6 WATERMELON – 6.110 - PLANT PRODUCTION INSTRUCTION

ORGANIC FARMING COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY   

6 WATERMELON – 6.110 - PLANT PRODUCTION INSTRUCTION

Soil

Watermelon plants like well-drained, slightly acidic (pH 6 to 6.5) sandy loam soils.

(Let’s face it most plants like well-drained, sandy loams.)

Good drainage is important because the vines and the fruit are on the ground.

Moisture hanging around on the soil surface under the leaf canopy is just what insects love. To stop the bugs in their tracks, you want to get the water away from the surface and into the soil profile, as fast as possible.

Improve drainage that’s not up to scratch by adding plenty of organic material like compost and well-rotted manure.

Temperature

Temperatures between 21°C and 32°C are good for germination and growth.

There is no germination below 16°C.

CULTIVATION

There is no need to pulverise the soil. Minimum-till cultivation is easier on the input budget and remediates deconstructed soils that have been stripped of their nutrients.

Weed the field diligently during land preparation, then weed again before planting.

Grow the vines on well-composted mounds about 30 cm (1 ft) high and ½ m - 1 m (2 ft to 3 ft) wide.

Read up your specific variety requirements to work out the distance between mounds which is generally between 1.2 m to 1.8 m (4 ft to 6 ft).

IRRIGATION

Water the planting area to field capacity. Field capacity is the smart way of describing soil that is “full but not overflowing” or properly wet, but not waterlogged.

Watermelon needs water throughout the season, but especially during the first month, again when the fruit is setting and growing, and during the last 2 weeks before harvest.

Obviously, a plant that supports fruit with a 92% water component will need a lot of water, but overwatering will also stress the plant and dilute the sugars.

Learn from other successful growers and keep your eyes on your crop.

Water once or twice a week. Best is you use a SUBSURFACE DRIP IRRIGATION and give the amount of water exact to the roots what they need in the different growing phases.

Water deeply, so that it goes down to at least 15 cm (6 inches) and apply the water at ground level.

A drip irrigation system is ideal but laying down hoses or watering by hand is a viable alternative if the watering is on the ground and there is no splashing.

PLANTING

Plant seeds into thumb-shaped planting holes 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) to 2.5 cm (1 inch) deep and plant at about 6 to 8 seeds per mound.

Some watermelon growers, especially those who prefer to plant the shorter season varieties, like to use plastic as a ground cover. It keeps soil temperatures up and controls weeds.

Minimising contact with the soil surface helps prevent insect damage on the fruit.

If you decide to go this route, cut slits into the plastic and plant into the slits.

Germination times vary between 5 and 10 days. Watermelons are seriously averse to having their roots disturbed. When you thin cut the weaker seedlings off at ground level once they are about 5 cm (2 inches) tall. Leave behind the 2 or 3 strongest seedlings.

If you aren’t using black plastic mulch, woodchip and straw mulches are also good for weed control and moisture conservation.

Only mulch about 5 cm to 7 cm (2 inches to 3 inches) around the plant once the seedlings are established. Never cut back, or pinch out, leaf growth on the vine.

The leaves are the production power houses of the plant.

Left undisturbed, they will do a fine job of supplying necessary nutrients to the growing fruit. Keep on top of weeding until there is enough cover from the leaf canopy to shade out the dreaded weeds. When the fruit gets bigger, lifting it off the soil with a layer of cardboard or straw will help to stop rotting and insect damage.

HARVEST

From about day 75 look for signs of harvest readiness on ripening fruit:

The spot where fruit rests on the ground yellows; leaves and tendrils near the fruit change from green to yellow and brown. If you pick up the watermelon and thump it you will hear a hollow sound. If you squeeze it you will hear a crackling sound, the skin is rough to the touch and the surface colour dulls. Early morning is the best time to harvest.

The cooler you can keep the fruit the less moisture it will lose and the longer it will keep without over-ripening.

Cut, rather than pull, the stem at 2 cm to 4 cm (1 inch to 1.5 inches) above the fruit with a clean knife or a pair of pruning clippers. Keep the harvested fruit in the shade and store it in a cool place before you market it.

 

KOZI YA KILIMO HAI KILIMO-UCHUMI

6 TIKITI MAJI – 6.110 - MAAGIZO YA UZALISHAJI WA MIMEA

Udongo

Mimea ya tikiti maji hupenda udongo wa kichanga wenye tifutifu usio na maji, wenye asidi kidogo (pH 6 hadi 6.5).

(Wacha tuseme ukweli kwamba mimea mingi kama udongo wa mchanga usio na maji.)

Mifereji nzuri ya maji ni muhimu kwa sababu mizabibu na matunda ni juu ya ardhi.

Unyevu unaoning'inia kwenye uso wa udongo chini ya mwavuli wa majani ndio wadudu wanapenda. Ili kuacha mende kwenye nyimbo zao, unataka kupata maji mbali na uso na kwenye wasifu wa udongo, haraka iwezekanavyo.

Boresha mifereji ya maji ambayo haifai mwanzo kwa kuongeza nyenzo nyingi za kikaboni kama mboji na samadi iliyooza vizuri.

Halijoto

Halijoto kati ya 21°C na 32°C ni nzuri kwa kuota na kukua.

Hakuna kuota chini ya 16 ° C.

UKULIMA

Hakuna haja ya kuponda udongo. Kilimo cha kiwango cha chini cha kulima ni rahisi kwa bajeti ya pembejeo na hurekebisha udongo ambao umeondolewa rutuba.

Palilia shamba kwa bidii wakati wa kuandaa shamba, kisha palilia tena kabla ya kupanda.

Panda mizabibu kwenye vilima vilivyotundikwa vizuri kuhusu urefu wa sm 30 (futi 1) na upana wa ½ m - 1 m (futi 2 hadi 3) kwa upana.

Soma mahitaji yako maalum ya anuwai ili kuhesabu umbali kati ya vilima ambayo kwa ujumla ni kati ya 1.2 m hadi 1.8 m (futi 4 hadi 6).

UMWAGILIAJI

Mwagilia eneo la kupanda kwa uwezo wa shamba. Uwezo wa shamba ni njia nzuri ya kuelezea udongo "uliojaa lakini usiofurika" au unyevu wa kutosha, lakini usio na maji.

Tikiti maji huhitaji maji wakati wote wa msimu, lakini haswa wakati wa mwezi wa kwanza, tena wakati matunda yanapokua na kukua, na wakati wa wiki 2 za mwisho kabla ya kuvuna.

Kwa wazi, mmea unaounga mkono matunda na sehemu ya maji ya 92% utahitaji maji mengi, lakini kumwagilia kupita kiasi pia kutasisitiza mmea na kuondokana na sukari.

Jifunze kutoka kwa wakulima wengine waliofanikiwa na weka macho yako kwenye zao lako.

Maji mara moja au mbili kwa wiki. Bora zaidi ni kutumia Umwagiliaji wa SUBSURFACE DIP IRRIGATION na kutoa kiasi cha maji halisi kwenye mizizi kile wanachohitaji katika awamu tofauti za kukua.

Mwagilia maji kwa kina, ili iweze kushuka hadi angalau 15 cm (inchi 6) na uweke maji kwenye usawa wa ardhi.

Mfumo wa umwagiliaji kwa njia ya matone ni mzuri lakini kuweka chini mabomba au kumwagilia kwa mikono ni njia mbadala inayofaa ikiwa umwagiliaji uko chini na hakuna kunyunyizia maji.

KUPANDA

Panda mbegu kwenye mashimo ya kupandia yenye umbo la kidole gumba sm 1.3 (1/2 inchi) hadi 2.5 cm (inchi 1) na panda mbegu 6 hadi 8 kwa kila kilima.

Baadhi ya wakulima wa matikiti maji, hasa wale wanaopendelea kupanda aina za msimu mfupi zaidi, wanapenda kutumia plastiki kama kifuniko cha ardhi. Huhifadhi joto la udongo na kudhibiti magugu.

Kupunguza kugusa uso wa udongo husaidia kuzuia uharibifu wa wadudu kwenye matunda.

Ikiwa unaamua kwenda kwa njia hii, kata slits ndani ya plastiki na kupanda kwenye slits.

Nyakati za kuota hutofautiana kati ya siku 5 na 10. Tikiti maji huchukia sana mizizi yake kusumbuliwa. Unapokonda, kata miche iliyo dhaifu zaidi kwenye usawa wa ardhi mara inapokuwa na urefu wa sm 5 (inchi 2). Acha nyuma ya miche 2 au 3 yenye nguvu zaidi.

Ikiwa hutumii matandazo ya plastiki nyeusi, matandazo ya mbao na majani pia yanafaa kwa udhibiti wa magugu na uhifadhi wa unyevu.

Tundika matandazo kati ya sm 5 hadi 7 (inchi 2 hadi inchi 3) kuzunguka mmea mara tu miche inapoanzishwa. Kamwe usipunguze, au kubana, ukuaji wa majani kwenye mzabibu.

Majani ni nyumba za nguvu za uzalishaji za mmea.

Wakiachwa bila kusumbuliwa, watafanya kazi nzuri ya kusambaza virutubisho muhimu kwa matunda yanayokua. Weka juu ya palizi hadi kuwe na kifuniko cha kutosha kutoka kwa mwavuli wa majani ili kuficha magugu ya kutisha. Wakati matunda yanakuwa makubwa, kuinua kutoka kwenye udongo na safu ya kadi au majani itasaidia kuacha kuoza na uharibifu wa wadudu.

MAVUNO

Kuanzia siku ya 75 tafuta ishara za utayari wa mavuno kwenye matunda ya kukomaa:

Mahali ambapo matunda hukaa chini ya manjano; majani na michirizi karibu na matunda hubadilika kutoka kijani kibichi hadi manjano na kahawia. Ukiokota tikiti maji na kulipiga utasikia sauti tupu. Ukiibana utasikia sauti ya msukosuko, ngozi ni mbovu ukiigusa na rangi ya uso inakuwa laini. Asubuhi ni wakati mzuri wa kuvuna.

Jinsi baridi unavyoweza kuweka matunda ndivyo unyevu utakavyopoteza na ndivyo itakavyohifadhi kwa muda mrefu bila kuiva zaidi.

Kata, badala ya kuvuta, shina kwa sentimita 2 hadi 4 (inchi 1 hadi inchi 1.5) juu ya tunda kwa kisu safi au jozi ya klipu za kupogoa. Weka matunda yaliyovunwa kwenye kivuli na yahifadhi mahali penye baridi kabla ya kuyauza. 

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