How to fertilize bitter melon properly? Master the correct fertilization methods
When it comes to bitter melon, many people have different opinions. For those who like bitter melon, it is naturally a delicacy, but for those who do not like it, it is comparable to poison. However, no matter what, the nutritional value and effects of bitter melon are very strong, and now its range of adaptation is becoming wider and wider, and it is planted all over the country. Today we are mainly going to learn about how to fertilize bitter melon.
1. Base fertilizer
Base fertilizer is the most basic condition for the growth of any plant, so the same is true when planting bitter melon. For the base fertilizer, we mainly use farmyard manure as the base, and then supplement with an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. For planting bitter melon, the farmyard manure required per mu is about 5,000 kg, nitrogen fertilizer 40 kg, phosphate fertilizer 50 kg and potassium fertilizer 30 kg. It must be stirred evenly, and then turned into the soil.
2. Seedling-promoting fertilizer
Seedling-promoting fertilizer is generally a nutrient supply applied once when bitter melon is planted. At this time, we usually combine it with watering, which can improve the survival rate of bitter melon seedlings and also allow the nutrients to be fully absorbed by the bitter melon seedlings, thereby promoting root growth. The amount of seedling-promoting fertilizer used is generally not large, mainly urea. About 10 jin of urea is needed per mu, and 4 to 5 jin of potassium fertilizer can be added, which can enhance the resistance of bitter melon seedlings.
3. Growth fertilizer
Growth fertilizer is applied when the bitter melon seedlings have grown to about 30 to 40 cm. At this time, in order to speed up the growth of bitter melon seedlings, shorten their growth period, and thus make them flower and bear fruit faster, we still need to add an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer, or use manure and urine water for irrigation. At the same time, about 5 jin of urea and 3 to 4 jin of potassium fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer can be added to the manure and urine water, which can prevent the seedlings from excessive vegetative growth.
4. Flower-promoting fertilizer
When bitter melon grows to a certain extent, it will enter the flowering period. Fertilization is generally carried out about one week before bitter melon blooms or when it just begins to bloom. This can extend the flowering period of bitter melon and thereby increase the fruit-setting rate of bitter melon. This fertilization is mainly based on phosphate fertilizer and base fertilizer, and an appropriate amount of boron fertilizer can also be sprayed. The fertilizer is generally prepared in a ratio of 3 to 2 to 1.
5. Fruit-strengthening fertilizer
As we all know, fruit-strengthening fertilizer is applied after fruit setting when the fruit has grown to the size of two fingers, to promote the enlargement of bitter melon. Fruit-strengthening fertilizer is still mainly based on phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer. Per mu, apply 10 jin of phosphate fertilizer and 8 jin of potassium fertilizer. Secondly, during this period, an appropriate amount of foliar fertilizer can be sprayed, and some biological fertilizer specially used for strengthening fruit can also be used, so that while increasing yield, the quality of bitter melon is not affected.
6. Later-stage fertilizer
Later-stage fertilizer mainly refers to the fertilizer applied after the first batch of bitter melon is harvested, and it basically all belongs to later-stage fertilizer. It is mainly to prevent the bitter melon seedlings from aging, thereby reducing the yield of bitter melon. Therefore, after each harvest of bitter melon, a maintenance fertilization is needed, mainly based on urea and compound fertilizer, averaging about 20 jin per mu. At the same time, an appropriate amount of phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer also needs to be used in combination for root-outside fertilization, which can effectively prevent premature aging of the plants.