Which month is the best to plant winter melon?

Winter melon generally grows on the main vine, likes warmth, is resistant to heat and humidity, has a certain tolerance to drought, and can still grow well when the temperature is above 35℃. The suitable temperature for growth is 18-32℃. So what is the best month to plant winter melon?

Which month is the best to plant winter melon?

1. Spring Planting

The spring sowing period is generally from December to March of the following year. In some areas, such as Guangzhou, spring planting is more common, with sowing generally taking place in January and February. On the premise of taking anti-cold measures, early sowing is better than late sowing. Sowing in early to mid-January can extend the growing period. In northern regions, spring sowing is usually in mid-March to early April.

2. Autumn Planting

The autumn planting period is June-July. In some areas, such as Sichuan, autumn planting can be extended to February and March.

Winter melon planting method

1. Treatment of wax gourd seeds before sowing

The shell of winter melon seeds is relatively thick, which makes it difficult and slow to absorb water after direct sowing, which in turn causes problems such as slow germination and uneven emergence. In order to increase the germination and emergence speed of wax gourd seeds, as well as their uniformity, it is recommended to soak the wax gourd seeds in warm water before sowing. The specific steps are as follows:

First, scald the seeds: place the seeds in warm water at 52-55 degrees, stir constantly and soak for 15 minutes to eliminate possible pathogens on the surface of the seeds and reduce the occurrence of seedling diseases. Secondly, soak the seeds: take the seeds out of the hot water and soak them in warm water at 28-30 degrees for 18-24 hours to allow the seeds to fully absorb water, soften the seed shell, and promote rapid and uniform germination. Finally, carry out germination treatment: wrap the soaked seeds with wet gauze, germinate them in an environment of 30-32 degrees, maintain appropriate humidity, and sow them after most of the seeds show small white spots. After germination, the seeds germinate and emerge faster, and the germination rate is also higher.

2. Soil selection for winter melon planting

Winter melon has a well-developed root system, a long growing period, requires a large amount of fertilizer, and is not resistant to waterlogging. Therefore, when planting winter melon, you should choose loose, fertile, deep soil, and rich in organic matter. The pH value should be 6-6.5, and light sandy loam is preferred. Avoid planting wax gourd in areas with heavy soil, low-lying terrain prone to waterlogging, shallow soil, poor soil, or severe fertilizer and water leakage. In addition, winter melon is not suitable for continuous cropping, and it is not recommended to plant winter melon in land where melon crops have been planted in the past two years.

3. Land preparation and fertilization before sowing winter melon

Before sowing winter melon, deep plowing of about 30 centimeters should be carried out to dry the ground half a month in advance. 5-7 days before sowing, fine harrowing and ridge formation should be carried out in combination with fertilization. It is recommended to adopt the high ridge and film covering planting method, apply 200-400 kg of organic fertilizer (or 3000-4000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure) + 40-50 kg of superphosphate per mu, or apply 40-50 kg of balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer per mu. Mix the fertilizer and soil evenly and turn it into the soil layer to a depth of 10-15 cm. Winter melon has a high demand for base fertilizer, and insufficient base fertilizer will affect later growth and yield.

4. Winter melon sowing and seedling raising

Water the bottom thoroughly before sowing, sow 3 seeds in each sowing hole, sowing depth is about 2-3 cm, and cover with 1.5 cm thin soil. If there is a lot of rainy weather during the sowing period, you can cover the ground with mulch to keep warm and moist, and isolate external rainwater. Most seeds are released after the film is broken in time after germination. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings emerge. After emergence, keep the soil semi-dry and semi-wet, which is conducive to the growth of seedlings and prevents root rot. Maintaining a higher temperature during the seedling stage is conducive to growth.

5. Transplanting of winter melon

For winter melons that are not planned to be transplanted, start thinning out the seedlings after two true leaves grow. Do this every 5-7 days for a total of 3 times, and complete the seedlings with the last thinning. Winter melon that needs to be transplanted should be transplanted after about 30 days of seedling raising, when it has grown 3 leaves or is 6-10 cm tall. Ensure that the soil temperature is not lower than 12-15 degrees within 5-7 days after planting, and spray fungicide on the entire field before transplanting.

The transplanting density is adjusted according to the type of winter melon. The planting density of large winter melon on shelves is 1.5 meters between beds and 0.7-0.8 meters between plants, with 500-600 plants per mu; the planting density of flatland winter melon is 0.4-0.5 meters between beds and 0.8-1 meter between plants, with 300-400 plants per mu. The amount of small and medium-sized winter melons can be reduced appropriately.

6. Water and fertilizer management during the growth period of winter melon

Winter melon requires a large amount of water and fertilizer. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before sowing and apply top dressing 3-4 times during the growing period, at least 2 times. Nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used in the seedling stage, balanced fertilizer is used in the vine extension stage, and high potassium fertilizer is mainly used in the flowering and fruiting stage.

The first topdressing is in the early stage of clustering after transplanting, with 5-6 kg of urea or 10-15 kg of balanced compound fertilizer per mu. The second topdressing should be done 10-15 days after the first young melon sets, and 20-25 kg of balanced compound fertilizer or 25-30 kg of medium-nitrogen and high-potassium compound fertilizer should be applied depending on the growth trend. The third topdressing is 30-35 days after fruit setting, with 15-20 kg of high-potassium compound fertilizer applied per mu. Spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves together with foliar fertilizer containing boron and calcium once, and spray 1-2 times during the young melon swelling period to increase the flowering and fruiting rate, accelerate the swelling of young melons, and improve appearance and quality.

In terms of watering management, water the soil sufficiently before sowing, water thoroughly for rooting and seedling growth after transplanting, keep the soil semi-dry and semi-wet during the seedling stage, keep it moist during the vine extension stage, control water appropriately before flowering, keep the soil moist during the melon swelling stage, and stop watering 10 days before harvest.

7. Winter melon plant arrangement

Leading vines: When the winter melon is 50-60 cm tall, lead the vines to the shelves in time.

Thinning out vines: Thin out all side vines before flowering and fruiting, retain the main vine, and select 2-3 strong side vines after the first young fruit is set.

Press the vines: Press the vines with wet soil every 3-4 internodes in front of the fruit-bearing area to avoid pressing the female flowers and the top of the vine.

Flower picking: After retaining the desired young melons, remove the female flowers that grow subsequently.

Pinching: Top the early-maturing varieties when they have 13-16 leaves, and top the late-maturing varieties when they have 25-30 leaves.

Keep the melons: Keep 3-4 melons per plant for early-maturing small-sized varieties, 1-2 melons for medium-maturing medium-sized varieties, and 1 melon for late-maturing large-sized varieties.

Leaf picking: Remove old, yellow and diseased leaves at the bottom in time during the middle and late stages of growth to reduce nutrient consumption, improve ventilation and lighting, and reduce diseases.

8. Winter melon harvest

If winter melon is harvested too early, the yield will be low, and if it is harvested too late, the taste will be poor. Large varieties of winter melon are harvested when the fruit stops growing and white powder appears on the fruit surface, and small varieties of winter melon are harvested about 40 days after flowering. You can also harvest it when the leaves begin to turn yellow naturally, indicating that the winter melon is ripe.

In summary, according to the climatic conditions in different regions, the best time to plant winter melon in spring is usually January to March, while the best time to plant in autumn is June to July.