Winter melon planting technology and management

Wax gourd is an annual climbing or trellising herb belonging to the genus Wax gourd of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is widely cultivated in various places. As a warm-loving and heat-resistant crop, winter melon is favored for its high yield, good storage and transportation properties, and its fruit's ability to relieve heat and relieve fever. The seeds and peel of wax gourd also have medicinal value. Let’s learn about winter melon planting techniques and management.

1. Sowing time

The sowing period for spring cultivation is usually scheduled from December to March of the following year, while autumn planting is carried out in June and July. The seedling transplant method is recommended for spring cultivation, which helps to withstand the cold. Seedlings can be grown in nutrient pots, nutrient bags or nutrient balls. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in warm water and germinated: soak the seeds in warm water at 25-30°C for 24 hours, then wrap them with wet gauze at room temperature of 28-30°C for germination, and sow them after the seeds turn white.

2. Preparation of nutrient soil

The preparation method of nutrient soil includes: mixing 400-500 kg of sifted fertile soil, 80-100 kg of high-quality well-rotted manure or compost, 15-20 kg of rapeseed cake powder or cottonseed cake powder, and 10-15 kg of fermented phosphate fertilizer. Finally, mix it with clean manure water and it can be used after the nutrient soil is prepared.

3. Nutrient pots and nutrient balls (balls) for seedling cultivation

Mix the nutrient soil until it is wet enough to form a ball when squeezed by hand and will fall apart when dropped to the ground. Use a special pot-making machine to make the nutrient soil into a pot with a height of 6-8 cm and a diameter of 6-7 cm, leaving a small hole in the center of the pot. Or you can manually knead a nutrient ball (ball) with a diameter of 6-7 cm, leaving a hole in the center. Sow 1 seed in the hole and cover with fine soil.

4. Nutrient bag seedling cultivation

Use waste newspapers or book paper to make a bottomless paper bag 8 cm high and 4 cm in diameter. Fill it with nutrient soil and sow one seed at a depth of about 3 cm, then cover it with a layer of fine soil.

5. Seedling management

After sowing, the nutrient pots, nutrient bags, and nutrient balls can be placed in the seedbed or on the ground and covered with plastic film to maintain humidity. When the melon seedlings grow to the stage of 2 leaves and 1 heart, they can be transplanted.

6. Planting time

The suitable time for spring transplanting is when the local temperature reaches a stable 15°C. For mulching cultivation, this temperature standard is critical. If double-film covering cultivation is adopted, planting can be carried out when the local temperature is above 12℃

7. Planting density

The planting density varies according to the characteristics of the variety and the cultivation method. For ground wax gourd, 300 to 350 plants are recommended per acre. If the "human" frame cultivation method is adopted, and double vines and single melons are left, the bed width should be 180 to 200 cm, planted in double rows, and the plant spacing should be maintained at 130 to 140 cm. The number of plants planted per acre is approximately 500. If a single vine and single melon are left, the plant spacing should be 90 to 100 cm, and about 700 plants should be planted per acre.

8. Apply enough basal fertilizer

As a fertilizer-loving crop, winter melon has a high demand for fertilizer . 2,000 to 2,500 kg of farmyard manure and 50 kg of superphosphate or calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer should be applied to each acre of land through furrow application. For rice transplanting fields covered with plastic film, 50 kg of compound fertilizer , 25 kg of urea and 20 kg of potassium chloride should be spread per mu, followed by land preparation and ridge building, and planting after covering with plastic film.

9. Topdressing and watering

Winter melon has a well-developed root system, but due to its lush vines and leaves, it still has a great demand for water and fertilizer. Before fruit setting, fertilizer and water should be controlled to prevent the plant from growing too tall. Generally, only 1 to 2 applications of clear manure water are required. After the fruit sets, it is necessary to apply manure water frequently and gradually increase the concentration. At the same time, an appropriate amount of phosphorus fertilizer or decomposed cake fertilizer can be added in the topdressing. In addition, spray 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves 3 to 6 times to promote fruit setting. When there is more rain in summer, attention should be paid to strengthening drainage; during drought, top dressing or watering alone should be combined to prevent drought damage.

10. Intertillage and weeding

In order to promote the healthy development of the winter melon root system and the growth of adventitious roots, it is necessary to carry out inter-cultivation and weeding on the bed surface in time. The tillage can be appropriately deep during the seedling stage, while shallow tillage is recommended during the vine growth and flowering stages to avoid damaging the root system. In order to improve land utilization, after planting winter melon, you can loosen the soil in the entire field and sow Chinese cabbage .

11. Pruning and guiding vines in “human” frame cultivation

Large winter melon: Usually one main vine is retained on each plant to produce melons, and one side vine is retained as a nutrient branch. Other side vines and sub-vines should be removed as soon as possible. When the vine grows to about 2 meters, start to guide it to the "human" cross. To ensure that the melons grow near the "keel" of the frame, large winter melons should be placed on the frame starting from the part above the 12th leaf; when using single vine and single melon cultivation, the vines should be guided in starting from the part above the 17th leaf. The part of the vine above the ground can promote the occurrence of adventitious roots by pressing the vines, thereby increasing the absorption area of ​​the plant.

Small winter melon: Since the fruit-setting nodes are relatively low, the vines can be placed on the shelves when they grow to 50-60 cm.

12. Pruning and vine guiding of creeping wax gourd

The bed width is set to 4-5 meters, with double rows planted and the plant spacing maintained at 80-100 cm. Before fruit setting, keep the main vine and one side vine, and cut off all other side vines. The melon vines should crawl in a straight line and be pressed every 50-60 cm until they reach the opposite side of the furrow and are topped.

13. Harvest

Winter melon is usually harvested after the fruit is mature and ripe, at which time the skin is hard and thick. Fertilization and watering should be stopped half a month before harvest to enhance photosynthesis, reduce moisture and increase storage time. When harvesting, use scissors to cut the melons to avoid damaging the vines. Handle them with care to prevent them from being bruised, so as to facilitate subsequent storage and transportation. Avoid harvesting too late to prevent the winter melon from over-ripening and the flesh from becoming soft, which will affect storage and transportation. The skin of mature winter melon is dark in color and has less hair. In order to improve economic benefits, it can be harvested in time after maturity and put on the market in advance.

In short, the above are the key points of winter melon planting technology and management. If all the planting links are done well, the quality and yield of winter melon can be ensured, while extending its storage time and increasing its market competitiveness.