How to hand-pollinate melons? Hand-pollination techniques and treatments

In melon cultivation, to improve fruit set and pollination quality, hand-pollination is used in most cases to achieve higher yields. So how should melons be hand-pollinated? Take a look at the detailed guide below.

1. Choosing the fruit-bearing node

When growing melons, fruit is generally set on secondary vines or tertiary vines, and usually not on the main vine. There are two pruning methods, single-vine and double-vine, and the node at which fruit is set differs between them. For single-vine pruning, early-maturing varieties are best left to set fruit at nodes 9-13, while early and late-maturing varieties are best at nodes 12-16; for double-vine pruning, the fruit-setting nodes on the secondary vines are the same as for single-vine pruning.

2. Pollination time

Melon pollination is generally carried out between 7 and 10 a.m., because this is when the female flower stigma and male flower pollen are at their most active, and pollinating at this time helps improve fertilization. As a rule, it is best to complete all pollination in the same field within one week; only when pollination is completed in the same cycle is it easier to manage and harvest during the fruiting period, avoiding uneven ripening times that make management chaotic.

3. Hand pollination

Choose male flowers that opened that day, pick them, remove the petals to expose the stamens, then gently dab the stamens onto the stigma of the pistil; generally the stamens of each male flower can pollinate 2-3 female flowers. You can also collect the pollen from the male flowers in a container in advance, then at the optimal pollination time dip a cotton swab into the pollen and dab it onto the stigma of the pistil to complete pollination.

4. Points to note

When pollinating, note that it should not be done in cloudy and rainy weather, as this affects pollination quality. If it rains during pollination, you can cover the flowers with a paper bag and remove it three days after pollination. In showery weather, pollinate 2 hours after the rain; if cloudy and rainy weather occurs within 3 hours after pollination, pollinate once more as a supplement. After pollination, mark the flowers well to avoid repeated pollination. This also helps determine the ripening period for easier harvesting.

The above is an introduction to hand-pollination techniques for melons. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.

Melon fruit set relies on insect pollination, but when low temperatures and cloudy, rainy weather occur during flowering, the fruit set rate is seriously affected. Treatment with "Zuogualing" can be carried out on the day the female flower opens or 1-3 days before flowering, and the fruit set rate can reach above 90%; for melons grown outside a greenhouse, if heavy rain washes off the spray within 6 hours, it should be re-sprayed.

Concentration: each bottle of "Zuogualing" (5 grams) is mixed with 2-3 kg of water. The specific concentration used depends on the ambient temperature: at 15-20°C, mix with 2-2.3 kg of water; at 21-24°C, mix with 2.3-2.8 kg of water; at 25-30°C, mix with 2.8-3 kg of water.
How to use: according to the temperature at the time, dilute "Zuogualing" with water to the required concentration, shake well to make a uniform white suspension, then use a mini spray bottle to spray each young fruit evenly one by one.