How to grow watermelon to get high yield?

Watermelon is a popular summer fruit for its sweet, juicy, refreshing and thirst-quenching properties. It is also one of the most widely grown melons in the world. Let’s learn how to grow watermelons to achieve high yields.

1. Planting method

There are two main ways to grow watermelon: sowing directly in the field (direct seeding) and raising seedlings before transplanting.

2. Live broadcast

1. Seed selection: According to local climate and market demand, select watermelon varieties with excellent quality, high yield and strong disease resistance.

2. Seed drying: Before sowing, dry the seeds in the sun for 3 days. Be careful not to place them directly on the hot cement floor to avoid damaging the seeds.

3. Soak seeds: Soak the seeds in warm water at about 40°C for 5 minutes, rub gently to remove the mucous membrane on the surface, and then soak them in 1000 times diluted thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for 3 hours to prevent wilt disease.

4. Germination: Wash the seeds and place them on a wet towel, cover with another layer of wet towel, germinate in an environment of about 30°C, and keep the towel moist. Usually it starts to germinate after 7 hours. If it still hasn't germinated after 24 hours, rinse again with 30℃ water. Most seeds germinate within 2 days and are ready for sowing.

5. Sowing: Choose around the Qingming Festival when the surface temperature is stable at above 16°C for sowing. When sowing, make ridges and cover with mulch, dig sowing holes about 3-4 cm deep, put 2 germinated seeds in each hole, and then cover with fine soil.

3. Seedling cultivation and transplanting

1. Seedling transplanting: Compared with direct seeding in the open field, seedling transplanting can save seeds, cultivate better quality seedlings, and increase the seedling rate.

2. Seedbed preparation: The seedbed is usually set up in a greenhouse or a small arch shed.

3. Preparation of nutrient soil: Mix garden soil and decomposed organic fertilizer in a ratio of 7:3, and add 1 kg of three-element compound fertilizer and 100 grams of biological fungicide per cubic meter.

4. Filling the soil: Use nutrient pots, seedling trays or seedling bags to grow seedlings. Fill them with nutrient soil and place them neatly on the seedbed.

5. Sowing: Water the nutrient pots thoroughly one day before sowing. When sowing, place the germinated seeds with the tip facing downward. Put one seed in each pot and cover with fine soil.

6. Transplanting: After about 25 to 30 days, when the seedlings have 3 to 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted. Start hardening the seedlings one week before transplanting, remove the film to ventilate and cool down, and stop watering. Spray foliar fertilizer before transplanting.

4. Field Management

Fertilization: Mainly organic fertilizer, apply nitrogen fertilizer in moderation, and apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Apply 3,000 kg of organic fertilizer, 200 kg of fermented cake fertilizer, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer, 10 kg of potassium fertilizer and 10 kg of compound fertilizer per mu.

Pruning: About 10 days after planting, when the main vine grows to 60 cm, start pruning, keep one main vine and two strong side vines, and remove the rest of the side vines.

Vine pressing: Press the main vine for the first time when it grows to 60 cm, and then press it every 50 cm after that, for a total of 3 times.

Top dressing: Start the first top dressing when the main vine of watermelon is 20 cm long. Use 10 kg of potassium fertilizer, 10 kg of compound fertilizer, and 100 kg of cake fertilizer per mu, and spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer once a week. When the watermelon grows to the size of an egg, apply fruit-enhancing fertilizer, using 200 kg of fermented cake fertilizer, 10 kg of phosphorus fertilizer, and 10 kg of potassium fertilizer per mu.

Artificial pollination: Artificial assisted pollination can increase the fruit setting rate and ensure uniform maturity. When the flowers open every morning, apply the pollen of the male flowers to the style of the female flowers.

Select and keep the melons: After the melons are firmly planted (they are the size of an egg), select the melons with normal shape and keep 1, or at most 2.

5. Pest and disease control

The main diseases of watermelon include anthracnose, vine blight, wilt, fruit rot, powdery mildew, etc. Once diseased plants are found, 50% carbendazim wettable powder diluted with water can be used for prevention and control. The main insect pests are aphids, which can be controlled by using 1500 times diluted 20% imidacloprid. Be careful to avoid using pesticides during the flowering and fruiting period.

The above are the key points for high-yield watermelon cultivation. Proper management can effectively improve the yield and quality of watermelon and ensure successful planting.