High-yield planting technology of bitter melon

Many farmer friends often wonder why the bitter melons they grow have low yields, small fruits, poor taste quality, and are easily affected by diseases and pests. In fact, there are many techniques and methods for growing bitter melon. In order to have a good harvest of bitter melon, large fruits and excellent quality, you need to have a deep understanding of the growth characteristics of bitter melon and master the correct planting and management techniques. Let’s take a brief look at the high-yield cultivation techniques of bitter melon.

1. Timing of sowing

Bitter melon can be sown in spring, summer and autumn when the temperature is above 25℃. When sowing, the soil temperature should not be lower than 20℃, otherwise the bitter melon seeds may not germinate or the seedlings may emerge unevenly.

2. Seed soaking and germination

Before sowing bitter melon, stir and blanch the seeds in warm water at about 55°C for 15 minutes (to eliminate the bacteria on the surface of the seeds), and then soak the seeds in warm water at 28-30°C for 12-24 hours (to allow the seeds to absorb water and germinate faster). Finally, rinse with clean water, wrap with wet gauze, and place in an environment of 30-32℃ to keep moist and warm for 2-3 days (to increase the speed of germination). Wait until most of the seeds turn white before sowing to speed up germination and uniform germination.

3. Transplanting and planting

After the bitter melon seedlings emerge, keep the temperature of the seedbed at 20-25℃ (cover with film to keep warm when the temperature is low). When the seedlings grow 4-6 true leaves or reach a height of about 15 cm, they can be transplanted and planted. In order to improve the survival rate and shorten the seedling acclimatization time, it is recommended to ventilate and harden the seedlings at low temperature 2-3 days before transplanting to make the root system and plants stronger.

4. Planting method

When transplanting bitter melon seedlings , pay attention to lifting the seedlings with the soil clump, planting them with the soil clump, and watering them thoroughly. It is recommended to do it on a sunny and warm afternoon or on a cloudy day. When transplanting, you can use carbendazim or microbial agents to dip the roots (or irrigate the roots) to prevent dehydration and wilting, increase the survival rate, and reduce seedling diseases.

5. Land preparation and fertilization

Before transplanting and planting, apply sufficient base fertilizer (4-6 cubic meters of decomposed farmyard manure + 40-50 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer per mu), then plow the land and level it to make ridges. The planting density can be carried out according to the row spacing of 65-75 cm and the plant spacing of 35-40 cm. The best temperature conditions for planting are 25-30℃ during the day and 15-28℃ at night.

6. Management after planting

2-3 days after planting, when the ground is slightly dry, deep tillage should be carried out to prevent soil compaction and improve soil looseness and permeability. After the seedlings are planted and survive, the temperature should be controlled at 25-28℃ during the day and 13-18℃ at night. Appropriately increasing the temperature difference is beneficial to root growth and plant health.

7. Build a trellis to guide vines

When the bitter gourd grows to 30 cm in height and starts to stretch its vines, immediately build a climbing frame. When it grows to 40-50 cm, guide the main vine or hanging vine to the shelf in time. When guiding the vines, choose 3-4 pm on a sunny day. The side vines are soft and should not be broken. When guiding the vines, the main vine stands upright and the side vines are on the left and right sides of the main vine. During the vine guiding process, weak vines, thin vines and other side vines within 30 cm from the ground can be cut off to reduce nutrient consumption, ensure the healthy growth of the main vine, promote the germination of flowering and fruiting side vines, and ensure that the bitter melon branches and leaves are evenly distributed, with sufficient light and good ventilation.

8. Water and fertilizer management during the growth period

During the flowering and fruiting period of bitter melon, topdressing and watering are required in batches to ensure the supply of water, fertilizer and nutrients. When the seedlings are growing normally, there is generally no need to apply additional fertilizer or water. If the growth of seedlings is weak, you can apply a light nitrogen fertilizer to promote seedling growth (spray with urea water or apply 3-4 kg of urea). When the first bitter melon fruit is established and begins to swell rapidly, apply 15-20 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer per mu each time when watering (when the growth is weak, apply high-potassium and high-nitrogen compound fertilizer, when the growth is strong, apply high-potassium compound fertilizer or nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balanced compound fertilizer) or apply 5-8 kg of high-potassium type water-soluble fertilizer of macroelements per mu each time when watering. Generally, apply fertilizer and water once every 10-15 days or every time the melons are picked, and apply fertilizer 2-3 times in a row. Regarding watering management during the fruiting period, water the plant once every 7-10 days depending on weather and soil conditions to ensure adequate water supply.

To improve yield and quality, during the concentrated flowering and fruiting period of bitter melon, you can use 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate + 0.2% sodium octaborate tetrahydrate (boron fertilizer) to spray once every 7-10 days, and spray continuously for 2-3 times (when the vine growth is weak, you can spray with 0.5% urea water) to enhance growth, increase flowering and fruit setting rate, promote the enlargement and weight gain of young melons, improve quality, and prevent premature aging of stems and leaves.

In short, it is not difficult to grow bitter melon well. Doing a good job of field management, early variety selection and seed disinfection are also key. In addition, during the planting process, everyone should also pay attention to disease and pest control.