If you are initially starting with honeydew farming, this blog will be helpful to you. Honeydew cultivation is profitable for all farmers. As a result, there are some variables that you should be aware of.
Tractors and other equipment are needed when you begin tilling the crop. Because the tractor is the final component for producing a good yield, you should be careful while selecting one. You can buy a used tractor in India from a famous budget-friendly brand. Aside from that, you may choose tractor tyres from companies such as Apollo tractor tyres and Birla Tractor Tyres, which provide front and rear tractor tyres suitable for all types of farming.
Let’s look at further points to get you started cultivating honeydew melons.
- Honeydew is a hot and dry season crop; the fruit grows best in semi-arid areas, and their seed germinates best at temperatures ranging from 28 to 30 degrees Celsius and grows well at temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees Celsius.
- From seedling through harvest, the plant needs plenty of sunlight and water. However, persistent rain or high humidity will be problematic and affect fruit set and flowering.
- Ground-dwelling bugs and other diseases should not be present, and the area should be sterilised.
- Crop rotation is still the greatest practice for nourishing the soil and preventing soil-borne diseases; continuous cropping should be avoided.
How to Cultivate Honeydew Melon
You can cultivate honeydews in a garden or a big pot. If you’re starting from scratch, fill peat moss pots with potting soil or compost and plant one seed in each approximately 12 inches (1.5 cm) into the soil, then set the little pots in a shallow plastic tray. Fill the tray up to an inch (2.5 cm) high with water combined with soluble fertiliser and place it in a room with temperatures ranging from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. (21-23 C) to begin to sprout. Add water as needed. The seeds will begin to sprout in around two weeks, but you should keep growing inside till the plant has at least 2 leaves. Once the soil reaches a temperature of at least 65 F, plant honeydew in the garden. (18 C.) and water thoroughly. Mulch should used to prevent weed growth and keep moisture around the transplant.
How to Pick Honeydew
After three months, the honeydew fruit should have a smooth, uniformly coloured skin, at which point honeydew melon harvesting can begin. So how do you choose honeydew? It must first be clipped from the plant since, unlike most melons, it does not come easily off the vine.
When is Honeydew Melon Ripe?
Since easy removal from the vine is no indicator, how do you tell when honeydew is ripe enough for harvesting honeydew melons? Honeydew melon harvesting should start around three months after planting, depending on size, skin colour (either entirely white or yellow), smoothness, and size. After that, the fruit will be challenging and, although mature, very probably not ripe. When is honeydew melon ripe, then? Honeydews can ripened at room temperature over a few days. It will emit ethylene and speed up the ripening process if you leave it on the counter or put it in a plastic sack with tomatoes or apples.
Once ripe, the whole melon can be kept in the refrigerator for a week, but once cut, it should be consumed within a few days. This is because chopped melons tend to absorb refrigerator odours.
Lastly, Honeydew Melon farming requires equipment which plays a significant role in agro-processing. Equipment, harvesters and tractors are the main sectors in Honeydew Melon farming. Tractors play a prominent role in mounting the equipment. Therefore choose the Apollo tractor tyre and Birla Tractor Tyres for the best in the field while buying the tractor tyre for your tractor.
