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The process of sowing bitter melon seeds

Bitter gourd is a fast-growing plant, so don't plant more than one seed in each pot to have enough room for the roots to spread. Pour potting soil into a biodegradable starter pot about 13 cm deep, leaving the top 1.8 cm empty. Put bitter melon seeds in the center of the pot, then cover with a layer of soil 1.2 cm on top, gently harden the seeds and water deeply for the seeds to settle. suck before sowing.

Bitter gourd seeds have hard cover and soaking the seeds overnight before sowing will help the seeds germinate faster. To reduce germination time even further, you can first sprout the seeds in the jar before sowing. To sow the seeds, make a recess in the soil about 1.2 cm, place the seeds on their side and cover with loose soil. Water gently so that the soil does not dislodge the seeds and keep the soil moist at all times. You can sow 4 to 5 seeds in a 15-liter pot. Keep 1 to 2 plants in a 15-quart pot and remove the others when the seedlings have developed at least four true leaves. Young Bitter gourd plants are sometimes susceptible to pests and diseases and should be wrapped with aluminum foil when the Bitter plant is young.
Sowing seeds of bitter gourd

It is best to sow bitter melon seeds indoors in a pot of sandy, well-drained soil. Once the seeds germinate, the plants grow quickly, so try to choose a pot that is more spacious than you can for other plants or you risk having to constantly repot.

Sow the seeds about 1 cm deep in the compost. Water the pot thoroughly, and at the same time avoid waterlogging, which can make the plant stunted. When it comes to bitter melon plants, good drainage is extremely important.

Steps to sow bitter melon seeds in a barrel

First, get a container of your choice that has a drainage hole in the bottom.

Fill the container with appropriate potting layers and selected potting medium.

Sow about 2 seeds in the center of the pot. In high beds, sow two seeds per pot at about 90 x 90 cm spacings.

Use your fingers to press the seeds a little into the soil medium and cover the surrounding soil completely.

Immediately water the sown bed with a light shower with a watering can.

Germination process of bitter melon seeds

High temperature and proper humidity are the keys to the successful germination of bitter gourd seeds. Place pots about 90 cm from a west or south facing window, where they will receive direct sunlight during the day. Warm the pots to 29°C using a sprout mat and cover the pots with cling film to keep the warmth and moisture near the bitter gourd seeds. Bitter gourd seeds need constant moisture, but allow the soil to dry slightly above between waterings to prevent rot and mildew. The first seedlings can appear in as little as 4 days with most seeds germinating around day eight.

The process of growing bitter melon from seeds

First, find a sunny spot on your terrace.
Use well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil. A mixture of cow manure and compost will also do wonders for the Bitter Gourd plant.
You can then use Bitter Gourd seeds from any ripe Bitter gourd you pick up from the vegetable market. Just make sure to use those that are fully formed. You can use seeds from a previous crop or buy them from your local nursery. If bitter melon seeds have a red coating, discard. If necessary, you can soak Bitter Gourd seeds overnight in water before sowing so that the seeds germinate quickly.
Make holes about 1.2cm deep in the soil and drop Bitter seeds into them. You can leave about 30cm between the 2 holes. Then cover the holes with soil and sprinkle some water on top. Sow at least 2 seeds in pots and use at least 2 gourds to sow bitter melon seeds.
Seeds will begin to germinate within 2 to 3 days of sowing and flowers will begin to appear after 5-6 weeks. Bitter gourds will be ready to pick within 3 months of planting.

Care for Bitter Gourd plants

Here are some tips for taking care of Bitter Gourd.

Water the plant deeply at least once a week.
Planting flowers attracts pollinators to a nearby garden. Bitter gourd plants need pollinators like bees to pollinate flowers.
Cover the growing bed with mulch to keep it moist.
Energize the plant once a month by feeding bellflower tea or a natural liquid fertilizer or adding plenty of compost around each sedge.
Check your bitter gourd plants for signs of powdery mildew, late blight, rust, watermelon mosaic virus, bacterial wilt, and cucumber mosaic virus. Treat plants early if signs of these diseases are detected. Avoid watering from overhead sprinklers, water plants close to the ground, avoid water splashing on leaves.

Germinate bitter gourd seeds in a paper towel

Here to incubate Bitter Gourd seeds, we use tissue or tissue or toilet paper method. This way saves us many days, Bitter melon seeds will germinate within 3 to 5 days with this method.

First, you take some bitter melon seeds and soak them in water for at least 12 hours.

Then place them on a paper towel like the one shown here and then spray some water on top.

Then finally put this in a ziplock polythene bag and keep it in a warm place like in a nursery counter if you have any placed either under a sink or closed kitchen counter.

Then you can test after 3 to 5 days for sprouts.

Sprouts start in 5 days and then wait another 3 days before transplanting the sprouts into the bin.

Harvest Bitter Melon

The right time to harvest Bitter Gourds is when the pods are green with light yellow spots, they are usually about 6 inches long. Once fruiting begins, continuing to pick can become a routine affair, which helps to prevent the Bitter Gourd plant from becoming overwhelmed.

Bitter melon begins to bear fruit quickly after 2 months. Harvest Bitter gourd fruit is green, slightly pale, unripe and measuring 7.5 to 15 cm (depending on variety and type). Within 6 to 8 weeks of seed germination, you should see flowers and in the next 2 to 3 weeks the fruit will appear and be ready to pick.

Saving bitter gourd seeds

To save bitter gourd seeds for next season, leave a few on each vine to mature when you harvest. When mature, the bitter gourd fruit turns yellow-orange, will break open and release seeds. The seeds may be covered with an edible red sweet pulp.
Harvest bitter melon seeds, wash them to remove the residue, then dry them. Store seeds in a cool, dry place.
Remember, if you are growing different varieties of bitter melon they can cross-pollinate with each other, which is great for land-based gardening. Plant only one variety if you want to save bitter gourd seeds from only that variety.