Detailed Explanation of Melon Planting Techniques and Management Methods
Melon, also known as oriental melon, sweet melon and bailan melon, is an annual trailing herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, Cucumis genus. It has a long history of cultivation and is widely grown in China. So when should melons be sown? And how should they be planted? Let's take a look together.
1. Growth Habits
Melons grow best in loam or sandy loam with deep soil layers, rich in organic acids, good fertility and good permeability. They are drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant. However, their root system is relatively shallow, so they need higher soil moisture and lower air humidity, with the relative air humidity preferably kept at around 50. Their optimum growth temperature is between 18-25°C, and the suitable temperature for flowering and fruiting is 22-25°C.
2. Seed Selection and Sowing
Choose excellent varieties according to the local soil, climate and needs. Before sowing, disinfect the seeds first, then sow. The disinfection method is: soak the seeds in a low-concentration carbendazim solution for 10 minutes. Sowing can be divided into spring sowing and autumn sowing. Spring sowing is in February-March, and autumn sowing is in August-November. When sowing, you can use nutrient pots or nutrient bags for seedling raising, or direct sowing; in folk practice, direct sowing is generally chosen. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer: 3000-5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure and 50 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. Apply in furrows, then dig pits for deep application, cover with soil and sow, with 2-3 seeds per pit.
3. Seedling Stage Management
Oriental melon seedlings grow extremely fast after emergence, especially seedlings raised in nutrient pots or nutrient bags. To avoid excessive seedling growth, strictly control water and temperature. After emergence, keep the daytime temperature at 20-25°C and the nighttime temperature at around 10°C, while strengthening fertilizer and water management. Watering with a thin compound fertilizer solution once a week can promote seedling growth. In addition, during the seedling stage, timely cultivation and weeding should be carried out to promote root development. Many diseases come from the root system; if the root system is not well developed, diseases are more severe.
4. Pest and Disease Control
Melons have relatively many pests and diseases. The main diseases at the seedling stage are root rot, powdery mildew and rust. Root rot can be controlled by spraying metalaxyl or metalaxyl-copper, and powdery mildew and rust can be controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture. As for insect pests, aphids occur most frequently, followed by cutworms and other pests such as armyworms and cotton bollworms, which can be controlled with low-toxicity, high-efficiency pesticides. For example, aphids can be controlled with imidacloprid, while others can be controlled by spraying with Tianwangxing emulsifiable concentrate or Mieshaoli emulsifiable concentrate.
The above is an introduction to melon planting techniques. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.