Which month is best for sowing gourds?

China has a long history of growing gourds . Gourds symbolize happiness, wealth, longevity, and many descendants, and fresh gourds can be used in cooking, so they are very popular. So when is the best month to sow gourds? Let’s learn more about it below.

Which month is best for sowing gourds?

Gourd seeds germinate at around 15 degrees, and the most suitable temperature for seedling growth is 20-25 degrees. Open-field planting should not be done too early, because gourd is a thermophilic plant. Once it is exposed to cold in the seedling stage, it is prone to disease and will not germinate in the later stage. In the southern region, the planting is generally between late March and early April, while in the north, gourds are planted starting around late April. Sometimes when the weather is cold, the ground can be covered with film.

Gourd planting technology

1. Seed treatment

In order to ensure the germination rate before sowing, you should choose full seeds of the year, scald the seeds in 70℃ water, and stir them. After the water temperature drops to 30℃, continue to soak the seeds for half a day, and then you can start germination. When 80% of the seeds turn white, you can start sowing.

2. Seedling cultivation

Prepare a plastic bag and fill it with the decomposed farmyard manure needed for the gourd in the early stage, as well as water and soil for the gourd to grow. Then put the seeds inside, and if the temperature is not high enough, hang them in the greenhouse for seedling cultivation.

3. Transplanting

One month later, the gourd seedlings can be transplanted when they grow 3 to 4 true leaves. Transplanting should be done in the morning or afternoon on a sunny day. Planting on a cloudy day will cause the seedlings to wilt, but the ground temperature will be relatively high. After transplanting, the seedlings will grow quickly and sprout early, which is much shorter than the time it takes for seedlings to grow in rainy weather. Water the seedbed thoroughly before transplanting to prevent damage to the root system during transplanting, and transplant with soil.

4. Build scaffolding

After planting the gourds, set up the trellis according to your planting space and number of plants. Because the gourd is a climbing plant, without sufficient growing space, the stems and leaves of the plant will become densely packed and may or may not bear fruit. The height of the frame is generally more than 2 meters, and the area depends on the number of plants.

5. Pinching and tying vines

When the main vine of the gourd grows to about 2 meters, it is pinched to remove the apical dominance and promote the growth of the side vines. After the side vines grow and bear fruit, leave two leaves and pinch and tie the vines. After the stem blooms, usually 4 leaves are left and the top is removed. The side vines are handled in the same way. Each branch usually has two female flowers, so only one male flower is required. If there are only male flowers and no female flowers, they can be removed. Avoid nutrient depletion.

6. Water and fertilizer management

Gourd is a crop that requires less water and fertilizer in the early stages, but requires more water and fertilizer after fruit setting. Therefore, apply water and fertilizer according to the growth conditions before flowering, stop watering during the flowering period, and apply fertilizer in time during the fruit setting period in combination with watering.

That’s it