Watermelon planting methods and management methods

Watermelon is loved by people for its sweet taste and rich nutritional value. Moreover, watermelon has strong adaptability to the environment, diverse planting forms, and is particularly widely distributed in my country. So what are the planting and management methods for watermelon? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Planting site selection

For watermelon planting , choose sandy loam or sandy soil that is sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, with good drainage and irrigation conditions. After the previous crop is harvested, the land should be cleared in time and dug deep to allow it to be fully exposed to the sun to kill some pathogens and pests to reduce their harm.

2. Land preparation and fertilization

After selecting a site, deep plowing and land preparation should be carried out in a timely manner. In the land that has been deep plowed or has a foundation for deep plowing, drainage ditches should be dug around it. At the same time, apply 2500-3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, add 15-20 kg of phosphorus fertilizer, 20-25 kg of balanced compound fertilizer , 2 kg of borax, and 1 kg of zinc fertilizer as base fertilizer.

3. Seed treatment

Pour the watermelon seeds directly into 55-degree warm water and stir constantly. After about 15 minutes, when the water temperature drops to 30 degrees, rub the seeds and skin mucus with your hands, then change to clean water and continue soaking for 7 hours. Then take out the seeds, wrap them in gauze and place them in a constant temperature box at 30 degrees for germination. Rinse them with 30-degree warm water every day. When the white radicle is exposed, they can be sown.

4. Seeding and transplanting

In addition to direct seeding, watermelon can also be grown by raising seedlings and transplanting. When the melon seedlings have 3 leaves and 1 heart and are 30-35 days old, start transplanting. The plant spacing should be 45-50 cm. About 450-500 trees can be planted per mu. After transplanting, water them thoroughly to ensure that they can take root.

5. Reasonable pruning

When the main vine of the watermelon has 4-5 leaves, pinch off the top. When the sub-vines are about 15 cm long, select 2-3 sub-vines with good growth, remove the remaining sub-vines and the grandchildren before the fruit nodes, and select and retain the grandchildren after the fruit nodes as appropriate.

6. Water and fertilizer management

Watermelon requires a lot of water during its growth period, especially during the flowering and fruiting period, so the soil should be kept moist. In addition to watering, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other fertilizers should be applied according to the growth stage. In the early stage of growth, nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used to promote plant growth; in the flowering and fruiting period, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are mainly used to increase yield and quality.

7. Artificial pollination

Artificial assisted pollination can increase the fruit setting rate and ensure consistent maturity. The method is to stick the pollen of the male flowers to the pistil of the female flowers when the flowers open every morning.

In general, watermelon planting and management is not difficult, you just need to master some details. However, specific planting operations still need to be adjusted according to local actual conditions.