When is the best time to sow gourds?

Gourd is an annual climbing herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family and the genus Cucurbitacin. The gourd is also called bottle gourd . The young melon can be eaten, and the dry shell of the mature gourd can be used as a container. So when is it suitable to sow the gourd? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

1. When is the suitable time to sow gourds?

Gourds are divided into vegetable gourds and ornamental gourds, also known as treasure gourds, according to their different uses. However, the planting techniques are similar, with only differences in post-management and harvesting time.

Gourds can usually be planted in spring and autumn. Spring planting generally depends on the temperature conditions. In the north, sowing begins in late March to early April. It can be done by direct sowing or by raising seedlings and transplanting.

Autumn cultivation is generally carried out by direct seeding in the open field in August. Since autumn sowing coincides with the hot and rainy season, the seedlings grow and develop faster, so the row spacing of plants should be larger than that of spring sowing.

2. Gourd sowing method

1. Seed treatment

After selecting the seeds, soak them in potassium permanganate for disinfection to prevent the seeds from being infected with diseases and pests. After disinfection, soak the seeds in 45°C warm water for about 8 hours. The gourd seeds will be easier to germinate after absorbing sufficient water. Wrap the seeds with gauze and place them in a place with suitable temperature and good ventilation. They will generally germinate in about a week.

2. Soil selection

The soil for sowing should be thick, air-permeable, and good at retaining water and fertilizer. It is generally recommended to mix garden soil, leaf mold and coarse sand in a ratio of 6:3:1. You can apply some farmyard manure as base fertilizer to increase the fertility of the soil. If the soil is relatively dry, you should water it first to moisten it, and then add base fertilizer and sow seeds when the soil no longer feels sticky.

3. Key points for sowing

When sowing, make sure the soil is moist, place the roots of the seeds in the soil, cover them with a thin layer of soil, and ensure the temperature is around 18°C. Note: Start watering on the fourth day after sowing. After germination, reduce the watering frequency appropriately and try to keep the soil slightly moist. Apply nitrogen fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer again after one month to ensure the normal growth of the gourd.

The above is an introduction to when it is suitable to sow gourds. Farmers can choose the second melon of a sturdy plant with gourd characteristics as a seed melon. Harvest it when the melon is hard and the skin is yellowish brown, place it in a ventilated place to dry, and then remove the seeds before sowing.