How to Grow White Gourd? A Complete Guide to Planting Methods and Key Management Points
White gourd is an annual vining herbaceous plant cultivated throughout China, and white gourd seeds are the product made by processing the seeds of white gourd. White gourd is fairly rich in protein and carbohydrates, and also has medicinal value such as relieving restlessness and quenching thirst, and promoting urination and bowel movements. Many friends want to grow white gourd but do not know how to plant it. Today, the editor brings you the planting methods for white gourd. Let's take a look below!
1. Select Superior Seeds
To ensure the purity of the seeds as well as the yield and quality of white gourd, the first step is to select superior seed plants. When thinning to a stand, choose seedlings that grow at a similar rate, are free of disease and pests, and have no deformed gourds. Then, when the plants bloom and set fruit, choose plants with good growth and a moderately positioned female flower as seed plants. After fruit set, choose fruit of similar size and good growth to set as seed gourds, and mark them well for easy identification. Then, at harvest time, harvest according to the requirements for seed gourds and handle the seeds properly.
2. Sow at the Right Time
White gourd is a warmth-loving cucurbit crop that cannot grow in cold environments. It is usually cultivated after the frost-free period at the planting site, when the temperature rises back to around 15 degrees. In the south, it can generally be grown from May to July; for spring sowing, it should be around Qingming Festival, and sowing too early should be avoided, otherwise the seeds are prone to cold damage, germinate slowly, or may not germinate at all. Growth after germination will also be severely impeded, with uneven seedlings, which greatly affects the plant's mid-to-late development and fruit formation. When planting in areas with heavy rainfall, drainage work should be done well, and to increase yield, appropriate close planting can be used.
3. Fertilizer and Water Management
When topdressing white gourd, control the nutrient ratio and concentration in the fertilizer according to the crop's demand for nutrients. Use more organic fertilizer and try to avoid chemical fertilizer. When preparing the land, apply sufficient base fertilizer, mainly agricultural machinery fertilizer and compound fertilizer. The fertilizer requirement of the field is relatively large, but before fruit set, fertilizer and water application should be controlled to prevent excessive nutrients from causing excessive vegetative growth and affecting fruit set. After fruit set, begin to increase the amount of fertilizer and water to promote fruit expansion and maintain plant vigor. After expansion, reduce the frequency of watering to ensure seed development.
4. Harvest at the Right Time
The growth period of white gourd is not very long. It usually matures one month after the flowering period. At this time, the fruit quality is good, the flesh is soft, and the fruit stalk gradually loosens and collapses, making it easy to pick. This is the best time for harvest. However, we still need to harvest at the right time according to weather changes. For example, spring-sown white gourd in the south can usually be harvested around June, but the weather in the south in June is hot and humid. Therefore, when harvesting, ensuring quality and quantity and preventing rotten gourds are key. White gourd has relatively poor waterlogging tolerance. Before harvest, pay attention to drainage and waterlogging prevention to avoid water accumulation causing pests and diseases; in severe cases, all the white gourds will rot.
The above is a brief introduction to the planting methods for white gourd. During the growth process of white gourd, special attention should also be paid to the harm of pests and diseases. Common pests and diseases of white gourd include cottony leak and leafminer flies, among others. No matter what kind of pest or disease it is, if not dealt with in time, it can cause very great harm, leading to a serious decline in yield or even total crop failure, so everyone must pay attention to doing a good job in pest and disease control. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and your support.