A Complete Guide to the Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods of Snake Gourd Seeds
Snake gourd seeds are a health snack food much loved by consumers, refined through a combination of modern techniques and traditional formulas, possessing both high medicinal value and unique nutritional benefits. So what are the cultivation techniques for snake gourd seeds?
1. Land Preparation and Fertilization
The snake gourd plant has deep roots and lush leaves, so sandy loam soil with deep, fertile layers and good drainage should be selected. Calculating about 60 plants per 667 sq m, with a row spacing of 5 m and a plant spacing of 2 m, planting holes 50 cm square, sprinkle a little lime around them to disinfect and prevent pests. Apply about 80 kg of compound fertilizer made from decomposed barnyard manure, soil-and-organic manure, cake fertilizer and superphosphate mixed and composted into each hole, mix thoroughly with the hole soil and cover, then fill the hole surface level with fine soil, water thoroughly, and when the soil is moderately moist, open furrows and make beds for planting. [1]
2. Field Management
Cultivation and weeding: carry out cultivation and weeding once each in spring and autumn, keep the field free of weeds during the growing period, remove weeds as soon as they appear, and stop after the canopy closes.
Rational topdressing: the number and amount of fertilizer applications can be determined according to the vine growth and fruit set. If the vines grow vigorously and the fruit set rate is high, apply less fertilizer; if the vines grow weakly and the fruit set rate is low, apply more fertilizer. 10 days after transplanting, spray once with a mixture of 10~20 mg/kg gibberellin and 20% urea; when the seedlings are about 1.5 m tall, apply urea once more as topdressing; from May to July, apply compound fertilizer once each month for 3 months, 15 kg/667 sq m each time.
3. Erecting Posts and Building Trellises
The trellis materials should use sturdy cement posts, with a trellis height of about 1.6 m; bamboo or wooden posts can also be used as the main posts, with 1 row of posts for every 1 row of snake gourds. Place 1 post every 2~2.5 m, build a crossbar every 2~3 rows, and stretch wire at both ends, the middle and the four corners on top of the trellis to keep it firm. On top of the trellis, arrange 2 rows of thin bamboo poles horizontally and tie them to the wire with rope, then insert 2 small bamboo poles beside each snake gourd seedling to guide them onto the trellis.
4. Pruning and Guiding Vines
When snake gourds sprout in spring, select and keep 2~3 robust main buds per plant and remove the rest to avoid consuming nutrients. When the main stem grows to 2~3 m, pinch off the growing tip in time to promote side branch growth; after the trellis is covered, pinch appropriately according to growth vigor, thin out branches and arrange the vines. Especially in the high-temperature season of July to August, stems and leaves grow quickly and branches multiply; this is also the flowering, fruit-setting and fruit-swelling period, when the conflict between vegetative growth and reproductive growth is prominent, and excessive vegetative growth is unfavorable for fruit setting and fruit swelling and often causes young fruits to shrivel. At this time, promptly remove axillary buds, thin out side branches and remove excessive vegetative branches.
5. Increasing the Fruit Set Rate
Snake gourd is a dioecious plant. To ensure natural pollination and increase the fruit set rate, the ratio of female to male plants must be reasonably arranged; generally it is advisable to plant 4 male plants at intervals per 667 sq m. Artificial pollination is also an effective way to increase the fruit set rate. Generally at around 8 in the morning, use a writing brush to dip up male pollen and smear it one by one onto the stigmas of the pistils.
6. Pest and Disease Control
The main pests of snake gourd include aphids, yellow squash beetles, green caterpillars, and melon borers. 4.5% high-efficiency fenvalerate and 80% dichlorvos at 1000 times dilution can be used.
Because snake gourd seeds prefer a warm and humid climate, have relatively good cold resistance, are not drought-tolerant, and fear waterlogging, special attention should be paid not to overwater during the cultivation of snake gourd seeds.