Muskmelon planting and cultivation techniques

Muskmelon is a kind of fruit that many friends love to eat. It has a unique aroma and a sweet and crisp taste. Ripe muskmelon has a more glutinous taste. There are many different types of muskmelon varieties on the market every year. Let’s learn about the planting and cultivation techniques of muskmelon.

1. Variety selection

It is crucial to select the right variety based on the geographical location and environmental conditions. For example, varieties such as the yellow and white skinned cantaloupe "Xiangjina", the green skinned and green fleshed cantaloupe "Xintianlubao", the flowery skinned cantaloupe "Jinchun Balixiang" and the strip-shaped cantaloupe "Jinchun Yangjiaomi No. 2" are representative. They are currently widely planted in China with excellent quality and mature cultivation techniques in various regions.

2. Land consolidation

Land preparation is a key link in growing cantaloupe . Muskmelon has a well-developed root system and requires sufficient soil depth to meet its growth needs. Before winter, the selected melon field should be deeply plowed to a depth of about 30 cm. After a winter of drying, the soil matures and some underground pests are frozen to death. After the spring thaw, harrow the ground to ensure it is level and easy to sow.

3. Planting seeds

The germination rate of cantaloupe seeds is relatively high. When sowing in early spring, you can lay ground film on the ridges and then plant the seeds manually on the film. The planting hole is about 15 cm away from the ditch and the hole depth is about 1.5 cm. Sow 1 to 2 seeds in each hole. When sowing in the open field, the sowing depth is about 4 cm and the soil is covered and compacted. The sowing amount per mu should be controlled at around 1,000 plants.

4. Seedling management

About 10 days after sowing, if the temperature is suitable, thinning can be carried out. Keep the seedlings with leaves that are opposite each other, parallel to each other and have strong growth potential. These seedlings have good growth potential. Remove plants that are missing leaves or have leaves that curl up and down or left and right. Pruning mainly involves tidying up the vines. When the plant grows to 6 leaves, the side vines grow rapidly. If no treatment is carried out, the side vines will grow faster than the main vine after 12 leaves, affecting the fruit setting and growth of the melons. Depending on the growth of the plant, pruning can be done by single-vine pruning (removing all side branches and retaining only the main vine that bears fruits, suitable for varieties that bear fruits on the main vine) or double-vine pruning (removing one or two side vines, retaining three or four side vines, and retaining two fruits).

5. Pest and disease control

Pest and disease control is a challenge for cantaloupe growers . During the pruning stage of 4 to 6 leaves, the pathogen can easily invade through wounds. In addition, irrigation is needed at this time and the field humidity is high, creating conditions for the occurrence of diseases. Therefore, while controlling the moisture, prune as early as possible to reduce the wound size. Diseases are also prone to occur during the flowering and fruit setting periods, such as wilt, vine blight, leaf blight, powdery mildew, etc. Commonly used agents include carbendazim, methylparaben, and methylparaben aluminum-copper. If it is planted in a greenhouse, high temperature and airtight treatment can be used to kill insects and bacteria, but it needs to be used with caution.

6. Harvest at the right time

The time of cantaloupe harvest is crucial to its quality. If the melons are harvested too early, they will not be sweet enough and have a bad aroma; if they are harvested too late, they will easily rot and will not last long in storage. The harvest time is determined not only by maturity but also by the method of sale. Muskmelons sold locally can be harvested when they are 90% to 100% ripe; melons shipped over long distances can be harvested when they are 80% to 90% ripe. Avoid harvesting on rainy days, and choose sunny mornings and evenings to reduce damage to the melons.

The above is an introduction to the key points of cantaloupe planting techniques. When planting cantaloupe, you must first understand its suitable planting conditions. In addition, choosing the right cantaloupe variety is also crucial.