Cultivation Guide of Sweet-Parent Pumpkin Variety Series

1, Sowing Time

The pumpkin is cultivated in Spring mainly, and also in Autumn. In Spring, sow in early February derectly with low tunnel. In Autumn, sow in late July to early August. The seeds can be sown derectly, each cave sown in 3 grains of seeds, and it costs about 300g of seeds per acre. Before sowing, soak the seeds in 55℃ water and, after the water cools down naturally, continue to soak for 7-10h. After that, wash up the seeds and then fliter dry, sprout in 30℃ environment. The seeds can be sown after 16h when the buds sprout.

2, Requirements of Environment and Conditions

2.1, Temperature

The sweet-parent pumpkin is heat-resistant vegetable, with proper growth temperature in 18-32 ℃, and blossoming and bearing temperature in 25-27 ℃. When the temperature exceeds 35℃, the male flowers will become hermaphrodite, causing flower and fruit dropping easily.

2.2, Illumination

The sweet-parent pumpkin is a short day crop. The temperature and illumination conditions in seedling stage have great relations with the appearing time of female flowers. In the low temperature and short-day conditions, the female flowers appear early and blossom more. Therefore, in Spring cultivation, culture seedlings ahead of time, and reducing in sunshine duration will promotes precocity and incease production.

2.3, Moisture

The sweet-parent pumpkin has strong drought-resistance. After the recovering period, if there is too much moisture, the vegetative growth will be too prosperous to convert to reproductive growth. The expressions are that, the leaves grow prosperously in deep-green color, and the internode distance is long, with no blossom or late blossom, even failling-melon. If the weather is rainy when the female flowers blossom, they can not be pollinated normally, causing the flower and fruit dropping.

2.4, Soil Nutrient

When cultivated in Summer, because high temperature is more conducive to the growth of pumpkin stem and leaf, they are always grow too prosperously, usually causing flower and fruit dropping and reducing the production on the contrary. Therefore, if the soil fertility is adequate, it is necessary to strengthen management, and properly control the fertilization and watering, and timely top removal and pruning.

3, Soil Selection

The sweet-pumpkin has strong adaptability, they can be planted in a variety of soil, even in the land or hillside that is not suitable for farming, but it is better to cultivate on sandy soil, sandy loam or red-brawn-purple soil which has thick soil herizon and convenient irragulation and drainage, and is loosen and rich, sun and leeward, with 5.5-6.8 of PH value. If for the new plantation cultivation, abundant of organic manure is needed. Generally the cultivation of sweet-parent pumpkin do not need shed, let the vines crawl freely, but adding shed will make the result better.

4, Cultivation of Strong Seedling

4.1, Sowing Time

Generally the cultivation is in spring. For the culture of seedling in the pretected field, the sowing time is from late February to early March, that is in The Rains to the Insects Awaken. For the culture in open field and derect sowing, the seeds are sown from middle March to late April, the earlier the better. The sowing can also be in May to June in Summer, but the later it is, the lower yield and quality it will be.

4.2, Culture Methods

Choose fertile ball or nutrient pot to cultivate on, and cover with double films as insulation culture of seedling. If possible, culture seedling in low tunnel which is inside high tunnel or insulation.
4.1.1, Selection of seedbed
The seedbed should choose the ground which is in high topography, dry and well draining, sun and leeward.
4.1.2, Fabrication of Fertile Ball(Nutrient pot)
Choose dry and fertile compound soil fertilizer, garden soil or vegetable soil, and add dung( for every 100kg soil may also add 2kg of calcium phospate, the nitrogen fertilizer such as urea can not be added). Mix them until the soil can be nip to lumps slightly, and spread out when dropped from the 1.5m height. Then nip the soil to cylindrical fetile balls which are about 8-10cm long and 5-8cm wide. For the nutrient pot, it only to fill it with nutrient soil and press hard after the pot is manufactured or bought. And then use first figure to press a 1cm deep sowing hole on top. When laying the fertile ball or nutrient pot, there should remain gaps which are about 1cm wide.
 
4.1.3, Soaking and Sowing
Soaking before sowing to ensure the trim sprouting. Sun the seeds for 1-2 days before sowing, then immerse them in cold water. Fish out the seeds and then pour them into 45℃ warm water prepared, stir them continously for about 10mins until the water temperature cools down to be 30 ℃, remove the empty seeds to increase sprouting rate. Then soak in clear water for about 8 hs, and drain the seeds for sowing after the seeds soak up adequate water. When sowing, sow 1 grains of seeds into the sowing hole in fertile ball, with embryo downwards. After sowing, cover with 1cm thick fine soil evenly, suitably to cover the fertile balls wholly. And then pour thin feces, to make the water content reaches saturation.
4.1.4, Covering films and Heat Insulation
When the seedbed is slightly dry, cover with a layer of thin film(the high tunnel do not need to), press the film edge tightly by soil. And then use bamboo to build up flat archy shelf in 50cm high, and then cover with film, use soil to press the film edge tightly(low tunnel inside high tunnel). The heat insulation is functioned.
4.1.5, Seedbed Management
Before germination, keep the temperature in 25-30℃ in the daytime and 12-15℃ at night. When the seeds emerge partly, the film coverd on the fertile ball or nutrient pot can be removed. When the cotyledons outgrow trimly, water once and ventilate properly, keep the temperature in 20-25℃ in the daytime and 10-13℃ at night, so as to prevent excessive growth. Along with the growth of the seedling, reduce the covering time of film step by step, make sure that the seedling have adequate illumination as far as possible. In the sunny days, if the surface of the seedbed blanches, water the seedbed in the morning or at nightfall. If the seedbed dose not blanches, do not water, so as to prevent diseases.

5, Preparation of Land and Fertilization of Base manure

The Pumpkin requires potassium and nitrogen fertilizer abundantly. For 24 tons of yielf per acre(hereinafter inclusive), it requires 126-144kg of burnt potash, and 108-126kg of pure nitrogen. The requirement for calcium and phosphorus comes second, 96-144 kg of calcium oxide, and 36-42kg of phosphorus pentoxide. And it also requires magnesium, for 24-72kg of magnesium oxide. Bacause the requirement of potash, nitrogen and calcium concentrates in the fruit-expanding period, and the phosphorus and magnesium is stable and not easy to be used, for base manure, the organic manure should be supplied heavily, along with phosphorus, calcium and magnesium fertilizer, coordinated properly with potash and nitrogen fertilizer. The potash and nitrogen fertilizer is mainly used as top dressing. At the same time, pay attention to the farming character. Plough the field and prepare to flat. 20 days befor transplanting or sowing, dig holes for base manure. For pure cultivation, dig hole accordling to the planting distance of 0.6m by 2.0m. For intercropping in young fruit orchard which is cultivated with less than 50 plants, dig hole according to the planting distance of 2.5m plus 1.5m by 0.6m, in the same direction with seedlings. The hole is 0.4m wide and 0.15m deep, each hole supply with o.1kg of compound fertilizer, in the ratio of 18:6:16 or 15:15:15, and 3-5kg of finished farm yard manure, mix them evenly. And then cover with soil for transplanting.

6, Timely Transplanting

6.1, Transplanting time

25 days after the gernimation of seedling, when the seedling grows out one bud with three pieces of leaves, transplant in time. The transplanting should be done at nightfall or in cloudy day, not suitable in rainy day.

6.2, Reasonably dense transplanting

Dig hole in 0.1m depth on the covering earth of base manure hole. Transplant 1 plants each hole, totally 3300 plant per acre. For derect sowing, suppy adequate base water, sow 2-3 grains of seeds in each hole, and then cover with 1-2cm thick fine soil. When the seedlings outgrow 2 pieces of main leaves, reserve one strong seedling.

6.3, Attentions

For current supply of base manure, transplant seedlings in side of the hole which is covered with 0.1cm thick soil. Eliminate seedlings which are seek or without nutrient soil ball. Put the seedling into transplanting hole, hold up, earth up and then press tight slightly. The suitable depth is to make the seed leaf at the same herizon with earth. After setting, supply adequate root-setting water. For early transplanting, cover the field with ground film before transplanting, and then cover with low tunnel with thin film.

7, Field management

7.1, Complementary planting and protection of seedling

The lack of seedling impact the yield heavily. During the recovering of seedling after transplanting, for lack of seedling and undergrowth seedlings which are with yellow-leaf, abnormal or have difficulty in recovering, add new seedlings or seeds in time, to ensure seedling integrity. Pay attention to prevent and control diseases and insect pests, and prevent livestock from damaging seedlings.

7.2, Timely Top Dressing

After setting, as the plant grows rapidly in suitable temperature and humidity condition, the fertilization should be controlled to maintain dark-green leaf and prevent excessive growth.

7.3, Drainage and Drought Control

After setting, the moisture should be controlled, suitable to keep the soil around root system moist. Pay attention to drainage in rainy seasons, to prevent accumulated water around root.

7.4, Cultivation

From setting to the spreading of vines, cultivate for the first time. Cultivate for the second time when reserving the vines along with earthing up, to make the vines extend to one side and make the soil in the root part to be a small soil ridge. Afterwards, cultivate for 1-2 times along with the spreading of vines. Stop the cultivation when the vines grow to cover the whole ridge. Earth up soil each time after heavy rains, not to make the root system come out of soil.

7.5, Pruning and Pressing Vines

The punpkin belongs to the extenssive management crops. But if let it grows freely, the branches and leaves will be too exuberant, which will leads to bad fruit-setting. When the seedling outgrows about 6 pieces of leaves, top removal should be done to promote the germination of side vines. After that, reserve 2-3 strong side vines and wipe out the rest ones, to use side vines to fruiting more. When the vines grow to be 50cm long, lead and press them for one time, better in suuny day after rain. Lead the vines to blank line, and then use wet clod to press on vine in the distance of 36cm, to make about 14cm long vines top appeared. After that, press once in about 40cm interval, totally 3 times. Distribute the vines evenly, to prevent congestion and shading between plants, so as to promote the growth of adventitious root, increase absorbing areas for root system and to fix the plant. For shed cultivation, it can reserve the chief vine only, and timely lead vines onto shed and bind them.

7.6, Supplementary pollination and fruit volume control.

Pumpkin is a typical cross-pollination of crops, as the results of self-pollination rate is low, artificial pollination should be carried out, especially important for the beginning fruiting period when the quantity of male flower is less and in rainy season when the activity of insects is hindered. The flower blossoms in the early morning, around 6 am it is the best time for pollination, which should be finised by the end of 9 am in sunny day. The method is as follow. Wipe out the petals of the male flower, and then lightly smear the pollen pollen column in the female column, that is completed. But in rainy day, the female flowers should be covered to prevent from rain water erosion. The first melons is generally not retained for small size, remove the flower before blossom. Reserve 2-3 melons per plant. After the setting of melon, reserve 3-4 pieces in front of it and then top removal. Pick off the unnecessary male flower when they are in thumb size. If the plant is excessive grown, the setting of fruits will be hard. For one side. The fertilizer and water should be controlled. For the other side, use knife to stab the vines in the stem bottom longitudinally, to promote fruit setting.

8, Timely Harvest

The melon will be mature in 50 days after blossom, fastly in high temperature. The green skin color will turn to yellow difficultly in low temperature. The main features of mature is as follow. The wax powder on peel will thickens, the color turns from green to yellow or orange, the peel hardens, nail can not break in easily. Choose dry sunny day when the dew is dry to carry out harvest. The base of melon stalk should be cut flat to prevent injury to the other peel, to facilitate storage. Old mature pumpkin can be stored longer after harvesting. For Spring sowing, if the management of the plant is well, both the main and side vines can bear melons and the harvest period is much longer.

9, Control of Disease and Insect Pests

The main disease includes virus, powdery mildew and leaf spot diseases, and the main pests includes aphid, yellow melon leaf beetle and leaf miner. For virus disease, the control of aphid should be terrific, and spray 500 times of virus A for prevention. For powdery mildew and leaf spot disease, spray 600 times of 80% Kebo(48%bordeaux mixture+30%mancozeb WP) once in 10 days. It can also spray 1500 times of triadimefon for control of powdery mildew, and 600 times of oxadixyl.mancozeb for control of leaf spot disease. For control of aphid, spray 2500-3000 times of 10% imidacloprid WP for control, or spray 1000-1500 times of 40% Lorsban EC or 1500-2000 times of 52.25% Nongdile(47.5%chlorpyrifos+4.75%cypermethrin), along with control of yellow melon leaf beetle and leaf miner. Attention that DDVP and Cygon is harmful to melon. When there is too much weed, use glyphosate watered down according to the description.