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.
Copyright
by
Ronald Hauck CEO (Don Ronaldo) WhatsApp +254 769 396 680
KENYA
KITENGELA near NAIROBI, SKYMAX APPARTEMENT KIMANI
Consultant
for business, organic farming, and general buildings.
