Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Pumpkin Plastic Mulch Cultivation Technology
Pumpkin is one of the most common vegetables in our daily lives. When planted in early spring, because the temperature is relatively low, it is very prone to frost damage, so many farmers use plastic mulch to increase soil temperature, promote good root development and deep rooting, and promote healthy seedling growth. So how should pumpkin be planted with plastic mulch? Let's learn about it together.
1. Land preparation
In order to prevent problems such as excessive vine growth, premature senescence, and lodging after pumpkins are covered with plastic film, the quality of land preparation must be improved. Pay attention to deep plowing early, harrowing after the beginning of spring, and leveling after the beginning of spring, so that the ground is level and there are no large clods of soil. Plastic mulch cultivation should adopt high ridge cultivation. The ridges should be straight, preferably oriented north-south, with a ridge width of 20 li mei nv, a small ditch width of 20 cm, a large ditch width of 50 cm, and a height of 10-12 cm. Then apply 2000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu in the ditch. After irrigation, cover with soil to form high ridges. The soil on the ridge surface should be fine and crumbly, with no sharp edges and no other debris, so as not to puncture the plastic film.
2. Laying the film on the ground
After the pumpkin beds are prepared, the film should be laid immediately to help preserve soil moisture and increase temperature. Film covering should be done on sunny days. Laying film under low-temperature conditions makes it very easy to rupture after thermal expansion. When covering with film, spread it slowly, pull it flat and place it tightly, so that the plastic film fits completely close to the ground. The two ends of the film should be covered tightly with soil to prevent air leakage. Leave 20 cm uncovered between the two ridges to allow for irrigation.
3. Planting method
When pumpkins are cultivated with plastic mulch, either seedling cultivation or direct sowing in the field can be used. There are generally two planting methods. One is to lay the film first, then cut openings in the film according to the plant and row spacing and plant. The other method is to plant the seedlings first, then lay the film and cut openings aligned with the seedlings. For seedlings that are too young, plant them with soil attached. When covering with soil, first cover about eighty percent, then after irrigation cover it level. After planting, press tightly with soil and seal firmly. For those sown and then covered with film, cut openings promptly when the seedlings emerge to avoid scorching.
4. Precautions
Pumpkin plastic mulch covering is not conducive to intertillage and fertilization, so sufficient base fertilizer should be applied before covering the ground. Generally, slow-release fertilizer is used to avoid burning sprouts and roots. Fertilizer should also be applied deeply, so as to avoid too shallow application, which is not conducive to deep root growth. If premature senescence occurs during the growing period, additional fertilizer can be applied in combination with irrigation or as a foliar spray. After film covering, the external water supply is low, so attention should be paid to soil moisture after film covering. When water is insufficient, as soil temperature rises after film covering, soil moisture rises, which will cause water shortage and drought in the 5-10 cm soil layer, so timely irrigation must be carried out to prevent premature senescence. After film covering, pumpkin stems and leaves tend to grow vigorously, so attention should be paid to density. The cultivation density should be somewhat lower than that of direct sowing in the open field. In addition, plastic mulch covering very easily breeds weeds. It is best to spray herbicide before covering with film. When there are weeds under the film, you can step on them at noon on a sunny day to trample the weeds to death.
The above is an introduction to pumpkin plastic mulch cultivation technology. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.