When Are Bottle Gourds Usually Planted? Key Points of Planting Methods
Bottle gourds are grown in all parts of China and like to grow in warm, sheltered environments. There are many varieties of bottle gourd, and their sizes and shapes differ somewhat; common ones include gourd-shaped, club-shaped, and dolphin-shaped. In the past, bottle gourds were often used as vessels for holding wine or storing things; they just needed to be dried in the sun and hollowed out. Nowadays there are also some variant bottle gourds kept specially as artworks for people to admire and fondle. Today let us take a look at when bottle gourds are usually planted and what the key points of planting methods are.
1. When are bottle gourds usually planted?
The planting time of bottle gourds depends on the different varieties; for example, vegetable bottle gourds and ornamental bottle gourds are planted at different times. Generally speaking, bottle gourds can be divided into spring planting and autumn planting. For spring planting, the time should be set according to temperature: in northern regions it is suggested to start sowing around March to April, while southern regions warm up earlier, so late February to early March can be chosen for sowing. For autumn planting, choose August to September for open-field sowing, because temperatures are relatively high and there is more rain during this period, and the gourd seedlings also grow relatively fast, so the planting density should also differ somewhat, being smaller than that of spring sowing.
2. Key points of bottle gourd planting methods
1. Seed soaking and germination
Before sowing bottle gourds, select plump, new seeds of the current year with a high germination rate; do not choose old seeds. Put the selected bottle gourd seeds into hot water at 70 degrees, scald them briefly, then stir immediately; when the water temperature drops to 30 degrees, continue soaking the seeds to promote germination for half a day to ten days. When most of the bottle gourd seeds show white dots, they can be sown.
2. Transplanting
Bottle gourd seedlings take about more than a month; when they have grown three or four leaves, they can be transplanted. The timing of transplanting is crucial; try to choose a time when the weather is clear, as this will shorten the seedling recovery time and promote earlier plant development. Before transplanting, water the seedbed thoroughly to avoid root damage.
3. Trellising
Bottle gourds are vine plants; when the seedlings grow to about 25 cm, they need trellising to facilitate their twining growth. Do not choose cloudy and rainy days for tying the vines, to avoid breakage caused by too much moisture.
4. Hand pollination
To increase the fruit-setting rate of bottle gourds, hand pollination is needed; if there are bees to help with pollination, this step can be omitted.
5. Water and fertilizer
Bottle gourds do not need much fertilizer and water in the early stage of growth; after fruit set, increase fertilizer and water. Apply them reasonably according to the specific growth conditions of the bottle gourd, the season, and so on.
6. Harvesting
After bottle gourds mature, harvest them immediately, to avoid strong winds knocking them to the ground and breaking them. Generally, when the bottle gourd skin turns white and the fuzz is gone, it is mature.