Each plant, including watermelon plants, requires specific requirements to be able to grow and develop optimally. The requirements concerning several aspects. among others: the state of the place (geographical location), the state of soil and climatic conditions.
A. STATE OF PLACE (GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION)
The place that we will make the cultivation of watermelon have to consider very seriously so that these efforts are not in vain. Things that need to be considered with regard to the state of the place regarding some aspects as below:
1. Elevation
What is meant by altitude is the altitude that we will make the watermelon growing areas of the ocean surface. To know the altitude that we will make the watermelon planting area can use a tool called an altimeter or can be asked directly to the local Agricultural Hall.
The ideal altitude for watermelon plant is 100-300 meters above sea level. Although ideally so, in fact, watermelon plants can also be planted in the area near the beach which height is less than 100 meters above sea level. Likewise, in an area that has a height of over 300 meters above sea level can still be planted with watermelons.
2. A Strategic
The place chosen for the watermelon crop acreage should be near the road that can be impassable to vehicles in order to facilitate transportation to plant watermelons. But these locations should be some distance from residential areas in order to watermelon crop area gets enough sunlight, not a place for children's play and was not bothered by domestic animals such as chickens, ducks, goats and others.
3. Good Irrigation Channel
Comprehensive watermelon crop acreage in absolute need of a good irrigation channel. With good irrigation channels that we can easily drain the water into the planting area when we need water or remove them as too excessive (pooled).
4. Economically Cost
When are we going to cultivate land watermelon should we rent from someone else, try to rent a light (cheap) with a period of rest of the plant only. Had to be hired for a period of several months. we must take into account the cost of an overhaul of the previous crop.
Usually, a professional watermelon farmers prefer to open new areas of the reforest depleted areas harvested. The reason is because the nutrients in the soil in areas planted must have been reduced so that the cost for fertilizing. Though absolute watermelon plant requires a complete nutrient. Lacking one essential nutrient will reduce the quality and growth of plants and fruits.
B. STATE LAND
Once we take the view that we value lucrative areas, we need to assess the state of the soil in the area that includes several things:
1. The Nature of The Soil
Land suitable for planting watermelon is porous soil (nest) to easily remove excess or the amount of water. However, soils that are too easy to throw the water is less good for the cultivation of watermelon, because such land will need more frequent watering frequency, to add energy to do the watering. Instead, the soil is too dense to absorb and retain water or not at all suitable for planting watermelon because watermelon crop root system can not tolerate waterlogging and therefore easy to root, then the plants will die.
2. Soil Conditions
The soil conditions are suitable for watermelon plant is a fairly loose soil, rich in organic matter and not the ground dead or acidic soil. Garden soil or paddy (commonly planted rice) can be planted watermelon tired dried origin all requirements are met. Acidic soils can be distinguished easily when the surface soil to grow grass so lush reeds. Actually, acidic soil can be planted watermelon, but it requires extra cost and effort to prepare. But if such land we cultivate watermelon, then we seek a preliminary processing (which will be discussed later) before it is processed further as normal soil.
C. STATE OF CLIMATE
After the geographical location and soil conditions in the area that we choose to meet the requirements, then the last step before we start doing earthworks are estimates or find the data concerning the weather conditions or other natural factors, and these factors are:
1. Sunlight
The sun should be about the entire planting area from sunrise to sink. The intensity of sun exposure is closely related to the ambient temperature.
Watermelon plant will be able to grow and bear fruit optimally at temperatures around 25 ° Celsius measured at noon. The lack of sunlight can lead to a setback during the harvest. Given the photosynthesis process can only take place when the sun is perfect on plant chlorophyll.
2. Humidity
Ambient air humidity tends to be low when the sun is able to illuminate the planting area. When the air has a low humidity, dry air resulted because of poor water vapor. It is suitable for the growth of watermelon plants because of their home areas watermelon plant life in a temperate desert dry. But the opposite, the humidity is too high will encourage the growth of fungus plant destroyer.
3. Rainfall
Actually, in the department advanced as today, the intensity of rainfall can be ignored if the watermelon cultivation we do with certain techniques (which will be discussed in the next section). Theoretically, the rainfall that is ideal for watermelon planting area is 40-50 mm per month. A number of local rainfall numbers can be asked at the Institute of Agriculture or local Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.
D. EVALUATION OF ADDITIONAL
If you write intends to commercialize planting watermelon as a hobby or for fun only this section shall be ignored. But if the purpose of the watermelon planting of a commercial nature, we recommend the following note:
1. The Situation Around The Plant Area
a. Consider the age of the plant on the surrounding land to be planted, especially seasonal plants of another kind. You should do the planting simultaneously coincide with similar plants around it to avoid displacement of pests and diseases of the garden or rice fields our neighbors, considering pests and plant diseases prefer the new environment grow young shoots. Pests and diseases will migrate to our land if the plants in the neighboring area have started to turn yellow.
b. Often farmers take advantage of the remaining bike for planted with vegetables, beans for example. Such habits should be avoided. Not infrequently the plant so we have to incur additional costs to eradicate pests and diseases (mainly aphids) That come from the plant of the parent band earlier. If the cover crop is needed for example for fencing, choose plants that are not favored by pests and diseases and also does not interfere with the plants we try, for example, Crotalaria Juncea (cleroteria a Nagy wides).
2. The Safety Factor
Encourage concerted measures to overcome the problems of a technical nature incidental, such as theft. For that we should select the areas that are not often targeted for theft.
3. The Practice
Avoid the use of acreage for planting watermelon when the area in question is often used to keep the fish until the condition is always wet. Usually land in the area as it has undergone many physical changes that are less well when planted watermelons.
0 comments: