Best time to plant watermelon in autumn

Watermelon prefers a warm and dry climate. The optimum temperature for its growth and development is 24-30℃, so it is suitable for planting in summer and autumn. So when is the best time to plant watermelons in autumn? Let’s learn more about it below.

Best time to plant watermelon in autumn

The best time to plant autumn watermelons is generally from late June to early July. Watermelons sown during this period can be harvested in late autumn to early winter after a growth cycle of about 80-85 days.

How to plant watermelon in autumn?

1. Variety selection

It is recommended to choose early-maturing varieties with high fruit set rate and strong moisture resistance, such as Zaojia, Zaochun Hongyu, Hong Xiaowang, Jinfu, Zhengza No. 5, etc.

2. Seed treatment

Soak the seeds in 800 times diluted 50% carbendazim wettable powder for 10-15 minutes for disinfection, remove and wash, then soak the seeds in 25-30℃ warm water for 3-4 hours, and sow them after the seeds turn white.

3. Sowing method

Can adopt direct seeding or seedling transplanting method. When direct seeding, make holes on the bed surface for sowing, sow 2 to 3 seeds in each hole, and cover with fine soil and grass to keep moisture. When raising seedlings and transplanting, you need to first cultivate strong seedlings in the seedbed, and then transplant them when the seedlings are 20-25 days old and have 3 leaves and 1 heart.

4. Planting at the right time

When transplanting, choose strong seedlings with 3 leaves and 1 heart. The transplanting time should not be too late to avoid low temperatures in the later stage affecting the growth of watermelon. In addition, since the growth vigor of autumn watermelon is weaker than that of spring-sown and summer-harvested watermelon, the planting density can be appropriately larger. It is appropriate to plant 750-1000 plants per acre.

5. Fertilizer and water management

The temperature is high and the drought is dry during the growing period of watermelons in autumn, so sufficient water supply must be ensured. Fertilization is mainly based on base fertilizer, combined with top dressing. Base fertilizer is usually applied during land preparation. For topdressing, attention should be paid to applying seedling fertilizer lightly, promoting first and then controlling, applying vine-stretching fertilizer skillfully, and applying melon-swelling fertilizer heavily after the young fruits are set.

6. Artificial pollination

In autumn, female flowers of watermelon differentiate late and are spaced far apart, making natural pollination difficult. Generally, the second or third female flower of the main vine is selected, and the male flowers are picked for pollination between 9 and 11 in the morning, with each male flower pollinating 2 to 3 female flowers.

7. Pest and disease control

In autumn, watermelon is prone to diseases such as viral diseases, downy mildew, powdery mildew, anthracnose, as well as insect pests such as aphids and red spiders. It is necessary to strengthen field management, regularly check the status of plants, and take timely measures to prevent and treat possible pest and disease problems.

Generally speaking, autumn watermelon planting is not the best time of the year, so its planting process needs to be very delicate and serious. Choosing the right variety and sowing time, as well as reasonable field management are the key to ensuring a good harvest of watermelons in autumn.