Bitter melon cultivation techniques require attention to detail; here's how to grow bitter melon well

In rural areas, farmers all have their own vegetable plots and grow some homegrown produce to be self-sufficient. Bitter melon is also a popular vegetable, and most villagers will choose to grow some. So how can you grow bitter melon well? What should you pay attention to? Let's take a look.

There are several varieties of bitter melon, with the main ones being long white bitter melon, white bitter melon, and smooth-skinned bitter melon. Bitter melon likes warmth, tolerates heat but not cold, likes light but not shade, and likes moisture but not waterlogging. In the north, it is mostly planted in summer.

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Bitter melon is generally raised as seedlings in protected areas from late March to early April. First select good seeds, then soak them in warm water for 24 hours, and germinate them at 30°C for 2 to 3 days. Once the seeds show their radicles, they can be sown.

After sowing, when the bitter melon seedlings grow to 4 to 6 true leaves, they can be transplanted from late April to early May. Bitter melon likes fertilizer. Before transplanting, apply about 1300 kg of decomposed pig manure or cow manure per mu. Plow and turn the soil, level it, and make beds about 150 cm wide, planting 2 rows per bed. Open-field transplanting should be done in sunny, warm weather. After transplanting, water thoroughly, and set up trellises after the seedlings recover.

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The trellis shape is the same as for cucumbers. After bitter melon is transplanted and before fruiting, keep the soil moist and apply light nitrogen fertilizer. During the fruiting period, it needs plenty of water and fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, generally fertilizing once every 5 to 7 days. After the peak fruiting period, apply 1 to 2 additional applications of calcium superphosphate to fully leverage the main vine's fruiting advantage. Bitter melon can generally be harvested 2 weeks after flowering.

For greenhouse cultivation, seedlings are generally raised in mid-to-late February and transplanted in mid-to-late March. The field management methods are the same as for open-field cultivation, but note that overly dense side branches need to be removed to help light penetration. In summer, pay attention to ventilation and prevent and control pests and diseases.

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