Why should bitter melon vines be trellised early? It turns out there are so many benefits
When cucumber and bitter melon are intercropped, vegetable growers usually let the bitter melon trail on the ground before the cucumber vines decline, and only trellis the bitter melon vines when the cucumber vines are about to be pulled out. However, trellising the bitter melon vines at the same time as the cucumber vines brings many benefits. Trellising bitter melon early helps cultivate strong plants. At the seedling stage, the bitter melon vines...
When cucumber and bitter melon are intercropped, vegetable growers usually let the bitter melon trail on the ground before the cucumber vines decline, and only trellis the bitter melon vines when the cucumber vines are about to be pulled out. However, trellising the bitter melon vines at the same time as the cucumber vines brings many benefits.
Trellising bitter melon early helps cultivate strong plants. At the seedling stage, when the bitter melon vines are trellised together with the cucumber vines, the bitter melon can grow as vigorously as the cucumber, ensuring it survives the winter safely. Note that when the bitter melon grows to 1.5 m, to keep it from growing taller and affecting the cucumber's growth, you can bend the bitter melon stem downward so its growing tip points down, thereby suppressing its apical dominance. When you want it to grow again, straighten the stem and it will resume its growth.
Trellising bitter melon early can prevent frost damage in deep winter. Bitter melon requires a relatively high temperature to grow, with an optimum growing temperature of 20°C~30°C. In deep winter, when the soil temperature is low, if the bitter melon vines are not trellised early and are left trailing on the ground, they are easily damaged by frost.