What Is the Yield per Mu of Bitter Melon? A Detailed Guide to Seed and Seedling Prices, Planting Time and Methods

Bitter melon, also called balsam pear or bitter gourd, is an annual climbing, slender herbaceous plant native to East India, and it is widely cultivated throughout both northern and southern China.So what is the approximate yield per mu of bitter melon? How much does a jin of seeds cost? When should it be planted? What are the methods?According to the nursery base in Shouguang City, Weifang City, the price of bitter melon seedlings is about 3 yuan per plant, the price of planting seeds is about 60 yuan per jin, and the sowing rate per mu is 2-3 jin.

What is the approximate yield per mu of bitter melon

If the fruits of local bitter melon are only about half a jin to 1 jin in size, one mu can produce about 4000-5000 jin, and 200-600 seedlings are planted per mu (without a greenhouse, they can be sold on the market as early as May). There is also a grafted variety called Taiwan Large White Bitter Melon, which can produce about 20,000-30,000 jin per mu.

When is bitter melon planted?

Bitter melon is generally planted in March. Some growers first raise seedlings in a greenhouse or plastic tunnel and then transplant them, so sowing can be brought forward to February.

For off-season cultivation, the temperature required for bitter melon growth must be taken into account, and it must especially favor flowering and fruiting. Therefore, whether direct sowing or seedling raising in nutrient pots is used, sowing should preferably be done in late the first ten days of December and early the middle ten days of December.

Bitter melon likes warmth, is relatively heat-tolerant and not cold-tolerant. Seed germination is suitable at 30-35°C; below 20°C germination is slow, and below 13°C germination is difficult. At around 25°C, seedlings with 4-5 true leaves can be grown in about 15 days, while at around 15°C it takes 20-30 days. At 10-15°C the bitter melon plant grows slowly, below 10°C growth is poor, and when the temperature is below 5°C the plant suffers markedly.

What are the planting methods for bitter melon?

1. Sowing and seedling raising: first carry out germination. The specific method is to soak the seeds in warm water at 50-60°C, stirring while soaking. After the water temperature drops to room temperature, continue soaking for 10-12 hours; then place them at 25-30°C to germinate, and after about 48 hours they will sprout; after the seeds sprout, sow them into a seedbed or seedling pot, and pay attention to watering until the seedlings emerge.

2. Transplanting: when the seedlings grow 3 to 4 leaves, transplant them. A row spacing of 120-130cm and a plant spacing of 50-60cm is suitable for transplanting.

3. Growth management: during the growth of the seedlings, carry out intertillage, weeding and earthing up, and maintain soil moisture. When the seedlings grow to about 20cm, trellises need to be set up to guide the vines. There are 2 ways to build the trellis: a flat shed trellis and a “”-shaped trellis. They can be used flexibly according to the available space.

4. Bitter melon bears fruit many times and the harvest period is also long, so the amount of water and fertilizer consumed is inevitably large. Therefore, strengthening fertilizer and water management is very important.

5. The main pests and diseases of bitter melon include powdery mildew, downy mildew, fusarium wilt, beet armyworm and so on. Attention should be paid to selecting disease-resistant varieties, and spraying must be done in time.