Latest Key Management Techniques for Bitter Gourd During the Full Fruit-Bearing Period

Although the taste of bitter gourd is not liked by many people, it actually has a large market demand in our country. The planting area of bitter gourd in our country is also relatively large. When growing bitter gourd, we must adjust the management methods according to the growth stage of the bitter gourd. Especially during the full fruit-bearing period, it directly determines the yield. So how should it be managed during the full fruit-bearing period of bitter gourd? Let's take a look together with the editor below!

1. Temperature management

Bitter gourd is relatively sensitive to temperature changes during its growth process, especially during the full fruit-bearing period, when temperature directly affects the fruit-setting rate and yield of bitter gourd. Therefore, temperature control is very important. During the day, the temperature inside the greenhouse should be controlled at around 30 degrees, and at night it should also be maintained at around 15 degrees. Then pay attention to the position for retaining fruits on the bitter gourd. Generally, fruits should not be retained below about 50 cm on the main vine. When about 6 fruits have set on the main vine, keep 5 leaves, then pinch off the growing tip, and remove the remaining excess secondary and tertiary vines.

2. Fertilizer and water management

The fruiting period and growth period of bitter gourd are relatively long. After entering the full fruit-bearing period, its harvest period is about three and a half months. Therefore, the requirements for fertilizer and water are relatively high, so we must focus on maintaining sufficient fertilizer and water. Especially during the full fruit-bearing period, if the soil moisture content is low and there is drought, then water at least once a week. Moreover, before watering, do a good job of topdressing, applying urea or compound fertilizer in holes each time. However, water should not be too much either. In rainy weather, do a good job of drainage, and at the same time spray foliar fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate about 3 times.

3. Pest and disease control

During the full fruit-bearing period of bitter gourd, there are also relatively many pests and diseases. Among them, the most common disease is anthracnose, which causes great harm to the fruits, leaves, and stems and vines of bitter gourd. It generally occurs in the middle and late stages of bitter gourd growth, so prevention and control work must be done well. Remove diseased leaves in time, and use agents such as thiophanate and chlorothalonil for spraying control, with prevention as the main approach. Then common pests include aphids, cabbage caterpillars, and so on, which can be controlled with agents such as decamethrin emulsion.

4. Timely harvest

Finally, after bitter gourd enters the full fruit-bearing period, harvest work must be done well. This is because the fruits on a single bitter gourd plant mature at different times. Therefore, during the full fruit-bearing period, we must remove the mature bitter gourds every day to leave sufficient growth space and nutrients for newly developing bitter gourds. When harvesting, use sterilized scissors to cut them off in one go, avoiding damage to the vines. Then also remove some mixed plants and mixed fruits in time, and retain fruit-setting seed gourds with consistent color and similar fruit shape and size.

The above is a brief introduction to how to manage bitter gourd during the full fruit-bearing period. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!