What are the requirements of bitter melon cultivation for the growing environment?

1. Soil

Bitter melon has a fairly strong ability to adapt to soil and can grow normally almost anywhere in our country. But if we want to increase the yield of bitter melon and improve its quality, we should choose soil with strong permeability, little loss of water and fertilizer, and high fertility. This kind of soil can promote the growth of bitter melon, help its pollination and fertilization rate, ensure the number of fruits set, increase the yield of bitter melon, and maximize your economic returns from growing it.

2. Light

Bitter melon is a light-loving short-day crop and is not suitable for growing in a weak-light, shaded environment. For example, during long periods of rainy weather without enough sunlight, insufficient light causes bitter melon seedlings to grow excessively, leaves to lose their green color, and vines to become thin and weak. Especially during the flowering and fruiting stage, bitter melon has an even greater demand for light, because sufficient light can promote its photosynthesis and increase its nutrient accumulation. This raises the fruit-setting rate and helps improve both yield and quality.

3. Nutrition

Bitter melon bears fruit continuously, so it has a relatively large demand for nutrients, and the nutrients it needs are fairly comprehensive. In fertilizers, try to increase the proportion of organic fertilizer; organic fertilizer can promote thick, sturdy bitter melon plants, increase the number of leaves and flowers, promote flowering and fruiting, and enhance the quality of bitter melon. Especially during the fruiting stage, if there are not enough nutrients, the plants will become thin and senescent, the leaves will be dull and lusterless, the swelling of the bitter melon will be hindered, and the bitterness factor will increase, causing a serious drop in quality and affecting its commercial value. So we must topdress in time to ensure that bitter melon has sufficient nutrients for growth.

4. Water

Bitter melon likes water but fears waterlogging, so water management for bitter melon is quite important. During its growing period, the relative air humidity must be kept no lower than 70%, and the soil must contain a certain amount of water. If there is continuous rainy weather during this period and too much water accumulates in the field, be sure to drain it in time. Otherwise, the roots of bitter melon are prone to poor respiration, leading to rotting, which increases the incidence of pests and diseases, causes poor nutrition in the plants, and lowers yield.

5. Temperature

Bitter melon was originally a tropical crop and has relatively high temperature requirements. It needs a relatively high temperature during growth, can tolerate high temperatures, but is not suitable for growing in low-temperature environments. However, after so many years of cultivation, it has gradually adapted to lower-temperature environments, with the lowest temperature reaching 10 degrees. But when sprouting, the temperature must not be lower than 13 degrees, and it is best kept at around 32 degrees, otherwise sprouting will be hindered. The most suitable growing temperature for bitter melon is around 25 degrees, which is favorable for its flowering and pollination and increases yield.

The above is the editor's brief introduction to the growing environment of bitter melon. Bitter melon has strong adaptability, so it is relatively easy to grow. But we still need to do a good job of management, otherwise it will also be affected to some extent. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.