Detailed Explanation of Melon Planting Methods and Technical Points
The melon is the fleshy fruit of a plant in the Cucurbitaceae family, with many locules and numerous seeds, much like a berry, but the receptacle of these fruits fuses with the outer pericarp, often forming a thick outer skin, and in classification it is specifically called a "pepo"; the melon is a typical example. The melon originated in the tropical desert regions of Africa and was introduced to China along with watermelon around the Northern Wei period; it began to be widely cultivated in the Ming Dynasty and is now commonly grown throughout China.
Melon Planting Methods
1. Seed Selection Methods
Because there are many varieties of melon, we can select which ones to plant; melon varieties include American zucchini, Early Green zucchini and Black Beauty, among others, and you can choose according to your own needs.
2. Sowing Period Selection
For spring sowing, it is best to sow in February-March, ensuring that harvesting takes place at the time of the Qingming and Guyu solar terms for the best results.
3. Seed Disinfection
Before planting melons, the seeds must be disinfected; most treatments use copper sulfate solution or carbendazim for sterilization, and then when sowing, aldicarb should be used for seed dressing, so as to prevent the invasion of pests and diseases from the soil.
4. Reasonable Close Planting
The planting density of melons should be appropriate, and its planting density should be determined according to the type of melon; the general standard is: row spacing of 0.6-0.5 m, plant spacing of 0.5 m, and planting 700 to 800 hills per mu is sufficient; when planting, growers must first make clear which type the variety belongs to.
5. Seedling Stage Management
Because melon seedlings grow and develop very quickly, in order to prevent excessive vegetative growth, we should control the amount when fertilizing and watering, neither too much nor too little, keeping the temperature between 20-25 degrees during the day and around 10 degrees at night; fertilize once every week, and to prevent root rot, also add metalaxyl solution when fertilizing, and Bordeaux mixture can also be sprayed to prevent powdery mildew.
6. Later Stage Management
At the first harvest of melons, we can fertilize once after each harvest, mainly with compound fertilizer, and at the same time as fertilizing, water the melon field promptly to replenish moisture; after entering the harvest period, not only must fertilizer and water management be done well, but pest and disease control must also be done well. Melons have quite a few pests and diseases, mainly four diseases and three insects: powdery mildew, mosaic disease, downy mildew and root rot, and the three insects are leafminer, thrips and aphids.