BUDDING BITTERGOURDS IN MY GARDEN

  

 

As a rich source of antioxidants, flavonoids, and other polyphenol compounds, bitter gourd may help to reduce your risks for several health issues. Bitter gourd is packed with polyphenols. These compounds are known for their ability to lower inflammation in the body.

But many dislike it because of its bitter taste. Yet this bitter but nutritious gourd is a favorite in various regional Indian cuisines. Not only bitter gourds are easy to grow from seeds, their prolific fruiting through summer will ensure your veggie basket never runs out of them. Growing it in your backyard or your garden is no big task.

Sow seeds about ½ inch deep in loamy well-draining soil that has been prepared with aged manure or compost. Bitter gourd seeds can also be soaked overnight to speed up the germination. Plant the soaked seeds directly in the garden and cover them with soil.

Bitter gourd is a direct sown vegetable but polythene bag nursery is more advantageous to get early marketing and to avoid more gap filling.

For pre-germination, the bitter gourd seeds should be soaked in water for 24 hours. Then soaked seeds are to be mixed with double the volume of moist sand and the seed should be fully covered by the sand and kept for three days. During this period moisture of sand should be maintained.

Bitter Gourds require full sunlight so keep your pots/container accordingly. Water every day in summer. Do not overwater. The vines will start flowering at the end of 5 - 6 weeks and fruit in 70 - 75 days from sowing.

Keep the soil moist all the time. You can plant 4-5 seeds in a 15-liter pot. Keep 1-2 plants in a 15-liter pot and remove the others when seedlings have developed at least four true leaves. Young bitter gourd plants are sometimes susceptible to cutworms.

All you have to do is use good soil, water them daily, and keep them in a place where they will get plenty of sunlight….. And they will surely reward you with good yield. Growing bitter gourds in pots is that easy.

Environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight exposure, and humidity can influence the ripening process and the color change of bitter gourd. Higher temperatures and increased sunlight exposure can accelerate ripening and lead to a faster transition from green to yellow.

Overwatering can cause the seed to rot or hamper seed germination. The bitter gourd is a delicate vine and watering has to be at the base of the plant in a gentle manner. Water when top soil is dry and ensure the soil stays moist, but not soggy.

Bitter gourd being a weak climber needs support for its growth. The plants trailed on the support (bower) continue to yield for 6-7 months as against 3-4 months when trailed on the ground without support. Such vines are less susceptible to pests and diseases as they do not come in direct contact with the soil.

 Bitter gourd climber requires the support of a trellis. The plant should be grown in full sunlight. This climber needs plenty of watering, that's why it grows very well in monsoon season. You should protect your plant from powdery mildew when the plant is young by spraying fungicides

 Karela or bitter gourd is a warm-season crop. So, five to eight hours of direct sunlight are important for this plant. It can also grow in partial shade with good light and air circulation. They do not demand much attention and are fuss-free.