What are the control methods for stiff fruit in spring watermelons?
The causes of stiff fruit fall into the following categories: 1. Dry soil and insufficient fertilizer and water: if fertilizer and water are insufficient during the fruit enlargement period, stiff fruit is easily formed. Therefore, the melon field should be irrigated, with the amount of water increasing from small to large, and the water should not cover the bed surface. The water should not remain in the field for too long, and irrigation should be done in the evening or at night to avoid burning the roots at high temperatures...
The causes of stiff fruit fall into the following categories:1. Dry soil and insufficient fertilizer and water: if fertilizer and water are insufficient during the fruit enlargement period, stiff fruit is easily formed. Therefore, the melon field should be irrigated, with the amount of water increasing from small to large, and the water should not cover the bed surface. The water should not remain in the field for too long, and irrigation should be done in the evening or at night to avoid burning the roots at high temperatures. When developing watermelons in hilly areas, water storage should be increased before winter, and the method of raising seedlings and transplanting should be adopted to strive for early fruit set and reduce the impact of drought on fruit enlargement. When the young fruit grows to the size of an egg, apply the fruit-swelling fertilizer in time.
2. Insufficient functional leaves: generally speaking, fruits with more leaves grow larger and have better quality. Therefore, a considerable number of functional leaves should be cultivated for photosynthesis to meet the needs of fruit enlargement.
3. Excessive vine growth: the nutrients produced are mostly consumed by stem and leaf growth, which cannot meet the needs of fruit enlargement, resulting in a rampant growth state. Strong seedlings should be cultivated to lay a good foundation for normal fruit development. Before and after fruit set, the application rate and timing of the fruit-swelling fertilizer should be adjusted according to the size of new leaves, the thickness of the vine, the length of the internodes, and the length from the top of the vine to the node of the opened female flower. If the length from the top of the vine to the node of the opened female flower exceeds 67 cm, it indicates that the vine is growing excessively and its growth should be suppressed; if the length is less than 50 cm, it indicates that the vine is growing weakly and should be topdressed immediately to promote its growth; if the length is within the range of 50-67 cm, it indicates that the vine is growing normally.
4. During pollination, the amount of pollen from male flowers applied to the stigma of female flowers is insufficient. The number of seeds has an important effect on fruit development. Under the same conditions, fruits with more seeds grow larger. Therefore, the best timing should be chosen to apply as much pollen with strong viability as possible to the stigma, so as to increase the number of seeds and thereby achieve the goal of high yield.
5. Female flowers that are slender and weak with sparse hairs are not easy to set fruit after pollination, and even if fruit is set, it is difficult for it to grow large. Therefore, female flowers with well-developed buds, large size and vigorous growth should be selected for pollination. The main characteristics of high-quality female flowers are a thick fruit stalk, a large ovary, a normal shape, a tender green and glossy color, and densely growing hairs.
6. Leaves severely damaged by pests and diseases cannot carry out photosynthesis normally, affecting fruit development.
7. Fruit set is too close or too far, and fruit enlargement is affected by many aspects and becomes stiff.