How to Grow Bottle Gourds in Pots? Planting Methods and Care Tips for Potted Bottle Gourds
The bottle gourd symbolizes fortune and prosperity in our country. Growing bottle gourds on a balcony not only adds charm but also carries an auspicious meaning of fortune and prosperity. What are the planting methods for potted bottle gourds? Please read on for details.
I. Germination
First, soak the bottle gourd seeds in warm water for about 20 minutes, then wrap them in a piece of toilet paper or gauze, moisten it, and place it in a small bowl. Put the bowl on a balcony or another warm spot, sprinkle a little water every day to keep the seeds moist, and they will sprout in about a week.
II. Potting Soil
Bottle gourds need a relatively deep flower pot, and the pot size should be moderate. Before potting, choose good fertile soil: use loose acidic soil mixed with farmyard manure. Alkaline soil and compacted soil must not be used. The soil must have good aeration and drainage. Personally, I suggest mixing seedling soil with regular soil at a ratio of 1:5 or 2:5. Or simply use peat soil, which works even better.
First, water the potting soil thoroughly, then dig a small hole 3 to 4 cm deep in the surface. Place the sprouted seed with the sprout facing down, gently cover it with soil, and sprinkle a little water. That is all. In a week, it will basically have sprouted.
III. Water and Fertilizer Management
If the growing medium contains no fertilizer, mix about 50 grams of water-soluble fertilizer or 100 grams of organic fertilizer per pot as a base fertilizer. Potted bottle gourds dry out very easily. When the vine first begins to spread, water once a day. In the hot midsummer season, water twice a day. During the growing period, fermented sesame paste residue and soybean cake are best; they can be diluted and applied together with watering. At the bud stage, add phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to increase the fruit-setting rate and fruit quality. The optimum temperature for bottle gourd growth is around 30°C, and it likes plenty of sunlight, so give it as much sun as possible.
IV. Building a Trellis
Set four support posts on the flower pot to secure it, reaching 50 cm above the pot surface, and make them into a 90-degree grid trellis. When the main vine grows to 4—5 leaves, pinch the vine, leaving 2 side vines to spread upward. When the side vines climb to the top of the trellis, pinch them and let their 2 secondary vines extend upward. When the secondary vines grow to 5 branches and leaves, begin pinching the tips so that the fruits grow from the tertiary vines that emerge from the secondary vines. Let the vines grow freely, and pinch them off when they grow beyond the trellis. When 5—6 fruits have set, apply a top dressing once; this is very important.
V. Pollination
Bottle gourds are cross-pollinated plants, and pollination during the flowering period is the key to fruit setting. Because potted bottle gourds are few in number and there are few bees, and the flowering periods are hard to coincide, hand pollination is necessary. Bottle gourds bloom every evening, and the best pollination period is before 10 a.m. the next day. When pollinating, use a dry towel and a small cotton ball to collect pollen from the male flowers and immediately transfer it to the female flower stigma; do not delay. If it rains, cover the male and female flowers in advance with plastic bags so they are not exposed to the rain.
Growing potted bottle gourds is rather troublesome, and there are many things to manage in daily care, but watching the bottle gourds you planted grow day by day also brings a gradual sense of fulfillment.