Bitter melon planting technology and management methods

Bitter melon is a popular vegetable, and consumers love it not because of its taste, but because of its characteristics. Bitter melon has no strict requirements on the length of sunshine, but it prefers sufficient sunlight rather than a shady environment. During flowering and fruiting, stronger light is required, which helps to enhance photosynthesis and increase fruit setting rate. Let’s learn about bitter melon planting techniques and management methods.

1. Variety selection

Common varieties of bitter melon include green pearl, green oil melon and white pearl. Choose varieties suitable for local climatic conditions based on the actual environment.

2. Site selection and land preparation

Bitter melon is not very demanding on the soil, but in order to achieve high yields, you should choose a plot with good ventilation, sufficient light, fertile soil, and convenient drainage and irrigation. Avoid continuous cropping. Apply 300-500 kg of high-quality biological organic fertilizer and 50 kg of triple compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 17:17:17) and 50 kg of superphosphate or calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer per 667 square meters. Dig furrows at a distance of 2-2.2 meters, with a bed width of 1.8-2.0 meters, a furrow width of 50 centimeters, and a bed height of 20-30 centimeters. High-bed cultivation should be adopted in rainy areas. The planting distance is 60-120 cm, and 500-1200 plants are planted per 667 square meters. At present, drip irrigation system is mostly used in the fields, and silver mulch is covered for cultivation.

3. Sowing and germination

Soak the bitter melon seeds in warm water at 50-55℃ for 10-15 minutes, then change to room temperature water and soak for 16-18 hours. Take out the seeds, clean them, and wrap them with wet gauze for germination. Germination is carried out in a constant temperature box at 28-30℃, and sowing can be done when the embryo grows to 0.2 cm.

4. Seedling management

Before germination, shade is required and the seedbed is kept moist. After the seedlings emerge, increase the light, water according to the soil moisture, and apply 1-2 times of 400 times diluted balanced triple compound fertilizer (the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 15:15:15) according to the growth of the seedlings.

5. Planting and transplanting

About 13 days after bitter melon seedlings emerge, when the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, they can be transplanted. Before transplanting, water the plants once with 800 times diluted Durui (10% chlorfenapyr + 20% thiamethoxam).

6. Scaffolding and pruning

The trellis material for bitter melon can be steel pipe or bamboo frame. One method is to use a steel pipe with a diameter of 1-2 cm to build a U-shaped arch trellis, and cover the top and sides with nylon nets to guide the vines onto the trellis; the other method is to build a "herringbone" trellis, and use cotton thread to tie two horizontal lines at about 60 cm and 100 cm in the middle of the side, and use nylon nets on the sides and top to guide the vines onto the trellis.

Bitter melon has a strong branching ability. Side branches below 50 cm on the main vine should be removed. The main vine and 3-4 side branches should be retained, and the remaining side vines should also be removed. After the first batch of melons are harvested, remove the densely grown old leaves and the thin and weak side vines on the upper part to improve ventilation and light conditions in the field, reduce diseases and increase the fruit setting rate.

7. Cultivation and weeding

Starting from the seedling stage, weeds in the field should be removed in time to keep the field clean. Or use silver-gray mulch to prevent weed growth, and weeds in the ditch should be removed as soon as possible.

8. Water and fertilizer management

After planting and survival, water according to the soil moisture. Water in time during consecutive sunny days and pay attention to drainage in rainy weather. The fruit requires a lot of water during the expansion period, so sufficient water supply should be ensured. Bitter melon likes fertilizer and the plants grow vigorously. In addition to applying sufficient basal fertilizer, topdressing should be applied in time: 5-7 days after transplanting, apply water-soluble ternary compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio is 17:17:17) and urea mixed at a ratio of 1:2, with a dosage of 5-8 kg/667 square meters; during the flowering period, apply 10 kg/667 square meters of ternary compound fertilizer; during the fruit expansion period, apply quick-acting ternary compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio is 17:8:30) and urea mixed at a ratio of 1:2, with an application of 8-10 kg/667 square meters. After each fruit harvest, apply quick-acting triple compound fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio is 17:8:30) 8-10 kg/667 square meters in time.

9. Pest and disease control

The main diseases of bitter melon include damping-off disease in the seedling stage, sudden wilt disease, anthracnose in the middle and late stages, powdery mildew, and wilt. During the seedling stage, you can use 1500-3000 times diluted Liangdun to spray and prevent diseases; during the growth period, downy mildew can be controlled by spraying 600 times diluted 75% Daconin wettable powder or 1000 times diluted 72.2% Prolike water-soluble powder. Powdery mildew can be controlled by spraying 1500 times diluted Sweep Powder (acetothiocarb) or 1500-2000 times diluted Green Princess (pyraclostrobin·pyraclostrobin).

The main pests of bitter melon include aphids, cabbage worms, diamondback moths, and fall armyworms. Aphids can be controlled by spraying 7000 times diluted 70% Aimeile water-dispersible granules; for pests such as cabbage loopers, diamondback moths, and fall armyworms, hang 5-8 individual traps or 20-25 yellow sticky insect boards per acre to kill adult insects. When larvae occur, it is necessary to use Bt, ethyl spinetoram, flubendiamide, diflubenzuron and other pesticides for prevention and control at the early stage of the larvae. For prevention, you can use 2000 times diluted Durui (10% chlorfenapyr + 20% thiamethoxam) or 4000 times diluted DuPont Conkuan (20% chlorfenapyr suspension).

10. Planting precautions

When planting in the open field, drainage should be carried out in time after rain to prevent long-term waterlogging in the field. When planting in a greenhouse, attention should be paid to artificial assisted pollination. Since bitter melon consumption habits vary from place to place, it is necessary to choose marketable varieties.

The above are the cultivation techniques and management tips for bitter melon. If you have any questions, please continue to leave a message. As long as you master comprehensive techniques for growing bitter melon, achieving high yields is not a problem.