How to Grow Bitter Melon? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Planting Methods
Bitter melon is a must-have delicacy in summer. In summer, internal heat tends to run high, and eating more bitter melon can clear heat and reduce internal fire, helping you enjoy a pleasant summer. Still, quite a few people dislike bitter melon, because if it is not handled properly during cooking, it remains very bitter. So here the editor will add a little aside: when preparing bitter melon, you need to soak it in water and you can add a bit of salt and vinegar to tone down the bitterness. Now let's get to the main topic. Today Qinnong Web brings you the correct way to grow bitter melon. Let's take a look below.
1. Seed selection and land preparation
Bitter melon is actually a rather fragile plant, but through scientific research, many bitter melon seeds with relatively good resistance have appeared, so we need to choose excellent varieties that bear large fruits and have good resistance. Bitter melon has so few requirements for soil that it often shows up in balcony growing too; with just a little soil and some fertilizer, it can bear fruit. But today we are talking about outdoor growing, so when preparing the land, you need to rework the entire soil layer as thoroughly as possible, spread a layer of quicklime to disinfect it, and finally spread a thick layer of decomposed farmyard manure and turn the soil over once more.
2. Sowing and raising seedlings
Bitter melon seeds are a relatively hard type. If sown directly, the germination rate will not be very high, and the speed will be relatively slow, so we usually soak the seeds in water for three to four days, then take them out, drain off the water, wrap them in cotton cloth, and place them at a temperature of 25°C to promote germination. After about five days, they can be sown. When sowing, we generally dig holes and sow, that is, at a spacing of 30 cm between each plant and 40 cm between each row, evenly scatter three seeds into each hole, then cover them with soil, generally covering them 3 to 4 cm deep, and finally water once and wait for the seedlings to emerge.
3. Field management
The most important part of field management is fertilizer and water management. Throughout the entire growth process of bitter melon, because the plant bears fruit in batches, it needs a large amount of nutrients and water. Generally, when the bitter melon seedlings emerge 3 to 4 cm above the soil, they need one watering. When the seedlings grow to 20 to 30 cm, some urea needs to be applied as a seedling-promoting fertilizer. At the same time, there is another very important thing during this period: trellises need to be set up in the melon field so the vines grow along the trellis, which can increase the fruiting rate. When bitter melon flowers for the first time, we need to water and fertilize at the same time; this time, phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer are generally used, or human manure and urine. When the fruit begins to set, multiple waterings are needed. Finally, after each harvest, fertilization is needed to ensure the fruiting rate of the next round.
4. Pest and disease control
The most common diseases of bitter melon are damping-off and powdery mildew. Generally, we spray with carbendazim and chlorothalonil solutions, spraying once every ten days, and after about two or three times it recovers. However, within fifteen days of harvesting bitter melon, no pesticide may be sprayed. Because the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of bitter melon all carry a bitter taste, pests are generally relatively few, but aphids sometimes appear. They can be called cockroaches that cannot be killed, and they can be seen anywhere. Bordeaux mixture or trichlorfon solution can be used to spray and kill them.
5. Timely harvesting
Bitter melon should not be harvested too late; it can be harvested as early as possible, because bitter melon harvested early has a milder bitterness, and the fruit is also more tender, so the taste is much better. Harvesting is generally done when the color of the bitter melon is slightly a light yellow-green. Bitter melon harvested too late is orange, and cases of rotten melon appear, making the bitter melon unfit to eat.