Planting and management of hand-twisted gourd

The hand-twisted gourd, also known as the mini gourd and the ornamental gourd, can be held in the hand and played with. It has a very high collection value and many people want to plant it. Here is an introduction to the planting and management of hand-twisted gourds.

1. Planting time

Gourds are not frost-resistant. They are usually sown and raised in a greenhouse in early spring from late February to mid-March, and transplanted in early April. If direct seeding is adopted, it should be done after the frost stops around the Qingming Festival in April.

2. Buy seeds

Hand-twisted gourd seeds are relatively easy to obtain. You can buy them directly from a seed store or buy some hand-twisted gourds, then take out the seeds inside and plant them.

3. Seed germination

Gourd seeds are hard, so germination before seedling cultivation is beneficial to germination. Put the seeds in 55~60℃ warm water, stir to room temperature, soak for 6 hours, wrap them with a wet towel, and place them at room temperature. They will germinate after about 24 hours.

4. Planting seeds

The bottom of the seedbed is covered with 8-10 cm of horse manure or chopped grass, and then a layer of soil is spread on top and flattened. After leveling the bed surface, sow the seeds and cover them with 1.5 cm of soil. Water thoroughly and then cover with film to promote early germination and emergence of the seeds. You can also use nutrient balls or nutrient bags to grow seedlings.

5. Planting

If it is sunny after sowing, seedlings will emerge in 3-4 days. For seedlings grown in nutrient pots, they can be transplanted 30-40 days after sowing when the seedlings have 3-4 true leaves. For every mu of land where gourds are planted, about 2,000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 10 kg of superphosphate should be applied as base fertilizer, and the ridges should be made 90-130 cm wide. On one side of the ridge, plant the seeds at a spacing of 50-70 cm, with two plants in each hole, or sow 3-4 seeds in each hole and cover the seeds with cow dung.

6. Field management

Frame building: You can use wood, bamboo, etc. to build a frame to guide the vines, or you can directly guide the gourd vines onto the branches . The height is generally about 2 meters.

Pruning and pinching: During cultivation, the plants need to be adjusted and pinched 2-3 times to promote the early growth of sub-vines and grandchildren, early fruit bearing and increased yield. The first time you pinch off the main vine is when it has 5-6 leaves. After the side branches bear fruit, a second pinching should be carried out to promote the second growth of side vines and fruit setting.

Fertilizer and water management: Apply seedling fertilizer once after transplanting, apply vine-dividing fertilizer once after pinching, and apply fruit fertilizer once during the rapid growth period of gourd. Apply 100-250 grams of urea to each plant. Do not apply the fertilizer too close to the taproot to prevent root burn. When the gourd has 4-6 leaves, spraying ethephon can increase the number of female flowers and improve the yield of gourd.

That’s it