How to grow a plant of muskmelon at home?

 

Muskmelon is a great fruit, especially for the hot summers in India. This fruit has a high water content and contains many rich nutrients. It is one of the best ways to overcome fatigue due to dehydration in summer. Moreover, muskmelons are easy to grow in your home garden or even in grower pots at home. The following article provides information on growing plants of muskmelon at home.

 

Benefits of muskmelon

 

Muskmelon is known to provide multiple health benefits as it contains fewer calories (34 calories per 100 grams). It also contains 0.9g dietary fiber, 0.19g fat, 0.84g protein, and 8.6g carbohydrates. Given its nutritional profile, it provides the following benefits:

• Blood pressure control
• Improves digestive health
• Keeps the body hydrated
• Enhances the skin

 

Growing muskmelon at home

If you want to grow muskmelon plants at home, here are the following steps:

Step 1: Soil preparation

 

You can grow muskmelon in a garden bed or grower pots. It is advisable to soak the muskmelon seeds in water overnight to accelerate the germination process. Prepare the soil in raised garden beds to allow water drainage. If you want to grow these plants in a grower pot available at a plant nursery in Mumbai, prepare the soil with a good quality pot mix and an organic fertilizer. Ensure you mix these properly. Once the soil is ready, sow the seeds at least 1 inch deeper and ensure there is ample space between the seeds. Water the seeds and ensure the plant soil remains moist. Musk melons prefer warm weather and loamy, loose, and well-draining soil. 

 

Tip: It is always advisable to purchase organic seeds online in India, available at a plant nursery near you.

 

Step 2: Watering the plants

You can see the seedlings emerge after 20 or 30 days. Transplant the seeds in the grower pots or beds and place them four to six feet apart. Ensure you water the plants regularly during summer, allowing the soil to retain moisture. Prevent overwatering the plants as it can lead to root rot. Also, add mulch to the soil, ensuring it remains moist. Reduce watering once the fruits turn ripe, allowing the fruits to become sweet and flavorful.

 

Step 3: Fertilizing the plants

It is also advisable to fertilize the plants once a month to encourage plant growth. Use a well-balanced organic fertilizer. You can also apply micronutrients to the plants to enhance their growth, increase yield, etc. You can also add compost manure to the soil to balance its nutrients. 

 

Experts at the plant nursery in Mumbai suggest adding some Epsom (four to five spoons) salt, and borax powder (one tablespoon) mixed in five liters of water. Spray this mixture on the vines to make the flowers and fruits sweet.

 

Step 4: Preventing pests and diseases

It is possible to prevent the growth of pests or diseases on the plant using natural solutions like soap water or neem oil. You can also eliminate beetles and aphids using natural pesticides available at a plant nursery online in Mumbai.  

  

Step 5: Harvesting the plant

The muskmelons are ready in around 100 days. The brown stems of the vines indicate that the muskmelon fruits are ready and the fruits turn tan from yellow. The fruits also release a sweet smell, indicating their ripeness. It is easy to pluck the melons from the vines with just an easy pull.

Additional tips

• Muskmelons grow in the summer season or warm temperatures.
• The seeds of the muskmelon plant can germinate efficiently above 20 degrees Celsius, hence, the best time to sow the seeds is from November until February.
• Melons are perishable. They can only stay fresh for two to four days at room temperature and for two to three weeks when refrigerated at two to four degrees Celsius.

 

Final thoughts

 

Muskmelons are a great fruit to relish during summer as they have high water content. If you are looking for gardening supplies for growing muskmelon plants in your garden, explore Ratanshi Agro-Hortitech today!