When is the best time to plant outdoor watermelons?

Open-air watermelon is a commonly used watermelon planting method in China. It has the advantages of low cost, natural environment, and good quality, and is suitable for large-scale cultivation. So when is the best time to plant outdoor watermelons? How to plant? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Plot selection

For outdoor watermelons, you should choose sandy loam that can be watered during droughts and drained during floods and has relatively fertile soil. It is best if the surface layer is sandy and the bottom layer is loam, which has the advantages of both sand and clay. If the soil is sticky, you can improve the soil by deep plowing in winter, applying more organic fertilizer , pressing sand in the melon ditches, and mixing sand in.

2. Land preparation and fertilization

Combine ploughing with the application of base fertilizer, 2000-2500 kg of organic fertilizer or soil fertilizer, 30 kg of urea and 30 kg of potassium sulfate per mu as base fertilizer. Sprinkle it into the tilled and dried soil and then harrow it to make small beds with a width of 60-70 cm and a height of 15-20 cm, ready for sowing.

3. Seed soaking and germination

Soak the dried seeds in warm water (about 30℃) for 6 hours. Then take out, wrap the seeds with a towel or coarse cloth and rub off the mucous membrane on the seed coat. Soak them in 800 times diluted 60% Dofu or 70% Dofu Methyl Sulfate wettable powder for another 4 hours. Take out and rinse off the solution with clean water. After soaking the seeds, place them flat on a wet towel, cover them with another layer of wet towel, and place them at a constant temperature of 33℃ to germinate.

4. Planting time and method

Sowing can be done directly or by raising seedlings and transplanting them. Direct seeding can only be done around the Qingming Festival, but most people choose to sow and raise seedlings. In the southern region, the seedling raising time is mid-December. The seedlings can be transplanted and planted about a month after raising them, and can be harvested in late April or May. The temperature in the northern region is lower, and seedling cultivation needs to be determined according to the temperature.

Watermelon seedlings are usually grown in small greenhouses under mulch. Prepare soil free of bacteria, diseases and insect pests, add an appropriate amount of farm-grown fertilizer and soil, mix well, and put the soil into seedling cups. Water the nutrient soil enough at one time, sow the treated seeds in spots, put 2 seeds in each small cup, and cover with soil 2 cm thick. Then cover the ground with mulch to keep warm and moisturize.

5. Reasonable density planting

Watermelon is a light-loving crop. The suitable planting row spacing is 1.5-2 meters, and the plant spacing is 0.5-0.7 meters. The plant and row spacing for intercropping can be appropriately increased.

In general, compared to greenhouse watermelons, growing watermelons outdoors allows the plants to have sufficient exposure to sunlight and air, which is beneficial to the development of the fruit and the accumulation of sugars. However, due to the lack of protective equipment like in greenhouses, planting management must be given more attention.