Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Greenhouse Watermelon Cultivation Techniques
The current season is about to enter the peak period for watermelons. Watermelon is one of the must-have fruits for many people in summer, and it has a very wide planting area in our country. Nowadays, watermelons are mostly grown in greenhouses, which allows better control of temperature and humidity and promotes watermelon growth. So how should watermelons be grown in greenhouses? Below, the editor brings you the greenhouse watermelon cultivation techniques. Let's take a look!
1. Planting Soil
Whether grown in greenhouses or in open fields, watermelons must be rotated, and they cannot be continuously cropped with cucurbit vegetables such as cucumber and bitter melon, so as to prevent the harm of soil-borne diseases. We should choose a plot with higher terrain, normal drainage and irrigation, and deep, loose soil to build the greenhouse. Then, before spring sowing, the soil should be deeply plowed about 25 cm to destroy the overwintering sites of pathogens and pests. Use the low-temperature environment to freeze pests to death, then dig melon furrows to facilitate the growth of the watermelon plant's roots. After that, apply sufficient base fertilizer, control the amount according to soil fertility, mainly using farmyard manure, and finally make the beds ready for sowing.
2. Propagation Methods
The propagation methods for greenhouse watermelons are generally mainly sowing and grafting, with sowing propagation being the most used. Seeds should be selected from varieties with high yield, strong disease resistance, and no pests or diseases. Then put the seeds in warm water at about 50 degrees and stir them for about 8 times. Then, when the water temperature gradually decreases, the water should be warmed up again in time, lasting for about half an hour. Then use a solution such as trisodium phosphate for seed dressing. After seed dressing, wash them clean, air-dry them, wrap them in a damp cloth, and place them at about 26 degrees for germination. During soaking, a certain humidity must be maintained. When about 85% of the seeds have germinated, they can be sown.
3. Timely Sowing
When the soil temperature remains above 16 degrees, sowing can begin. Before sowing, dig the sowing furrows, water them thoroughly, and then place the seeds in the very middle of the sowing furrows. Just put one seed in each sowing hole, and after sowing, cover with soil and mulch film. Before emergence, the temperature should be controlled at about 22 degrees, with regular watering. After the seedlings emerge, uncover the mulch film and carry out ventilation and cooling to avoid excessive growth of seedlings caused by high temperature and high humidity. After the seedlings produce their first true leaf, ensure sufficient light. Before planting, complete the field preparation, disinfection, and fertilization work, dig the planting holes, water them sufficiently, and create a suitable growing environment for the seedlings.
4. Field Management
Water and fertilizer are the substances with relatively large demand during watermelon growth. We should reasonably control the amount of water and fertilizer according to the growth status of the watermelon and the weather. Among these, note that when the watermelon enters the vine extension stage and young fruit stage, fertilizer should be topdressed in time to meet the sufficient nutrients needed for watermelon growth. Then pruning work should also be done well to prevent too many vines, which can cause crossing and overlapping and affect each other's growth. It can also reduce nutrient consumption and concentrate nutrients on the flowers and fruits. Finally, the greenhouse should be used to properly adjust temperature, humidity, and light to avoid unsuitable environments affecting watermelon growth.
The above is a brief introduction to greenhouse watermelon cultivation techniques. Compared with open-field cultivation, greenhouse watermelons are easier to manage, have stronger growth capacity, and bring better planting benefits. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you everyone for reading and supporting.