How to sprout bitter melon seeds? Learn these steps for fast and uniform germination
Preparation before sowing: 15-20 days before sowing, deep plow and turn the soil, and together with plowing and turning apply 3000 kg-4000 kg of decomposed barnyard manure per mu, combined with 15 kg-20 kg of ternary compound fertilizer. Sun-dry the field for 7-10 days, then close and cover the shed for 5-7 days, using sunlight and high-temperature shed sealing to fully sterilize and disinfect the soil and the greenhouse. After raking the ground level...
Bitter melon is a cultivated species of annual climbing herbaceous plant in the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as liang gua and lai putao. It originates from the tropical regions of Asia and is a warm-loving, heat-tolerant vegetable. Seed germination requires a temperature of around 30°C. Bitter melon seeds have a thick, hard coat and poor water permeability, so the seeds germinate rather difficultly. When planting, to achieve full seedlings and strong seedlings, artificial sprouting and seedling raising should be carried out. The methods for sprouting bitter melon seeds mainly include the following steps:1. Soaking seeds: Rinse the seeds clean with clear water, then soak the seeds in clear water for 12-16 hours.
2. Crack a small opening at the seed hilum to facilitate water absorption during germination and the emergence of the radicle (what people usually call the sprout). Note that no matter what measure is used to crack a small opening at the seed hilum, the inner kernel must not be damaged.
3. Wrap the seeds in a clean, moist towel and place them at a temperature of around 30°C to sprout. After 2-3 days, the radicle will emerge. Before sprouting, rinse the towel and seeds thoroughly with clear water once a day to keep the seeds clean.
4. The germinated seeds can then be sown. Because individual seeds do not sprout uniformly in sequence, if conditions permit, the seeds that sprout first can be picked out, wrapped well in a clean moist towel, and stored at low temperature in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment, then sown together once the vast majority of seeds have sprouted.
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