How to preserve winter melon in summer

In summer, people always worry about where to store winter melon, because the temperature in summer is generally high. Such high temperature will cause the winter melon itself to deteriorate more and more. Therefore, it is best to store it in a relatively dark and humid place, and lower the temperature in the storage environment in time, so that the preservation effect will be better.

The winter melons for storage should be late-maturing large varieties with thick skin, thick flesh, dense texture, shiny green skin, covered with wax, uniform size, and no damage. The size of the cellar depends on the quantity to be stored. It is generally around 30 square meters and can store 5,000 kilograms of winter melon. Most of the cellars are semi-underground, 3.6 meters high, with the above-ground and underground parts 1.8 meters high respectively. There are windows all around, which can be opened front, back, left and right to facilitate ventilation. The winter melons should be stored in a sealed cellar 2-3 days before being fumigated and disinfected with potassium permanganate.

Place hay or straw mats at the bottom of the warehouse and place winter melons on top. Generally, stack them in no more than 3 layers to avoid crushing and damage. The winter melon should be placed according to its state when growing in the field. This will allow the winter melon to maintain its original gravity direction, preventing the flesh from being easily torn and allowing for a longer storage time. Strengthen ventilation in the early stage of winter melon storage, and open windows for ventilation when the temperature is high at noon to facilitate heat dissipation and cooling, eliminate moisture, reduce environmental humidity, and keep the cellar dry. During the storage of winter melon, the cellar temperature should be maintained at 10-15℃ and the relative humidity should be maintained at 70%-75% to avoid frost damage. It can generally be stored for 3-5 months. [4]

If whiteflies are found in the greenhouse, they can be controlled with 1500-2000 times diluted Shigao, and red spider mites can be controlled by spraying 1500 times diluted Dijin. The melon fruit fly can be controlled by using 1000 times diluted 40.7% Lorsban, or by fumigation with 80% DDT, or by spraying 1000 times diluted trichlorfon.

It is generally not easy to detect insect pests in winter melon because the insects are very small at the beginning. Only by careful observation during the management process can early detection and prevention be achieved, and insects must be prevented from breeding in the greenhouse.

Drug prevention

The main diseases include wilt, blight, anthracnose and viral diseases. In the early stage of wilt disease, you can use guakunin, green heng, etc. to drench the plants or roots for prevention and control. Many of the current diseases are spread through rainfall or irrigation water. Therefore, in the management process, special attention should be paid to weather changes, and management work should be done well in rainy or low-humidity weather.

The incidence rate is higher at this time, so try to avoid irrigation at this time. If the winter melon is infected with disease, you can use 500-600 times diluted 65% Mancozeb wettable powder, 800-1000 times diluted 58% Ridomil manganese zinc wettable powder, 600 times diluted 72% Chlorhexidine wettable powder, etc., every 7-10 days, for 2-3 times in a row.