What are the ecological habits of bitter melon? What are the cultivation techniques of bitter melon?

Most of the time we focus on and care about how to eat bitter melon and the precautions, as well as how to cook it to get more benefits to the body. Today we will learn about the past and present of bitter melon from the ecological habits of bitter melon, the cultivation techniques of bitter melon, and the cultivation techniques of bitter melon. I believe you will be interested.

Contents of this article

1. What are the ecological habits of bitter melon?

2. What are the cultivation techniques of bitter melon?

3. How to grow bitter melon seedlings

What are the ecological habits of bitter melon?

It likes warmth, is heat-resistant, and is not cold-resistant. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 30~35℃. Seed germination should avoid light, and it is better to be in the dark. It starts to germinate after about 30 hours, and most of it can germinate after 48 hours. The suitable temperature for growth during the flowering and fruiting period is 20~30℃, and about 25℃ is the most suitable. Above 30℃ and below 15℃ are not conducive to the growth and fruiting of bitter melon. 2. Light is a short-day plant, but the requirements for the length of sunshine are not very strict. It likes light but is not shade-tolerant. Insufficient light can easily cause falling flowers and fruits. Strong light is required during the flowering and fruiting period. Adequate light is conducive to photosynthesis and the increase of fruiting rate. 3. Water likes moisture but is not tolerant to waterlogging. The relative humidity of the soil is preferably 80%~90%. Waterlogging in the field can easily hurt the roots, causing yellow and wilting of leaves, affecting growth. Generally, less water is required in the seedling stage. Too much water often causes leggy growth, weak plants, and reduced resistance. It is required to keep the soil moist during the flowering and fruiting period, but it cannot accumulate water. Higher air humidity is conducive to the growth and development of bitter gourd. The most suitable soil is loose soil, good channel performance, deep soil layer and rich in organic matter. The soil pH is 6 to 6.8. Too acidic or too alkaline is not conducive to the growth and development of bitter gourd.

What are the cultivation techniques of bitter melon?

Seedlings are usually sown and raised in sunny beds or greenhouses 35 to 40 days before the last frost in the local area in spring. Seedlings are usually raised in nutrient pots or paper bags, and transplanted when the seedlings have 3 to 4 true leaves. The bitter melon seed coat is thick and hard, so it is difficult to germinate. In order to make it germinate uniformly, a small hole can be gently opened in the seed germination hole, and then the seeds are soaked in 55 to 60°C warm water and stirred continuously. When the water temperature drops to 30°C, soak the seeds for 10 to 12 hours, take them out and wrap them with a clean wet towel or gauze, and place them in an environment of 30 to 35°C for germination. Rinse them with warm water 1 to 2 times a day, and sow them after most seeds germinate.

During the seed germination period, when the daytime temperature is between 30 and 35°C, the flower buds begin to differentiate, and the night temperature should be reduced to 10 to 13°C. Low temperature and short daylight during the seedling stage are conducive to the differentiation of female flowers, especially more female flowers formed by low night temperatures, and can reduce the node position of the first female flower. Generally, no watering is required during the seedling stage. If water shortage is serious, appropriate supplementation can be made. Spraying should be done with a watering can on sunny days. The principle of supplementation is to water when the soil is dry and wet, that is, watering when the topsoil is dry to prevent the topsoil from drying out.

In order to make the seedlings strong, 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or urea aqueous solution can be sprayed during the seedling stage, spraying once every 7 to 10 days, and spraying 2 to 3 times in a row. Stop watering about 7 days before planting to harden the seedlings.

How to grow bitter melon seedlings

1. Prepare nutrient soil: Nutrient soil should be prepared before sowing, preferably 4-5 months in advance. First, choose soil that has never been planted with melons and vegetables as the subsoil, and then pile up the rotten farmyard manure. If there is no fermentation time, you can pile up the nutrient soil and disinfect it with a disinfectant. First, dilute the disinfectant sufficiently, spray it evenly on the soil, mix it thoroughly with the soil, cover it with plastic film, and seal it for about 3 days. Spread the soil for another week, and the effect will disappear before use. If there is no way to configure the soil, you can also buy finished nutrient soil.

2. Seed disinfection: Bitter melon seeds are generally sown directly with dry kernels or soaked in water for about 4 hours. However, in order to prevent the seeds from carrying bacteria, we also need to do a good job of seed disinfection before sowing. Soak the seeds for 4 hours first, then mix with silicene, or soak the seeds in solvents such as doxorubicin for about 1 hour to prevent fungal diseases. After soaking, wash the surface of the seeds with water to accelerate seed germination or sow directly.

3. Soaking seeds for germination: After disinfection, put the seeds in warm water at about 55 degrees for hot sowing. Pour the seeds into the water and stir to ensure that the seeds are heated evenly to prevent burns. Stop when the water temperature drops to about 35 degrees. Then soak for about 7 hours to promote the absorption of water by the seeds. After soaking, clean the dirt on the surface of the seeds and dry the water. Cover with wet gauze and place in an environment of about 32 degrees for germination. When the seeds are accelerating germination, they need to be washed with warm water at about 32 degrees every day to avoid dirt on the seeds, improve the permeability of the seeds, and promote seed germination. Most seeds can be sown after being exposed to white for about 4 days.

4. Seeding and seedling raising: Prepare the seedlings in pots before sowing, then put the nutrient soil into the seedlings, and then put the seedlings in the seedbed, water them sufficiently, and wait for the water to completely penetrate the bottom of the soil cover. When you start sowing again, put the flower pots into the seeds, and cover them with a layer of fine soil and plastic film after sowing to increase the temperature of the seedbed and ensure the temperature required for seed germination. After the seedlings emerge normally, cool down appropriately, control the temperature at around 22 degrees, and ventilate well. Remove the film to promote the seedlings to absorb light, and then cover them at night. Three days before transplanting, remove the film to improve the cold resistance of the seedlings.