Latest prices for snake gourd seeds and an introduction to cultivation methods

Snake gourd is also known as Trichosanthes kirilowii, gua lou, wild gourd, and so on. It is a perennial herbaceous vine of the genus Trichosanthes in the Cucurbitaceae family. Because it turns yellow when ripe and contains a thin pulp inside, it is also called shi dong gua. Its skin, seeds, and roots can all be used as medicine, and it has the effects of moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, reducing internal heat and stopping cough, relieving chest tightness and dispersing nodules, reducing swelling and removing toxins, and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation. Now let us take a look at the price of snake gourd seeds and its cultivation methods!

How much is snake gourd seed per jin?

The price of snake gourd seeds is about 30 yuan per jin, but prices vary depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, and purchase quantity. Snake gourd prefers a warm and humid climate, has fairly good cold tolerance, is not drought tolerant, and fears waterlogging. The suitable temperature is 18-32°C, and it is best to choose a place with deep, loose, and moist soil that is not waterlogged for planting. The yield of snake gourd seeds per mu is generally about 150 jin, and high-yield fields can exceed 200 jin. It is also a one-time investment with many years of harvest, low investment, and quick results, and can be planted and harvested in the same year. At present, it has high economic returns and great development potential.

Sowing methods for snake gourd

1. Soil preparation: Snake gourd nutrient soil generally uses 20% decomposed livestock manure, 30-40% plant ash, and 40-50% sandy loam soil. When preparing the nutrient soil, the soil must be broken up, sieved, and mixed evenly.

2. Sowing time: Snake gourd seed propagation is divided into direct sowing in the field and raising seedlings in nutritional pots. In production, raising seedlings in nutritional pots is mainly used. Spring sowing is generally carried out from late March to early April.

3. Seed treatment: Before sowing snake gourd, the seeds need to be carefully selected once to remove floating seeds and moldy, rotten seeds, and the seeds should be soaked and disinfected with 50% carbendazim at 200 times dilution. Generally, soaking for 48 hours is enough before sowing.

4. Sowing method: When sowing snake gourd, place the seeds into the seedling bed while sowing and water promptly to keep the seedling bed soil and the nutrient soil in the nutritional pots moist. Cover the seedling bed with greenhouse nylon film to keep it warm. Generally, transplanting can be done from late May to early June.

Cultivation methods for snake gourd

1. Land preparation and fertilization: Choose a plot with sufficient sunlight, loose and deep soil, and a low groundwater level for planting snake gourd. In autumn and winter, plow the plot deeply, harrow it finely, and level it. While plowing and preparing the land, apply 150 kg of organic fertilizer per mu.

2. Building the trellis: It is best to build the trellis before planting snake gourd. Dig holes 50 cm deep with a horizontal spacing of 1.8 m and a vertical spacing of 2 m. When digging the holes, leave 1.5-2 m of open space at both ends so that there is enough space for the bamboo stakes when securing the trellis.

3. Guiding vines onto the trellis: When the snake gourd vine is 30-50 cm long, keep only 1-2 vines per plant, removing the small ones and keeping the large ones. Insert bamboo strips or willow branches beside each seedling to guide the stems and vines onto the trellis. After the trellis is closed, promptly thin out some slender weak branches and overlapping branches to improve ventilation and light penetration.

4. Reasonable fertilization: After winter clearing of the garden, apply 150 kg of organic fertilizer per mu to snake gourd. After emergence, when the vines are 30-50 cm long, use 150-250 kg of fermented organic fertilizer or 50 kg of rapeseed cake per mu, open a furrow 10-20 cm away from the plants and bury it, and afterward supplement fertilizer according to seedling condition.

5. Timely harvesting: Snake gourd matures in early October. It can be harvested when the fruit skin has a white powdery bloom and turns light yellow. For the harvested fruits, take out the seeds, wash off the pulp, and dry the seeds in the sun.

6. Pest and disease control

① Pests: For yellow-legged black leaf beetles and yellow-legged yellow leaf beetles, spray with 50% phoxim emulsifiable concentrate at 500 times dilution. For aphids, spray with 40% dimethoate at 800-1500 times dilution. For melon webworms, spray with 5% ruijunte at 2500 times dilution or 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution.

② Gummy stem blight: In the early stage of the disease, use 40% DuPont Fuxing emulsifiable concentrate at 800 times dilution and spray the whole field. Spray again after 3-4 days, and thereafter depending on the condition of the disease.

③ Anthracnose: In the early stage of the disease, mix 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 800 times dilution with 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution and spray. Spray once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive treatments.