Watermelon Planting Technology and Management

With its sweet, juicy, cool and refreshing characteristics, watermelon is an ideal choice for cooling off and quenching thirst in summer, and is also one of the most widely grown fruits. Below are watermelon planting techniques and management.

1. Planting method

There are two main ways to grow watermelon: direct seeding in the field and seedling transplanting.

1. Live broadcast

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

Seed drying: Dry the seeds for 3 days before sowing. Be careful not to place them directly on the hot concrete floor.

Soaking seeds: Soak the seeds in 40℃ warm water for 5 minutes, rub gently to remove the mucous membrane, and soak in 1000 times diluted thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for 3 hours to prevent wilt disease.

Germination: After rinsing with clean water, place on a wet towel and germinate in a 30℃ environment. Keep moist. Generally, it will start to germinate after 7 hours.

Sowing: Around the Qingming Festival, when the surface temperature is stable at above 16°C, make ridges and cover with plastic film for sowing. The hole depth is 3-4 cm, sow 2 seeds in each hole and cover with fine soil.

2. Seedling transplanting

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

Preparation of nutrient soil: Use garden soil and decomposed organic fertilizer in a ratio of 7:3, and add compound fertilizer and biological fungicide .

Filling soil and sowing: Put nutrient soil into the seedling container, water it thoroughly the day before sowing, and sow with the tip of the sprout facing downward. Put one seed in each container and cover it with fine soil.

Transplanting: After 25 to 30 days, when the seedlings have 3 to 4 true leaves, they can be transplanted. Harden the seedlings before transplanting and spray foliar fertilizer .

2. Field Management

Fertilization: Mainly organic fertilizer, with appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and pay attention to applying less nitrogen fertilizer.

Pruning: Start pruning about 10 days after planting, leaving the main vine and two strong side vines.

Press the vines: Start when the main vine is 60 cm long, and press it every 50 cm it grows, for a total of 3 times.

Top dressing: Start top dressing when the main vine is 20 cm long, use potassium fertilizer, compound fertilizer and cake fertilizer, and spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer.

3. Auxiliary measures

Artificial pollination: improve fruit setting rate and ensure uniform maturity.

Select and keep the fruit: After the fruit setting is stable, select the fruit with normal shape to keep. Generally, one fruit is appropriate, and 2 at most.

4. Pest and disease control

Diseases: Anthracnose, vine blight, wilt, etc., use 50% carbendazim wettable powder for prevention and control.

Pests: Mainly aphids, use 1500 times diluted 20% imidacloprid for control. Be careful to avoid applying pesticides during the flowering and fruiting period.

In general, by following the above steps, you can effectively plant and manage watermelons to ensure a good harvest. Friends who want to learn about watermelon planting can consider the actual situation.