When to plant melons outdoors (tips and techniques for planting melons outdoors)

Melon cultivation is a way to generate income in rural areas. Since it has a short growing period, simple management methods, high yield and easy sales, and considerable economic benefits per mu, it is a planting project with broad prospects.

For this reason, many friends have asked about the high-quality melon varieties and related technologies, and want to plant melons after the spring.

Melons can be planted in spring and autumn . In spring, it is generally recommended to plant in February-March. In autumn, it is recommended to plant in August-November . You can choose to plant in nutrient pots, nutrient bags, or direct sowing, but it should be noted that sufficient base fertilizer needs to be applied before planting.

Variety introduction and selection

Melon is a short-day crop. When introducing it, attention should be paid to the origin of the seeds, otherwise it will be counterproductive.

The rules for introducing short-day crops must not be violated, that is, introducing seeds from the north to the south, shortening the growing period and allowing them to mature earlier.

On the contrary, if seeds from the south are introduced to the north, the growth period will be prolonged, the seeds will mature late or even fail to bloom. Therefore, a good variety in a certain place may not be a good variety in a different place.

There are many varieties of melons. The good varieties suitable for planting in the Central Plains should be introduced from the north. The currently popular varieties include Yangjiaomi series, Emerald Melon, Guifeixue, Yongtian No. 11, Jingxiang No. 2, etc.

Soil deep cultivation and fertilization

The melon root system is shallowly distributed, with fine roots mainly distributed in the 15-20 cm soil layer. The main lateral roots extend outward almost horizontally, and the lateral expansion of the root group is much greater than the vertical extension, and it has strong drought resistance.

Therefore, the melon planting land must be loose and fertile. The way to achieve this requirement is to plough the frozen soil in winter and shallowly plough the soil in spring to mature it.

When ploughing the land before the New Year, apply 3 to 4 cubic meters of organic fertilizer per mu. When shallowly ploughing the land after the New Year, apply 1 kg of biological potassium mixed with 40 to 50 kg of cake fertilizer and 40 kg of compound fertilizer into the soil layer 20 cm deep .

Seed treatment and sowing

The roots of melons grow quickly and are prone to corking, so they are not suitable for transplanting. It is generally better to sow directly. In order to shorten the germination time and increase the germination rate, the seeds must be processed.

The method is to put the seeds in 50-degree hot water and stir them constantly. After the water temperature drops, soak the seeds for 4 to 6 hours without stirring.

After rinsing with clean water, place them in an environment of 28 degrees for germination. Rinse them once a day. When 60% of the seeds are white, they can be sown.

The sowing time is early April if the seeds are not covered with film, and mid-March if the seeds are covered with film.

The seeds are planted directly on the prepared ridges with a width of 130 to 170 cm and a hole spacing of 50 to 80 cm. 6 to 8 seeds are sown in each hole.

Water again and cover with soil to a depth of 6 cm. If covered with film, cover the film in time after planting and press it tightly around to increase the ground temperature and strive for early emergence.

Field management

1) Thinning and transplanting

The film-covered seedlings should be released in time, and the broken film should be compacted with soil after release. Thinning should be done twice, once before the true leaves unfold, to remove crowded seedlings.

Second, remove small seedlings, weak seedlings, diseased and insect-infested seedlings and weeds. When the seedlings have 4 true leaves, thin out the seedlings and leave 4 plants in each hole. The direction of the melon vines can be in one direction or two directions.

2) Plant adjustment

Melon fruits are mainly grown on sub-vines and grandson vines, with fewer fruits grown on the main stem.

Therefore, the main stem should be topped when it has 4 to 5 leaves to promote the growth of the sub-vines and grandchild vines and to set fruits earlier. There are two ways to prune: leave 2 to 3 sub-vines and 4 grandchild vines.

The pruning method should be determined according to the variety and soil fertility. At the same time, pay attention to the soil compaction of each branch, compacting every 3 to 4 nodes, and core-pressing at 25 nodes.

3) Fertilization and watering

Melons generally require little or no watering, and even if they are watered, they need to be combined with top dressing.

Top dressing is done twice. After pinching once, apply 150 kg of chicken manure mixed with 35 kg of cake fertilizer per mu.

The second time is when the melon is the size of an egg, apply 15 kg of phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer per mu. Water the plant in time after two applications of fertilizer.

Harvest at the right time

It usually takes 20 to 30 days for melons to mature from flowering. They must be picked at the right time. If picked too early, they will not be sweet enough, and if picked too late, they will rot and deteriorate.