Basic Information

Melon prefers high temperatures, of hot and not necessarily humid climates. It needs continuous moisture in the soil so that the roots capture all the nutrients we provide. The ambient humidity should be relatively low. Melon has an abundant production and fast growth of roots (which sometimes reach 1 meter deep), thus it prefers light soils with organic matter. The optimum pH for the development lies between 6,5 and 7. Being a cucurbits, insufficient contribution of N causes a significant reduction in the total growth of the plant, mainly on the root system. Also, the available nitrogen influences the aerial/root part proportion. An excessive contribution of N promotes too many vegetative parts and a lack of root exploration can occur. An excess of nitrogen during flowering can reduce female flowers by up to 35 % and hermaphrodite flowers by almost 50 %. A deficiency in phosphorus can cause a decrease in the growth of the aerial part by 40-45 %. If deficient levels of phosphorus and excessive nitrogen coincide during flowering and fertilization, it causes a reduction of up to 70 % of the flowering potential and a considerable decrease in the number of fertilized fruits. Severe potassium deficiency during the flowering stage can reduce the number of hermaphroditic flowers by up to 35 %. Considering the effects of nutrition on the development and ripening of fruits, potassium and calcium play a decisive role in relation to quality and organoleptic qualities.

Detailed Description