What to Do If Bitter Melon Doesn't Bear Fruit? Causes and Prevention Methods
Bitter melon is a common vegetable in our daily lives. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving internal heat, and improving eyesight, and is deeply loved by people. Bitter melon also has relatively high economic benefits, and many people grow it, but during cultivation, the phenomenon of not bearing fruit can occur, which gives farmers a real headache. Let's take a look together with the editor at the specific causes.
1. Fruit abortion
Fruit abortion is a common phenomenon in bitter melon. The plant produces quite a few flowers, but after the female flowers bloom, the young fruit does not swell and instead gradually shrivels. This is the phenomenon of fruit abortion. The main causes of fruit abortion in bitter melon are insufficient light during the flowering period, which prevents the leaves from carrying out normal photosynthesis and leads to fruit abortion. In addition, poor pollination or failure to harvest the root fruit in time can prevent the small fruit from growing and developing normally, also causing fruit abortion.
Prevention methods: During the flowering period of bitter melon, increase light conditions and appropriately remove some leaves to improve light penetration between plants, which can effectively reduce fruit abortion. For fields with poor pollination, artificial pollination can be used to increase the fruit-setting rate. For fruits that have already grown and matured, harvest them in time.
2. Excessive vegetative growth
Excessive vegetative growth is also one of the main causes of bitter melon not bearing fruit. The plant's stems and vines are thick and strong, the leaves are thick and fleshy, and the growth is extremely vigorous, but it only produces male flowers, with very few female flowers, resulting in a very low fruit-setting rate or no fruit at all. The main causes are improper fertilization and excessively high temperatures. Many farmers, in order to promote plant growth, tend to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, which can easily lead to excessive plant growth. In addition, high temperatures also promote plant growth, and if not controlled, this can lead to leggy growth.
Prevention methods: When fertilizing, pay attention to a balanced combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. During high temperatures, strengthen ventilation or spray water mist to lower the temperature. When the plant is growing excessively, some side vines can be removed to reduce nutrient consumption, and at the same time, appropriately control vigorous growth and accurately match the concentration of the growth regulator. Also use artificial pollination, remove male flowers, and keep female flowers for pollination to increase the fruit-setting rate.
The above is an introduction to the causes and prevention methods of bitter melon not bearing fruit. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.