Military Farm: Growing “Sky” Watermelons in the Greenhouse

Entering the 6th greenhouse of the military farm facility agricultural base, rows of watermelon seedlings were pulled by thin wires, with vines winding and extending into the air. Small watermelons in twos and threes were hung on hanging vines. This is the first time that military farms have adopted greenhouse hanging vine planting technology to plant “aerial” watermelons.

Tang Junhui, a greenhouse contractor, has many years of experience in greenhouse planting. In order to ensure that there are crops in the greenhouse all year round and make money every quarter, Tang Junhui conducted multiple investigations and learned that in September of this year, 2400 watermelon seedlings were introduced for greenhouse cultivation. After more than a month of careful management, these watermelon seedlings have grown rapidly and are beginning to bear fruit one after another. To ensure the quality of the melon, only one watermelon is left on each vine.

Tang Junhui, a contractor of the military farm’s greenhouse, said, “In the greenhouse, tomato seedlings are raised in spring, vegetables such as tomatoes and chili peppers are planted in autumn, and mushrooms are planted in winter. However, if planted this way all year round, tomatoes and chili peppers in autumn will develop diseases, so the current situation must be changed

The introduction of greenhouse watermelons allowed Tang Junhui to adjust the planting structure reasonably. Reverse cropping increased crop yield, reduced pests and diseases, and achieved the goal of continuously increasing income throughout the year.

It is understood that watermelon grown in a greenhouse with hanging vines not only avoids contact with the ground and illness, but also fully utilizes the space to ensure ventilation and transparency, which is beneficial for watermelon growth and increase sweetness. At present, the greenhouse “aerial” watermelons planted by the military farm for the first time are growing well, and it is expected that this batch of watermelons will mature and go on sale by the end of November.