What kind of environmental conditions does watermelon cultivation require?
Watermelon is an essential fruit for every household in summer. Watermelon has sweet, tender flesh and plenty of water; one bite is full of fruit. However, watermelon's requirements for its growing environment are very important. If the growing environment for watermelon does not reach a certain standard, the watermelon may grow very small and not sweet. Below I will introduce the growing environment that watermelon needs.
1. Temperature
Watermelon is a temperature-loving fruit. It cannot survive below 18°C, and the most suitable temperature for germination is around 30°C. Below 20°C or above 38°C, it may fail to germinate. The most suitable temperature during the growing period is between 20-28°C. Seedlings are at around 23°C, the vine elongation period is at around 26°C, and the final maturity period is at around 30°C. If the temperature does not meet the conditions, the watermelon cannot grow large, the rind will also become very thick, the flesh will be hard, the sweetness will not be enough, and quality and yield will be affected.
2. Humidity
Although watermelon is relatively drought-tolerant, its demand for water during the development period is especially high. Especially during vine elongation and the maturity period, the water supply for watermelon must be ensured, so that watermelons with both higher quality and yield can be harvested. Watermelon is a rather strange fruit; heavy rain during the rainy season can easily make it susceptible to disease. But excessive water shortage will affect its development, causing the flesh to become dry and hard and the fruit to be smaller, affecting yield.
Too much water will also affect its pollination. The vines grow rapidly, affecting the fruit and affecting quality.
3. Light
Watermelon's demand for light is the most important. From the seedling stage to the maturity stage, watermelon needs at least 620 hours of light to satisfy the light requirements for its entire series of growth from flowering to fruiting. At least 6 hours per day are needed for watermelon to develop normally. This is especially true when cloudy and rainy weather occurs and there is no sunlight. If there is insufficient light, it will lead to insufficient temperature, and if the temperature cannot be reached, the yield cannot be reached. Just as I said above, the watermelon cannot grow large, the flesh is dry and hard, and yield and quality are seriously affected.
4. Soil
Watermelon is drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant. The land for planting watermelon should be selected with a good drainage system and relatively deep sandy soil with better soil quality. Watermelon soil should not be too alkaline or too acidic, and it should be cultivated in land with a pH value of around 6. If the salt content in the soil is higher than 0.2%, watermelon cannot grow normally. If the land is acidic, watermelon is prone to Fusarium wilt, and some alkaline fertilizer should be applied to neutralize it, so as to achieve a better cultivation effect.
5. Crop rotation
After planting watermelon in a plot once, do not plant it a second time. The second time usually produces diseases, such as Fusarium wilt, and the incidence is very severe. At harvest time, crop rotation should be carried out, for example with rice and so on, and the same plot must be left for at least 6 years before it can be planted again.
The growing environment of watermelon is very sensitive to surrounding factors, especially humidity and light. Watermelon should not be too wet or too dry. During cultivation, everyone must pay close attention to the humidity conditions in the watermelon field. Also light, because light indirectly affects temperature, so the editor suggests that it is better not to grow it in the open air, and to build a greenhouse instead, which can both control humidity and supplement light.