How to Select Bitter Gourd Seeds? A Detailed Guide to Seedling Time and Seedling Methods

Bitter gourd is a common vegetable whose consumption has the effect of reducing internal heat. In daily life, people often juice bitter gourd or stir-fry it with eggs. Spring is the planting time for all kinds of vegetables, including bitter gourd. The first step in planting bitter gourd is seed selection, so how do you select bitter gourd seeds? What are the seedling time and seedling methods for bitter gourd? Let's find out below.

How to select bitter gourd seeds?

In China, there are quite a few varieties of bitter gourd. For example, white bitter gourd varieties include White Jade Bitter Gourd and Apple Bitter Gourd, while there are many green bitter gourd varieties, mainly including Emerald Green Bitter Gourd, Large Green Bitter Gourd, Powder Green Bitter Gourd, Wild Bitter Gourd, and so on. Many series of bitter gourd varieties can also be derived, and different series can be further divided into quite a few varieties. For example, the Cuiting series of bitter gourd includes Duruan Liang Gua, Pearl Gourd, Qiong No. 1, Cuiting-1, Cuiting-3, Cuilu No. 1 Dadeng, Suixin No. 2, Dadeng, Penang, Yingyin, and so on. In different regions and different seasons, different bitter gourd varieties should be chosen for planting, with targeted selection, so as to achieve high yield and a good harvest. Below are three good greenhouse bitter gourd varieties recommended for everyone:

1. Smooth Bitter Gourd

For this variety of bitter gourd, the main vine generally bears the first female flower at the 8th-12th node, and afterwards female flowers are produced again at intervals of 3-6 leaves. The fruit is long conical in shape, and the outer skin is green and glossy. This variety has strong adaptability and can be cultivated in multiple seasons in southern regions.

2. Evergreen Bitter Gourd

Evergreen Bitter Gourd has strong fruiting ability, and its skin is green and shiny, making it very suitable for overwintering greenhouse cultivation. The fruit is generally long club-shaped, with a single fruit weighing about half a jin, and it is the main variety for winter-warm greenhouse cultivation.

3. Penang Oil Bitter Gourd

This variety has strong growth, many branches, and female flowers begin to appear at the 10th node of the main vine. The young fruit is relatively long, about 30 cm, with obvious ridges and wart-like protrusions. It is also a good variety.

Seedling time and seedling methods for bitter gourd

1. Seedling time

Bitter gourd is generally raised as seedlings in southern regions from March to May, and transplanted from April to June. The whole growth process takes about 80-100 days. If you want it to reach the market earlier, you need to raise seedlings earlier. With a greenhouse, it can be planted in all four seasons. Without a greenhouse, the specific situation depends on the local climate. Seeds germinate most easily between 35 degrees and 30 degrees, the optimal growth temperature for seedlings is 20-25 degrees, and during the flowering and fruiting period it is best to keep it between 20-30 degrees, so that bitter gourd can quickly set fruit and develop.

2. Seedling methods

(1) Nutrient pot seedling raising: For the nutrient soil, choose soil that has not grown cucurbit vegetables within 3 years, preferably high-quality garden soil or fertile sandy loam paddy field soil that has been baked and sun-dried. Use decomposed pig manure residue, carbonized rice husk, or decomposed plant ash as the base material, add an appropriate amount of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer, mix evenly, disinfect with carbendazim or amobam, seal with plastic film and compost for 5~7 days, then sieve and set aside.

(2) Sowing and seedling raising: Prepare the seedbed 7 days before sowing, disinfect the nutrient pots, and fill them with nutrient soil. On a sunny afternoon, sow the pre-germinated seeds into the nutrient pots, 1 seed per pot, cover with 1 cm of nutrient soil, water thoroughly, and then cover the surface with a shade net to retain moisture.

(3) Plug tray seedling raising: You can choose a 32-cell plug tray, use a wooden stick to make a hole 1.5 cm deep in the center of each cell, then put the soaked seeds in, sow 1 seed per cell, cover the hole with moist substrate, and then sprinkle a layer of dry nutrient soil over the plug tray.

The above is an introduction to bitter gourd seed selection and seedling methods. There are many varieties of bitter gourd, and the varieties selected differ according to different cultivation methods. Everyone can make effective choices based on their own local actual conditions.

For wonderful pictures and articles and popular comments about bitter gourd, you may be interested in the content recommended below by Nongxun Network. Welcome to read.

Agricultural products you may be interested in: Bitter gourd seeds supplied nationwide