Spring Field Management Methods and Key Technical Points for Melons
Melon is also known as oriental melon, apple melon, etc. There used to be large wild populations, but as people discovered the taste and value of melons, market demand grew larger and larger, leading to a shortage of supply. So large-scale artificial cultivation began, and the planting area became wider and wider. However, the quality of melons is directly proportional to their ripeness, and many friends do not know how to manage them to better improve melon quality. Below is a brief introduction to spring field management methods for melons.
1. Pruning and trellising
Spring-planted melons need the single-vine pruning method, which means keeping the main vine for growth and development. For plants with good growth, all side branches on the cotyledon node should be cut off and removed, and side vines must not exceed 4. If the growth is relatively weak, the side vines on the cotyledon node can be appropriately increased to about 6, and then all the rest removed. Pinch off the tips of the side vines after 2-3 leaves, which can promote the plant's nutrient absorption and strengthen growth.
2. Temperature management
Melon is a temperature-loving fruit. The suitable daytime temperature is around 25 degrees, and at night it should not be lower than 15 or higher than 18. If the temperature is higher than 35 degrees or lower than 10 degrees, it will have a great impact on melon fruit setting and fruit swelling. So its surrounding temperature must be well controlled. The nighttime temperature can be as low as around 10-12 degrees, and a large day-night temperature difference can well increase sugar accumulation in the fruit.
3. Fruit setting and leaf removal
Every day from 4-10 in the morning, a yield-increasing agent can be mixed with water for hormone treatment and artificial pollination of melons. After the melon sets fruit, the growth and development of the fruit have gradually aged the lower leaves of the melon plant, and the intensity of photosynthesis is no longer of much use or photosynthesis can no longer occur. It will also affect the permeability between plants, so at this time the aged lower leaves should be removed in time, but attention should be paid to timing and quantity.
4. Keeping and selecting melons
A low node position for fruit setting will ultimately make the melon small and the yield low. A high node position for fruit setting will make the melon large and the yield high, but the sugar content will decrease. Therefore, the node position for fruit setting should be in the middle, generally between the 10th and 15th leaves of the plant. When the young melon grows to the size of a walnut, one or two melons with a better shape should be selected, and the rest removed, to increase the nutrient area of the fruit and use the substances produced by photosynthesis to be transported nearby to the fruit.
5. Water and fertilizer management
Melons generally need a large amount of fertilizer and water. About one week after the melon seedlings recover, start watering to help them recover, and afterward begin watering according to the soil condition and growth. If the growth is weak, 10 jin of urea can be applied per mu, but watering should not be done during flowering, pollination and fruit setting, because it may cause excessive growth of stems and leaves and then lead to poor fruit setting. When fertilizing, attention should be paid to the mixed combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and more foliar fertilizer should be applied to improve yield and quality.
These are the management methods for melons. To obtain high-yield melons, the first thing is to control water, fertilizer and temperature. These conditions cannot be treated carelessly, because they all determine melon fruit setting and pollination. Close attention must also be paid to melon pests and diseases. All fruits are the same: pests and diseases will seriously harm their growth. Regularly disinfect the orchard and clean up diseased and disabled branches. I hope this can help everyone.