Melon Cultivation

Melon Farming

Agriculture Technology

Melon (Cucumis melo) grow vines but can not climb. If not supported, this plant will grow to spread over the surface of the ground. The place is ideal for the cultivation of melons in the range of 250-700 meters above sea level altitude. If the height is less than 250 meters, melon plants tend to produce smaller fruit. Whereas in the highlands with temperatures below 18oC, the plant is difficult to develop. Melon plants require humidity levels of 50-70%. The average temperature suitable for cultivation melon 25-30oC with rainfall ranging from 1500 to 2500 mm / year. Melon fruit quality will be even better if there is a temperature difference of day and night is quite significant.

Type of melon is very diverse. However, only three popular cultivars are cultivated, namely reticalatus, inodorus and cantalupensis. Reticalatus. This type of melon is the most popular cultivars. The shape is rounded with a green rind and texture berjala, such as coated webs. Fruit flesh colored light green to orange. Inodorus. This type has a smooth rind not berjala. The shape is rounded to oval. Fruit skin color pale yellow to greenish yellow. The color of the meat there are green, orange to white. Pulpy not flavorful. Cantalupensis. This type has a bumpy rind such as pumpkin, or so-called berjuring. Fruit flesh is yellow or orange, very strong aroma. Cantaloupe included in this species.

Melon crops for cultivation usually generative propagated from seeds or seedlings. For melon cultivation of one hectare takes about 16.000- seed plant 20,000 trees, equivalent to 500-700 grams of melon seeds. Before planting the seeds must be germinated first. You do this by soaking the seeds in warm water for 6-8 hours. If the seed has not contain fungicides, fungicides can be added to the soaking water according to the dosage. After soaking the seeds drained and spread on a damp cloth or newspaper that has been dampened. Let stand for 1-2 days until the seeds germinate. Keep the humidity of the cloth or newsprint. When visible dry splash water.

Then prepare a small polybag or nursery trays. Fill the planting medium mix soil with compost or manure in the ratio 2: 1, see how to create a media hotbed. Immerse the melon seeds 1-2 cm deep into the planting medium. Nursery should be protected by a clear plastic roof or lid. This is necessary so that seedlings grow protected from excessive sun and rain water running straight. Media seedbed should continue to be controlled and taken to ensure that the humidity up. Sirami regularly but not too wet. Seeding process usually lasts up to 10-14 days. Or marked by the growth of 2-3 leaves. In this phase, the seedlings are ready to be moved to the planting site.

In the dry season the pollination carried out by insects pollinators. But when the rainy season usually decreases the intensity of insect pollinators. To get good quality do artificial pollination. Artificial pollination is done in the morning, before lunch at 10. If too was somewhat wilted flower buds or closed. Perform artificial pollination the female flowers, especially flowers that exist in the branch to the 9th until the 13th. In one tree can be grown at least 3-4 candidates for the fruit. Then selected again, so the fruit are maintained until the harvest is 1-2 per tree, depending on the size of the fruit. When large fruit size, just one per tree.

Usually the cultivation of melon is ready for harvest after 3 months old. The characteristics of melon ready to be harvested for reticalatus among other types of fiber mesh on the surface of the skin looking clear and rough, the surface of the skin around the stalk looks cracked, yellowish green color and has issued a scent. Melon fruit should be picked in the maturity level of 90% or approximately 3-7 days before fully ripe. It is useful to give more time to the distribution. Plucking is done by cutting the fruit stalk with a knife or scissors. Stalks are cut like the letter T, so part of the cut is leading on the leaves rather than fruit. Harvesting preferably in the morning at about 8-11 and is done gradually. Choose fruit that is truly ready for harvest.