leaves, and the overall situation is similar to damping-off.

The above are several reasons why muskmelon seedlings die. Most of the causes are still due to improper management of muskmelon itself. As long as care is careful and watering and fertilizing are appropriate, the probability of seedling death is still very small.