How to grow cantaloupe on the balcony

Seedling cultivation

After selecting the cantaloupe seeds, dry them in the sun for two days. Then pour in 55-degree warm water, stir, and soak for 5 to 8 hours. Take out the seeds, wash them, wrap them in a wet cotton towel, put them in a plastic bag, and place them in an environment of 30 to 32 degrees. Generally, the sprouts will emerge after 18 to 20 hours. Once four leaves have grown, they can be transplanted.

manage

During the seedling stage of the plant, in addition to topping the flowers, wait until the branches grow to 3 to 5 cm and then remove them. It is best to do it in the morning when the weather is good. Do not use scissors or pinch them with your hands. If you want to water it, wait until two leaves grow before watering. No fertilizer is needed the first time. Wait until the first batch of melons are as big as eggs before using melon-enlarging fertilizer. Generally, watering once every 10 to 15 days is sufficient.

Fertilization

During the seedling stage, nitrogen and phosphorus content is generally higher. Nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used during the period of rapid stem and leaf growth. When the melons are ripe, potassium and nitrogen fertilizers are mainly applied.

pollination

If manual pollination is required, it should be done in the morning, preferably between 9 and 10 o'clock, and pollination should be done two hours after the female flowers bloom.

Harvest

When the cantaloupe is ripe, it can be harvested. The specific method is to press the side close to the navel with your finger. If it feels soft, it is ripe. Or you can smell the unique fragrance of cantaloupe. If it is ripe, cut it with scissors.