Hedge melon is a highly nutritious wild ingredient, and its fruits and tender leaves can be both consumed and used medicinally. It is commonly found in Inner Mongolia, China. Now let's learn about the cultivation methods of hedge melon.
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1. Biological Characteristics
Hedge melon has strong adaptability to the environment and has characteristics such as cold resistance, heat resistance, drought resistance, frost resistance, strong light resistance, and easy management.
Hedge melon does not have strict requirements for the soil and can naturally grow on the edge of forests, grasslands, rocky slopes, and sandy beaches. It can be planted in general sandy soil, loam, water ditches, field edges, corners, and between large crops.
It grows well in fertile soil. Under shaded conditions, the plants grow vigorously, with green leaves and tender fruits, making it suitable for intercropping with large early-maturing crops.
2. Cultivation Key Points
(1) Land Preparation
After the previous crop is harvested, it is necessary to plow deeply and expose the ridges in a timely manner. It is recommended to plow to a depth of about 20cm. "Lidong" is the time to fully irrigate the bottom moisture, and in early spring, fine land preparation should be carried out, followed by disinfection with a 500-fold dilution of carbendazim.
The land preparation should be fine, flat, solid, and sufficient before covering the film. The spacing between the films is 30cm, and the width of the film is 50cm.
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(2) Sowing
The sowing period is in early to mid-April (when the temperature stabilizes above 15℃). It is advisable to use pit sowing, with 3 seeds per pit, and the sowing depth should not be too deep, about 1-2cm. The sowing quantity per 667 square meters is 2.7kg.
The general plant spacing is 20cm, the row spacing is 30cm, and the inter-row spacing is 40cm. After sowing, cover with a thin layer of soil, slightly press down, and then cover with a thin layer of sand.
3. Field Management
The seedlings can emerge after 10 days of sowing. When there are 4 true leaves, thinning should start, and when there are 8 leaves, the seedlings should be finalized. During thinning, the emphasis should be on leaving the strong and removing the weak. There are usually more weeds during the seedling stage of hedge melon, so they should be removed in a timely manner.
Water immediately after applying fertilizer, and water appropriately according to the seedling situation in the later stage. When there is more precipitation, less or no irrigation is needed, and waterlogging should be avoided. During the seedling growth period, it is advisable to till once to promote the growth of new roots.
Before the hedge melon forms a canopy, combine topdressing and tillage to remove weeds, so as to improve the root's ability to absorb nutrients and water. Topdressing and tillage can be carried out simultaneously.
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4. Disease and Pest Control
Hedge melon has good disease resistance, and no diseases have been found during domestication and cultivation. In the later stages of growth, aphids can cause serious damage to the stems and leaves of hedge melon, so attention should be paid to prevention and control at this time.
5. Harvesting
When the hedge melon grows to late August, it can be harvested in batches. The general standard is when the fruit is about 3cm long, with a diameter of about 1cm, a green appearance, good glossiness, and crispy texture. After harvesting, attention should be paid to preservation. If you want to keep seeds, let the hedge melon grow until mid-October, select plump and healthy fruits for seed preservation, and cut off the above-ground parts. Clean the field and irrigate it with winter water outside the field to facilitate regrowth in the second year.
