How to grow bottle gourd best? Latest cultivation methods shared

Bottle gourd, also known as hulu, pulu, piaogua and so on, is an annual climbing herbaceous plant of the genus Lagenaria in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is widely cultivated throughout China and also widely cultivated in tropical to temperate regions of the world. It can be harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable. After the mature gourd is dried in the sun, its inside can be hollowed out to make containers for holding things. Now let us take a look at how to grow bottle gourd best!

Growing conditions for bottle gourd

1. Temperature: Bottle gourd is a warm-loving crop. The seeds begin to germinate at 15°C, and the optimum growth temperature is 20-25°C. Growth and development are hindered at 9-10°C, while at 36-38°C transpiration is too strong and premature aging is likely to occur.

2. Water: Bottle gourd has a well-developed root system and strong water-absorbing capacity, with luxuriant branches and leaves and a large transpiration rate. In case of drought, it should be irrigated in time. It needs the most water during the flowering and fruiting period, while from the late stage of fruit development to before harvest, water should not be excessive.

3. Light: Bottle gourd is tolerant of weak light. To ensure high yield and good quality, it should be planted in an open, sunny area. Excessive shade affects the normal growth of the seedlings and fruits.

4. Soil: Bottle gourd has strong adaptability and grows better in slightly acidic soil (pH 6.5-7). Choosing well-drained sandy loam for planting gives higher yields.

Seedling-raising techniques for bottle gourd

1. Seed soaking: For bottle gourd seeds, choose varieties suitable for local cultivation, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 12-24 hours, take them out, wrap them in gauze, shake them dry, and crack open the soaked sweet gourd seeds.

2. Germination: In the germination container for bottle gourd, spread a layer of sterilized sawdust or sand, then spread a layer of gauze, place the soaked seeds evenly on the gauze for germination, and control the temperature between 25-28°C.

3. Seedbed: For the bottle gourd seedling bed, place 8-10 cm of horse manure or chopped straw at the bottom, spread a layer of soil on top, tread it firm and level, and disinfect it with 70% dexon wettable powder.

4. Soil mixing: For the bottle gourd nutrient soil, choose soil that has not been treated with herbicides such as pursuit and chlorimuron, sieve it well, and mix it with sieved decomposed farmyard manure at a ratio of 7:3.

5. Sowing: Place the bottle gourd nutrient bags neatly on the seedbed and water them thoroughly. Sowing is generally done from April 5 to 10. Place the germinated seeds with the sprout eye facing down, cover with soil, and water once.

Planting methods for bottle gourd

1. Site selection: For bottle gourd, it is best to choose flat land and second-class lowland with good drainage and fertile soil. Upland with irrigation conditions is acceptable. Corn, wheat, and soybean stubble are preferable. Avoid continuous or alternating cropping with white gourd, watermelon, and other cucurbit crops.

2. Land preparation and fertilization: For bottle gourd planting land, form ridges in early spring when the soil is moist, and press and compact them in time to preserve soil moisture. The planting ridges are long-mouth ridges. Use 2500 kg of farmyard manure per mu and 150 kg of vegetable-specific fertilizer or sulfur-containing compound fertilizer as base fertilizer.

3. Timely planting: The planting spacing for bottle gourd is 0.67 m. Dig holes and plant a single seedling, water to settle the roots. Before plowing, use gramoxone to weed once, then after preparing the land spray butachlor once, and only then transplant.

4. Fertilizer and water management: For bottle gourd topdressing, base it on soil fertility and apply it together with watering. Generally, 6 days after transplanting, apply 15 kg of soybean meal soaking liquid, 1.5 kg of biological phosphorus, and 1.5 kg of biological potassium per mu, mix with manure water and drench, applying once every 7-10 days.

5. Vine training and pinching: For bottle gourd, keep two main vines per plant. Directional soil can be cultivated once to make the vines slant in the downwind direction. When the first-order branches grow to 3 leaves, begin pinching. Watch for and remove the second- and third-order branches. Pinch the main vines after August.

6. Hand pollination: Bottle gourd generally does not bloom in the morning or on rainy days, so prune and pinch every morning, and start pollination at 16:00 in the afternoon. Pollination can be stopped after the End of Heat solar term. Generally, two main vines bear 6-8 gourds.

7. Timely harvest: Bottle gourd begins to be harvested gradually in early August. When the first crop of gourds grows to about 15-18 jin and makes a sound when pinched with a fingernail, they can be harvested. In principle, harvest on the first day, and on the second day peel off the gourd skin first, then slice the gourd strips. Do not slice gourd strips on rainy days.

Pest and disease control for bottle gourd

1. Fusarium wilt

[Damage] It attacks the roots and the base of the stems and vines. The leaves wilt severely. After flowering and fruiting, the initial symptoms look like water shortage, with obvious wilting at noon and some recovery in the morning and evening. The roots turn brown or rot, and amber gummy substance oozes from the affected parts.

[Control] Use 50% carbendazim 500-fold dilution, 70% thiophanate 600-fold dilution, fulvic acid salt 800-fold dilution, special-effect huangweiling 1500-fold dilution, 50% dexon 500-fold dilution, miebingwei 600-fold dilution, or agricultural streptomycin, etc., for root drenching.

2. Anthracnose

[Damage] The initial lesions are pale yellow and nearly round, later the center of the lesion ruptures. In severe cases, the leaves wither and die, pale brown streaks appear on the leaf stalks, and infected fruits show pale green water-soaked spots, followed by nearly round dark brown lesions with sunken centers.

[Control] Use 70% thiophanate 600-fold dilution, 75% chlorothalonil 500-fold dilution, miebingwei 600-fold dilution, kemeling 1000-fold dilution, fenghuan 1000-fold dilution, and sulfur suspension concentrate 500-fold dilution in alternating sprays for control.

3. Aphids

[Damage] They deform and shrivel bottle gourd leaves and can transmit viruses. Their secretions can also induce sooty mold. If not controlled in time, they will soon harm the young leaves of the whole plant and most nearby plants.

[Control] After finding a small number of aphids, they can be squeezed by hand and then rinsed clean with water. Soapy water, noodle soup, or a 1:50 tobacco water spray can also be applied several times in succession.

4. Powdery mildew

[Damage] The plum rain season is a period of high incidence of powdery mildew. Small yellow spots first appear on the leaves, then expand into round or oval lesions, with a white powdery mold layer on the surface.

[Control] Improve ventilation and light transmission conditions as much as possible. Timely prune off diseased plants and diseased leaves. Spray 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture for protection, and in the early stage of the disease, spray 50% carbendazim and other fungicides.