Why Do Winter Melons Split? Full Analysis of Causes and Prevention Measures

When we think of winter melon, what comes to mind is the beauty-enhancing effect of winter melon soup. Winter melon is a common delicacy on our dining tables. It is rich in nutrients, containing carotene, a variety of vitamins and various trace elements, and has an excellent beauty and fat-reducing effect. Winter melon has strong environmental adaptability, so it is relatively easy to grow, but during cultivation it is prone to splitting, which gives melon farmers a real headache. So what causes winter melon splitting? How should it be prevented? Let's take a look together.

I. Causes of Splitting

1. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer: During cultivation, melon farmers may fertilize improperly, applying too much nitrogen fertilizer while neglecting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which leads to excessive vegetative growth, consumes a large amount of nutrients, and leaves the winter melon short of nutrients. In addition, a lack of potassium fertilizer impedes nutrient transport, thus causing splitting.

2. Water supply fluctuating between too much and too little: During the swelling stage, winter melon needs a large amount of water. If watering is improper, causing water supply to fluctuate between too much and too little, or if the young melon experiences soil drought in the early growth stage and then sudden heavy rain in the later stage, or if there is a sudden clearing after a long period of cloudy and rainy weather, all these factors can cause drastic changes in water availability, thereby causing splitting.

3. Unstable temperature: Just like water, rapid temperature changes are also one of the causes of winter melon splitting.

4. Insufficient trace elements: In the late growth stage of winter melon, in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, trace elements such as calcium, magnesium and boron are also needed. If the soil and plants are severely deficient in these elements, splitting can also occur.

5. Hormone stimulation: Many melon farmers, when cultivating, apply treatments for pest and disease control or spray early-maturing hormones. These all produce a certain stimulation to the winter melon and can easily cause splitting.

II. Prevention Measures

1. Pay attention to water balance. During the young melon swelling stage, provide sufficient water. Water promptly during drought to maintain soil moisture. Conversely, during cloudy and rainy weather, take good drainage and waterlogging prevention measures. If growing in a greenhouse, also strengthen ventilation and reduce air humidity, so as to avoid splitting caused by a sudden clearing of the weather.

2. Apply more organic fertilizer to improve soil structure, increase its water permeability and water-holding capacity, and promote well-developed root growth. Combined with pruning, this can reduce fruit splitting. Winter melon needs a large amount of nitrogen fertilizer in the early growth stage, but in the later stage it needs less nitrogen fertilizer. If too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied, it will also cause rapid growth of stems and leaves, which is unfavorable to winter melon growth. Therefore, at this time mainly apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to improve yield and quality.

3. During fruit swelling, spray a 0.1% copper sulfate or zinc sulfate solution, which can improve the winter melon's heat resistance and crack resistance.

4. Choose crack-resistant varieties when planting, which can reduce the probability of splitting.

5. After the flowers fade, spray a gibberellin solution once a week for 2-3 consecutive times, which also has an excellent preventive effect on splitting.

6. Timely harvesting can also reduce splitting.

The above are the causes of winter melon splitting and the prevention measures. We hope this helps you. To learn more about winter melon cultivation, please stay tuned to us.