Land preparation for Watermelon Cultivation - Growing areas that we have set we have to prepare well. If the area is in the form of garden soil, previous crops are still growing we need to first clean, especially if the area is planted with trees rooted scars and trunked hard. Thus we need to dismantle plant until it is completely clean of stubble crops disturbing. When we use the land in rice fields, the soil should be allowed to dry out a few days until the soil is dug up.
Next, we do some testing of the soil in the planting area. The trick is as follows:
- Take lumps of soil from several places.
- The soil clods then we mix well.
- Then we take a lump of the soil mixture and dissolved (mixed with water) in a container capable of containing 300 ccs of fluid. It is advisable to use containers that limbs of view and have been washed to facilitate the practice.
- Air solvent is best to use distilled water (aqua distillate), but tap water may be used as well as water wells, as long as the solvent water was taste and odorless so as not to affect the results of our observations.
- The land was stirred uniformly in a container filled with distilled water, then let stand for a few minutes until the suspension so that the soil settles over solvent water looks clear sediment back.
- Furthermore, in the water, we dip a litmus paper or a pH meter measuring rod, and then we read the scale indicated by these tools to determine the pH (degree of acidity of the soil). This is necessary because closely related to the calculation of the amount of fertilizer, especially lime should we use.
Buddy also need to know how to use a pH meter, here's how cekidot:
- Make sure the batteries resources still stable current tool.
- Make sure the appliance is still working normally by testing, for example, rod tool dipped in a solution of vinegar kitchen, observe whether the needle meter still showed no change. Supposedly scale meter showed a small number (under item 7) because vinegar is acidic.
- After making sure that the appliance is still working, wash the measuring rod to clean than vinegar.
- Dip the measuring rod of the tool into the soil suspension solution that we created earlier. Record the number shown on the meter.
- To ensure the results of our testing, perform a similar way to land some of an aqueous suspension. Then we created a table to find the average number legible on scale tool.
How to use litmus paper for a similar purpose are as follows:
- Prepare litmus paper (pH indicator paper). This paper can be purchased at pharmacies or large laboratory equipment. The shape of the roll of paper or a piece of paper like a ribbon. In the container, there is a diagram of the following colors of numbers pivot.
- Take the paper on it with your hands clean and dry, about 4 cm. The end we dip into the soil suspension that we have prepared.
- Wait a while until no more color change on the paper (such a process only lasts for a few seconds).
- The paper indicator has changed color matched color with the color chart on the indicator paper container. Then read the numbers on the diagram of the color corresponding to the last indicator paper. The number is the number of soil pH that we dissolve it earlier.
- To be more definite, the results of this testing should be done several times, such measures applied at pH testing with power tools.
The purpose of the aqua distillate as a solvent is to ensure the certainty of the soil pH measurement. Given the normal pH of distilled water is 7. Another case when we use any water. When the solvent is water turns atmospheric alkaline (pH less than or greater than 7), the measurement results will be blurred. At pH meter semi-automatic; on a non-active state, the needle scale is at number 7. It is possible to meter needle does not move when we are running.
Often occurs in the use litmus paper, indicator paper did not change color, because it happened to be the color shown for a certain number equal to the basic color of the indicator paper. PH value of the soil in the area to be Kila do, we note for calculating the amount of lime that we need, which will be discussed in the next chapter.
PREPARATION PROCESS OF LAND
Watermelon before we begin, we have planted land will have to prepare well. Land preparation stages are as follows:
1. Phase reversal of land
Ground reversal intent here is to destroy ground up into chunks of land. To form the chunk of land that could use a hand tractor, towing hijacked by the animal or reversed with a hoe.
Reversal of the soil should be evenly on the entire planting area. At this stage, stump rod or previous crop root tissue should be thrown out of the plantation. Similarly, the rocks that may exist should be discarded.
2. Phase formation of beds
Watermelon crop in absolute need of beds so that the water contained in the soil more easily flow out through the drainage channels that we make.
The number of beds depends on the desired number of rows planted by farmers. While the forms of beds can follow one of the following patterns:
a. Double beds with row crops
The length of beds: Following the length of the planting area.
The layout of beds: Across the plantation.
The width of beds: 7-8 meters, depending on the thick-thin bed height.
Bed height: Minimum 20 cm.
The advantage of this pattern is the form of beds such as:
- Seedbed formation is relatively fast as well as to accommodate two rows of plants
- Treatment plant drugs or when spraying foliar fertilizer can reach 2 rows at a time until the time is used more efficiently.
- Not too many areas that are not productive.
Losses pattern like this is the form of beds:
- The execution of pruning vines must be careful not to mistakenly cut new lateral branches grow in rows on the other hand, given the shape of beds Thus, the ends of the vine plants often intersect and overlap.
- The risk of crop damage due to trampled when performing artificial pollination is greater.
b. Planting beds with a single row
The length of beds: Following the length of the planting area.
The layout of beds: Crossing the planting area
The width of beds: 3.5-4 meters high depending on the thick-thin beds.
Bed height: Minimum 20 cm.
Advantages of such patterns are the form of beds:
- The risk of crop damage due to crushed when performing artificial pollination is smaller because the plants do not cross from two directions.
- Pruning vines and lateral branches have more easily done without the risk of the wrong cut.
Losses patterns such is the form of beds:
- The time required to form the seedbed for longer because more drainage channels on each row of beds, which means more ground-breaking work to be done.
- Relatively more of the growing areas are not productive, can not be planted because the drainage channel used (the treatment plant).
- The time needed to spray the plants with a solution of fertilizer global and longer, because in each of the beds there is only one-rows planting.
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