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Muskmelons from Persia: Usability, Propagation and much more

Muskmelons come in a variety of shapes and sizes, weighing 5 to 8 pounds on average. The majority of them are oval and ovate in shape, with others being slightly squat. Article has info on its usability and plantation.

Updated on: 19 March, 2021 1:56 PM IST By: Chintu Das
Muskmelons

Muskmelons come in a variety of shapes and sizes, weighing 5 to 8 pounds on average. The majority of them are oval and ovate in shape, with others being slightly squat. Both Muskmelon varieties have a distinctive medium tan netting on their underside. Many Muskmelon varieties, including this one, have prominent sutures that give it a pumpkin-like appearance. It has a central seed cavity surrounded by thick, flat, light salmon-colored flesh on the inside. Muskmelon has a sweet fragrance and taste with residual floral notes, and it has a high sugar content. Muskmelon has a sweet fragrance and is heavy for its size when fully mature. Muskmelons can be eaten within a few weeks of being harvested.

Usability:

Melon is consumed mostly as a fresh fruit. The seeds can be roasted and consumed, and the pulp can be made into a refreshing liquid. Any species' unripe fruit is baked as a vegetable.

Plant Propagation:

Essential conditions:

Muskmelon is a warm seasonal plant that needs plenty of sun and good drainage to optimally develop and to mature at temperatures between 18 degree and 28 degree Celsius. If cultivated on a light, well drained, organic soil, with an interval of pH of 6 to 7, melons are produced better. In full light, Muskmelon should be planted and are strong feeders and water consumers. Ample soil moisture must also be given and periodically fertilized. Vines can grow in really big sizes and take up a lot of space.

Sowing of Seeds:

Muskmelon can be seeded directly in regions with a long, mild season but should be sown indoors and transplanted in more colder climates. If the seeds are sown directly, they should be seeded after the last frosts and warmed to 8.4 degree Celsius or more. Allow between seeds in one rows of 3 to 4 ft and between row of 5 and 6 ft. When transplanting, seed must be sown in your region around 3 to 4 weeks prior to the last frost date and transplanted after the first group of genuine leaves has been established. Seeds seeded indoors as well as outdoors require mildly humid soil to be germinated, so as to prevent overwatering, since seeds can rot. Depending on the temperature of the soil, seeds can germinate in 3 to 10 days.

Transplantation of the plant:

When all risk of frost has gone and the soil warms up to 18.4 degree Celsius. Muskmelon seedlings should be transplanted. The covering of soil with dark plastic or mulch one week before the outdoor plantation will make soil temperatures in cooler regions more rapidly, enabling earlier plantations. Plants should be put outdoors to harden between roughly 7 and 10 days before transplanting. In order to promote vegetative growth, the planting site should be planned by adding plenty of organic material. Keep 3 to 4 ft between plants for transplants and 5 to 6 ft between rows for plants. Irrigation by drip or soaker system is preferable to the overhead irrigation, so that plants are uniformly watered.

Maintenance and treatment:

Muskmelon vines are vast and need plenty of room for cultivation. Weeds may be learned to expand on a trench or fence in order to conserve space. Cantaloupe plants will need daily water as fruit grows, blooms and plates and if there is no availability of drop irrigation, plants should be thoroughly watered once a week, supplying at least one inch of water. Soil moisture can be maintained by mulching and soil warmth can be backed by black polyethylene pail.

Fruit Collection:

When the surface is netted, Muskmelon can be picked and the colour should range between green and yellow. The fruit quickly gets out of the stem when the melon is about to be picked.

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