A Comprehensive Analysis of the Key Points of Trichosanthes kirilowii Cultivation Techniques

Trichosanthes kirilowii is a warmth-loving food crop that is distributed in many parts of our country. Every part of the Trichosanthes kirilowii plant can be used medicinally, making it a food with considerable medicinal value; therefore, it has become very popular in recent years, and its price has also shown a steadily rising trend, so many people want to grow it to increase their income.

Trichosanthes kirilowii Cultivation Techniques

1. Site selection and land preparation. Trichosanthes kirilowii is a deep-rooted plant, with roots that can penetrate 1 m to 2 m into the soil, so when cultivating it, a sunny plot with deep, loose, fertile soil should be chosen, and loam or sandy loam is best. It can also be grown in spots around the house, beside trees, along ditches and similar places. Saline-alkali land and low-lying areas prone to waterlogging are not suitable for cultivation. Before preparing the land, apply 5000 kg of farmyard manure per 1000 sq m as a base fertilizer, add 30 kg of superphosphate, and plow it into the soil. 15 to 20 days before sowing, broadcast 75% wettable dazomet powder to disinfect the soil. Level the plot; generally no raised beds are needed, but drainage ditches should be opened around the plot.

2. Planting method. Field transplanting of Trichosanthes kirilowii should be done as early as possible after the last frost, so as to gain time for a high yield in the same year; this is generally in early April, with the specific time depending on the weather. Reasonable close planting is one of the important factors for a high yield. Generally more than 260 plants per mu; first place the seedlings on sand, then cover the seedlings with a small amount of sand, next cover with 2 cm of fine soil, and finally cover with weeds; in dry weather, cover the weeds with water.

Growing Conditions for Trichosanthes kirilowii

Trichosanthes kirilowii prefers a warm, humid environment, is relatively cold-tolerant, is not tolerant of drought, and dislikes waterlogging. The seeds germinate easily, with an optimum germination temperature of 25°C to 30°C, a germination rate of 60% to 80%, and a seed lifespan of 2 years.

Propagation Methods for Trichosanthes kirilowii

1. Seed propagation: when the fruit is ripe, select mature fruits that are orange-yellow, robust and plump, with short stalks; split them in half from the fruit stalk, take out the inner pulp, rinse out the seeds, and dry and store them. In March to April of the following spring, select plump seeds free of pests and diseases, soak them in warm water at 40°C to 50°C for 24 hours, take them out and let them cool slightly, mix them evenly with 3 times their volume of moist sand, and place them at 20°C to 30°C to promote germination. When most of the seeds have split open, sow them in holes at a spacing of 1.5 m to 2 m, with holes 5 cm to 6 cm deep, sowing 5 to 6 seeds per hole, covering with 3 cm to 4 cm of soil, and watering to keep the soil moist; seedlings will emerge in 15 to 20 days.

2. Root division propagation: in the north, do this in March to April; in the south, from October to late December. Dig up 3- to 5-year-old Trichosanthes kirilowii roots that are robust, free of pests and diseases, 3 cm to 5 cm in diameter, and freshly white in cross-section; cut them into small sections 6 cm to 10 cm long, and plant them in holes at a plant spacing of 30 cm and a row spacing of 1.5 m to 2 m, with holes 10 cm to 12 cm deep, placing one section of seed root per hole, covering with 4 cm to 5 cm of soil, pressing down with the hand, then mounding 10 cm to 15 cm of soil to form a small mound to help conserve moisture. About 20 days after planting, when sprouting begins, remove the moisture-conserving soil on top. Each 1000 sq m requires 50 kg to 60 kg of seed roots. When using this method, note that the seed roots should mostly be selected from female plants, with an appropriate proportion of roots from male plants to aid pollination. In addition, old roots with yellow fibrous strands in cross-section do not easily survive and sprout, so they are not suitable as seed roots.

Field Management After Planting Trichosanthes kirilowii

1. Reasonably match male plants: more than 4 to 5 plants per mu can be trained onto the trellis, and the surplus can be left on the ground to grow freely.

2. Select and retain the main stem: for Trichosanthes kirilowii planted in the current year, select 1 to 2 robust seedlings per plant and remove all the rest. In the second year, generally only 1 is retained. Generally, when the main stem of the seedling grows to 0.3 to 0.5 m, use bamboo or soft string in time to train the seedling onto the trellis. Before the main stem is trained onto the trellis, remove all lateral buds and fruits that have grown (that is, those growing below the trellis). After the seedling is trained onto the trellis and grows to about 1 m, it should be topped in time to promote the growth of lateral branches; for perennial Trichosanthes kirilowii, if vegetative growth is too vigorous, prune and thin the branches in time (cut out thin, weak and empty branches).

4. Reasonable fertilization: when the seedlings emerge and grow to 1 chi long, open a ring ditch about 0.5 to 1 chi from the seedlings and lightly water with a mixture of manure water plus a small amount of urea, then, depending on the vigor of the seedlings, water once a week in the same way. During the flowering and fruiting period, depending on the growth situation, appropriately apply additional fertilizer to preserve flowers and fruits, and spray additional flower- and fruit-preserving agents; depending on the growth situation, spray fruit-drop-preventing agents and growth hormones.

When cultivating Trichosanthes kirilowii, you must first choose a good planting site; it is a variety that is not tolerant of waterlogging, so drainage work must be done well before planting. If you want Trichosanthes kirilowii to grow well and have a high fruiting rate, field management must also be done well in the later stage. Timely fertilization and watering are both very important.