Detailed Guide to Bitter Melon Planting Methods and Timing
Bitter melon is also a common vegetable. Although many people dislike its bitter taste, after years of cultivation, many varieties of bitter melon have had the bitterness removed, and combined with bitter melon's excellent properties of clearing heat and reducing internal heat, it is still very popular in summer. Many people do not know how to grow it. Below, Qinnong Web brings you the planting time and methods for bitter melon.
Planting Time
Bitter melon originated in the tropics, so it likes high-temperature environments. After long-term cultivation and selection, it can adapt to temperature environments of 10-35 degrees. It has strong adaptability, so it can be planted in both the north and the south, but there are slight differences in climate and temperature between the north and the south, so the north generally plants in greenhouses or polytunnels from March to April, while the south plants in the open field from January to March.
Planting Methods
1. Seed Treatment
Anyone who has eaten bitter melon knows that the surface of bitter melon seeds has a sticky substance, and the outer skin is relatively hard, so the seeds must be treated before planting. Soak the bitter melon seeds in warm water at fifty or sixty degrees for about 20 minutes. This can not only soften the outer skin but may also kill some bacteria. Then soak them in warm water at twenty or thirty degrees for 12 hours, take out the seeds, remove the sticky substance on the surface, wrap them well in a wet towel, and place them in an environment of about 30 degrees to promote germination.
2. Sowing
Bitter melon has strong adaptability and does not have high requirements for soil, but it grows well in fertile and loose soil, and the yield is also relatively high. After 2-3 days of germination promotion, it can be sown. Generally, it is directly sown in the open field. Before sowing, dig the seed holes, with a hole depth of 2-3 cm. Place 1-2 seeds in each hole. Do not cover with too much soil; a shallow covering of 0.5-1 cm is enough.
3. Fertilizer and Water Management
Bitter melon has a relatively high demand for fertilizer and water. During the seedling stage, growth stage, and fruiting stage, it needs a large amount of water. The soil must be kept moist at all times, especially during high-temperature periods when it should be watered in the morning and evening. Bitter melon has average waterlogging tolerance, so it should not be watered too much at one time. During long periods of rainy or heavy rain weather, drainage measures should be taken well to ensure the field is not flooded. When planting at low temperatures, pay attention to controlling water to increase the plant's cold resistance. During the growth and fruiting stages, bitter melon is generally top-dressed with fertilizer once a week, which can promote plant growth and fruiting quantity.
The above is the planting time and methods for bitter melon brought to you by Qinnong Web. Bitter melon grows vigorously and has slender vines, so trellises should be set up and vines tied in time to prevent the plants from lying on the ground and causing rotten fruit.