Key Points of High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Bottle Gourd and Methods for Controlling Sooty Mold

Bottle gourd is one of the common vegetables. It was formerly grown only in the south, but because it sells very well on the vegetable market, it is now gradually being developed for cultivation in northern regions as well. So what are the key points of high-yield cultivation techniques for bottle gourd? How do you control sooty mold on bottle gourd?

1. What are the key points of high-yield cultivation techniques for bottle gourd?

1. Cultivation methods

Bottle gourd can be direct-sown in the open field before the last frost, or raised as seedlings in a protected area and then transplanted. Before sowing, the seeds need to be treated. They must be soaked for 24 to 48 hours, then sown, with a seeding rate of 250 grams per mu. Management during the seedling stage of bottle gourd is the same as for spring cucumber. You can refer to cucumber seedling-raising techniques.

2. Sowing and seedling raising

Bottle gourd is raised as seedlings in a hotbed, sown from late February to early March, with a seeding rate of 3.75 grams per hectare. Before sowing, soak the seeds in 55°C warm water for 15 minutes, then place them under a constant temperature of 25 to 30°C to promote germination. Once the sprouts have emerged evenly, sow them into nutrient pots. During the seedling stage, keep them warm and protected from cold, provide ventilation and light, and keep the soil appropriately dry and moist. The seedling age is about 30 to 35 days. About 10 days before transplanting, carry out low-temperature hardening of the seedlings.

3. Land preparation and fertilization

For bottle gourd, choose oily sandy soil rich in humus as the cultivation field, and it must not have grown cucurbit crops for 2 to 3 years. After the previous crop is harvested, plow deeply 20 to 25 cm in time, and apply sufficient base fertilizer: 30,000 to 45,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per hectare, 15,000 to 22,500 kg of human and animal manure, or 1,500 to 1,875 kg of cake fertilizer, and 300 to 400 kg of superphosphate.

4. Timely transplanting

Before transplanting bottle gourd, make beds 10 days in advance with a bed height of 20 to 25 cm, a bed width of 100 cm, and a ditch width of 50 cm, then lay plastic film and wait to plant. The transplanting spacing is 0.67 m. Dig holes and plant a single seedling, then water to settle the roots. Before plowing, use paraquat to control weeds once; after the land is prepared, spray butachlor once, and only then carry out transplanting.

5. Plant adjustment

Bottle gourd can be cultivated either with trellising or without trellising. For ground-creeping cultivation without trellising, the vines need to be pressed to prevent wind damage. For trellised cultivation, when the seedlings grow to 30 cm tall, set up an A-frame with 2 to 3 m long bamboo poles, crossing at about 1.3 m. To make it easier for side vines to climb and for manual tying of vines in layers, 2 to 3 horizontal bars are needed. Bottle gourd mainly sets fruit on secondary vines and tertiary vines, so the plants should be adjusted, usually by pinching the growing tips 2 to 3 times to encourage the development of secondary and tertiary vines.

6. Fertilizer and water management

Bottle gourd has weaker growth vigor than other cucurbits, has a short growing period, and bears fruit in a concentrated manner. In addition to base fertilizer, it also needs topdressing and irrigation. Topdressing should be applied lightly and frequently. Apply fertilizer once each after transplanting and survival and after pinching, and during the fruit enlargement period. After harvest begins, apply topdressing 1 to 2 times in stages to promote the growth of later-ripening gourds. Bottle gourd needs a lot of water, so it should be watered in time. During the fruiting period, in dry weather it can be watered once every 1 to 2 days, but if there is a lot of rain, drain promptly to prevent waterlogging.

7. Timely harvesting

Timely harvesting can improve fruit quality and encourage the upper part to continue setting fruit and the subsequent fruits to grow. This is an important measure for early-maturing, high-yield cultivation. When the fuzz on the young gourd has basically fallen off and the skin color becomes lighter, it is at the suitable harvesting stage. Generally, the harvesting time for the first batch of gourds is 15 to 20 days after flowering, and during the peak fruiting period it is 10 to 12 days after flowering. Harvesting the fruit too old affects its edible value.

2. How do you control sooty mold on bottle gourd?

Sooty mold is a common disease of bottle gourd, mainly harming the leaves, stems and vines, and fruits. On the leaves, black dot-like mold first appears, distributed locally on the leaf surface or near the veins, and in severe cases it covers the entire leaf surface. The pathogen of bottle gourd sooty mold overwinters in the field with mycelium and conidia on diseased plant residues, and can survive in greenhouses and sheds, becoming the primary infection source. It spreads through rain and aphids.

1. Causes of bottle gourd sooty mold

Under weak light and high air humidity, bottle gourd sooty mold is prone to occur.

Under high temperature and high humidity, with continuous rainy weather, especially when showers turn to clear skies, bottle gourd sooty mold is prone to occur.

2. Preventive measures for bottle gourd sooty mold

When cultivating in protected areas, pay attention to regulating the microclimate of the greenhouse or shed, and improve light transmission and heat retention.

In the early stage of bottle gourd sooty mold, spray pesticides in time for control. The pesticides can be: 50% thiophanate-methyl · sulfur suspension concentrate at 800 times dilution, or 50% benomyl wettable powder at 1500 times dilution, or 80% carbendazim wettable powder at 600 times dilution, or 50% mixed sulfur suspension concentrate at 500 times dilution, applied once every 7 to 10 days or so, for 2 to 3 consecutive applications.