When is the best time to plant winter melon?

Many friends like to eat winter melon. Whether it is braised or stewed, its taste and texture are very good. Before planting winter melon, you must first learn about the growth environment, planting time and method of winter melon. Winter melon likes warmth, and the suitable temperature for its growth is between 25-30℃. So when is the best time to plant winter melon?

When is the best time to plant winter melon?

Winter melon can be sown in spring. The suitable sowing time is usually when the temperature rises in spring and stabilizes at above 15℃, which can ensure that the winter melon seeds can germinate smoothly. In southern regions, spring sowing may start earlier, around March to April.

Winter melon cultivation technology

1. Seed pretreatment

Soak the seeds in warm water at 52-55°C for 15 minutes with continuous stirring to disinfect the seed surface and prevent diseases. Soak the seeds in warm water at 28-30°C for 18-24 hours to allow the seeds to fully absorb water, soften the seed shell and accelerate germination. Place the soaked seeds in an environment of 30-32°C to keep warm and moisturize for germination, and sow them after most of the seeds turn white.

2. Land preparation and fertilization

The high-bed film-covered planting method is adopted, and 200-400 kg of organic fertilizer or 3000-4000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure is applied per mu, combined with 40-50 kg of superphosphate. You can also apply 40-50 kg of balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer . Mix the fertilizer with the soil and turn it into the soil layer to a depth of 10-15 cm.

3. Sowing and raising seedlings

Water the soil thoroughly before sowing, sow 3 seeds in each sowing hole, sow to a depth of 2-3 cm, and cover with 1.5 cm of thin soil. In case of rainy weather, you can cover the ground with additional film to keep warm and retain moisture, and remove the film in time after the seedlings emerge.

4. Transplanting and planting

For directly sown winter melon, start thinning out after 2 true leaves grow, and do this every 5-7 days for a total of 3 times. Transplant the winter melon about 30 days after seedling cultivation, when the seedlings have 3 leaves, and ensure that the soil temperature is not lower than 12-15°C.

5. Planting density

The planting density of large winter melon varieties is 1.5 meters between beds and 0.7-0.8 meters between plants, with 500-600 plants per mu. For small and medium-sized winter melon varieties, the bed spacing, row spacing and number of plants per mu should be appropriately reduced.

6. Water and fertilizer management

After transplanting, apply fertilizer to promote seedling growth in the early stage of clustering, such as 5-6 kg of urea or 10-15 kg of balanced compound fertilizer. Apply fertilizer to promote melon growth 10-15 days after the first young melon sets, and apply 20-30 kg of balanced or high-potassium compound fertilizer depending on the growth. Apply melon-strengthening fertilizer 30-35 days after fruit setting, and apply 15-20 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer. Spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate and foliar fertilizers containing boron and calcium before flowering and after flowering, and spray 1-2 more times during the expansion period to improve the flowering and fruiting rate and quality. Watering management needs to be adjusted according to the growth stage. Water the soil sufficiently before sowing, water the roots after transplanting, control water appropriately before and after flowering, keep the soil moist during the melon swelling period, and stop watering 10 days before harvest.

In general, winter melon is usually planted in spring, and if you want to increase the yield of winter melon, the subsequent field management details must also be in place.