Five varieties of melon in a greenhouse with pruning and trellising net.

ARTMELONES-PDH-1.  This article on growing melon in a greenhouse using trellising net was publish in

Productores de Hortalizas en Sept. 2002, no digital version available.

Read here the study file by Prof. Felipe Ayala of the UAS (Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa). We scanned this article also you may read it in the original language (Spanish), as this study proves how they were able to increase the melon yield by the simple substitution of raffia for HORTOMALLAS® trellising melon net.

There is a 30% increase in melon production under greenhouses, and this is do with many varieties. HORTOMALLAS® is available in heights of up to 3 meters exactly for greenhouse production of indeterminate varieties. The netting allows the leaves to spread out more and increase their solar exposure as well as increase the air flow and therefore decrease pathogens.

Inside a greenhouse HORTOMALLAS® can last 5 or 6 years (we have customers that have be using it for 8)

As solar rays are not as strong outdoors, so this investment in plant support will be amortize over many crop cycles although it will pay itself wit the first harvest.

Melon netting is used also in open field crops, whereby the grower will be able to increase the plant density by guiding vines upwards, and reducing the spacing between planting rows.  Like all cucurbits, melons need good ventilation as they are easily subjected to mildew and other fungal attacks.

By tutoring the plants vertically, the wind will increase the air flow in between the leaves and dry up most condensation contrary to what would happen when the plant stays in direct cophtact with the ground and its evaporation, especially in tropical and subtropical climates.

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