Plants that are completely yellow and soft to the touch are overripe. The right time to harvest your fruits is when they are green, with some specks of yellow. It has vitamin A which promotes the health of the skin and enhances vision, It has folate, which promotes growth and development, The vegetables have Vitamin c which promotes faster healing of wounds and bone formation. Train the melon vines up the trellis to prevent damage to the plant. Bitter gourds are very healthy food especially if you have diabetes. It is even better to plant them near the fence. Gather the melons when they are between four and six inches long. It is also called bitter gourd, bitter apple, carilla fruit and balsam. This article has been viewed 29,824 times. Check the soil daily and water whenever the top layer is dry to the touch. Check your plants for signs of powdery mildew, downy mildew, rust, watermelon mosaic virus, bacterial wilt, and the cucumber mosaic virus. Though it may vary depending on your location, you are usually safe planting your seeds in late April or early May. It takes three months from the time of planting for the bitter melon fruits to be ready for harvesting. While preparing you soil add a bit of compost; it will feed the plant. Research has proven that bitter melon has some antiviral and antibacterial agents. Required fields are marked *. Bitter melon plants are vines that you can grow very easily in your garden or on your terrace, even in a pot. Your email address will not be published. Storing Melon Seeds. The picture shows the bitter melon seeds. Add turmeric and salt to water. #gardenersofinstagra, Martin's Carrot Hot Peppers!!!!! Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. FREE Shipping on your first order shipped by Amazon. It is a popular vegetable. Your best bet for finding the whole fruit is in Asian stores. Lack of sunlight will reduce the optimum growth of the fruit. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, bitter melon image by Antonio Oquias from, Clemson University Extension: Chinese Vegetables, Washington State University: Bitter Melon, The National Bitter Melon Council: Better Living through Bitter Melon. Continue to water whenever the top of the soil feels dry. If the insects are not available in your area, the pollinating process can be done manually, by transferring pollen from male flowers to female flowers. It is important to harvest bitter gourds at correct time, as bitter gourds both young and overripe fruit can taste very bitter. The plants should not be fed with too much nitrogen, as it will cause the production of full foliage at the expense of fruits. The degree of bitterness varies as per the maturity of the fruit. 88. For faster germination, scarify the seeds to get rid of the seed coat. Log in. Here are 6 benefits of bitter melon and its extract. Get it as soon as Fri, Nov 6. Fertilize with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer 30 days after planting and again 60 days after planting. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. for more information. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Bitter melon can be cooked on its own or as an accompaniment in other dishes. Bitter melons can be harvested about 14 weeks after planting when the fruits become about 5 inch long with light green skin. Fruits which become spongy or yellow are over ripen. Add compost to the soil for maximum yields. Bitter melon has many benefits to our bodies. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. So give them something to climb on to like a small horizontal trellis or a nylon net for the same. Thank you for joining us in our journey. It is known for its knobby, oblong fruit and a flavor even more bitter than grapefruit. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Bitter melon belongs to the gourd family. If the seedlings are all the same size, either thin them out randomly or wait another day or 2 to see which ones start to grow larger. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Once the plant starts bearing flowers, add fertilizers to tackle its voracious appetite. But if you want to fasten the process, soak the seeds in water for 48 hours. Drying the seeds thoroughly is the key. Prepare the bed by removing all grass, weeds and rocks. Sow bitter melon seed at least 3 inches deep and 12 inches apart. How To Use Biodegradable Pots to Grow Seedlings. It aids in weight loss. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Regularly water the plant and you will get flowering very soon (within 5-6 weeks). Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Still, a bitter melon spreading on the ground will produce smaller fruits compared to one supported by a trellis. It will reward you with fresh, healthy vegetables at the end. Just make sure they receive adequate sunlight and water. The vegetable is prone to pesticides which attack squash and cucumber. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 29,824 times. The picture has been turned horizontal for better display. The vegetable is prone to pesticides which attack squash and cucumber. Plant the seeds 1 cm deep into the soil. See. Even though bitter melon is more resistant to the cold than other plants in its family, frost will kill it. Use pruning shears for the trimming. Bitter melon plants prefer full sun to partial shade and soil that drains well. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The right time to harvest your fruits is when they are green, with some specks of yellow. Harvesting the plant. It helps in relieving indigestion and constipation. Add a little warm water and allow the mixture to sit for two to four days, stirring daily. How to Grow Bitter Melon from Seed (Bitter Gourd), Can I use bitter melon as an alternative of diabetes treatment. You can also find concentrated bitter melon extracts and seeds made into pills, capsules or powders that are available for purchase online. Here are a few top rated bitter melon seeds: Bitter melons do well when planted in pots with well drained sandy soil. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Plant after the last frost when temperatures are 75–80 °F (24–27 °C). How Do You Lay Artificial Grass on Decking? Prepare the bed by removing all grass, weeds and rocks. Misfit Gardening is a participant in Affiliate or Associate’s programs. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The orange fruits are the most ripe, and considered overripe. Pruning in this manner will encourage increased fruit bearing. The leaves of bitter melon are used in cooking and making juices. Female flowers will have knobby green stems attached to yellow petals. It helps to normalize the levels of blood sugar. To collect seeds from melons, pour off the water containing the pulp and bad seeds. As bitter melon is growing, the optimal daytime temperature should average about 80°F. By using our site, you agree to our. There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. It’s also available as a supplement in health food stores, and as a juice. The basement will, Sparky ❤ carrots! It is the male one that blooms first, followed by the female ones. for more information about use of this website. You can also stuff the fruit, steam or pickle it. When they mature to young plants, transfer them to the garden.. After some time; your plants will start developing vines. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Thank you for supporting Misfit Gardening. If you are planning to eat your bitter melon, stick to pesticides that are safe for human consumption, such as liquid soap sprays, vinegar, or Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt). These cookies do not store any personal information. The best thing is that it is easy to grow when you follow the necessary guidelines. It will enhance the appearance of your plants. Planting Seeds. Now the question is when you should harvest the bitter gourd. Hanging fruits are also easier for harvesting. Natural pollinators such as bees do the work for you. Make sure the vines will be exposed to the sun once they start spreading. They are able to absorb a lot of water and germinate quickly when planted. Discoloration of the leaves may indicate that the plants have developed leaf spot or downy mildew. Place a trellis one foot behind each bitter melon plant. Fights some bacteria and viruses from the body. Bitter melon, or bitter gourd, is not only known for its sharp flavor and distinct appearance but may also have positive effects on health. Bitter melon seeds require soil temperatures of at least 60 degrees F in order to germinate, and they grow best with daytime temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees F. Place the seeds into a container filled with water and allow them to remain there overnight. Cut off the growing tips of the branches when they are 2-3 ft long. Purchase bitter melon seeds from your local nursery or online. If you don’t support them, they will get damaged. Dip the cut pieces for 20 minutes. as the plants continues to grow, apply a liquid fertilizer on it at least once in a month. Mist the top of your seed tray and water from the bottom to keep the soil in your seed trays moist. Fertilizers such as bone meal, blood meal or some fish emulsion are best for bitter melons. This will force the plant to produce side branches that will produce fruit much sooner, more flowers and more fruits. Bitter melons take around 10-15 days to germinate. Water the soil immediately after you apply fertilizer so it has a chance to soak into the roots of your plant. The best growing temperature ranges from 70 to 80 degree F. As a fruit-bearing plant, bitter melons need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. If you are not growing on a trellis, prune the growing vine once the first female flowers appear on the plant. Bitter gourd fruits contain polypeptide-P, vegetable insulin that lowers blood sugar level. Discard the water. Use the fruit when it’s still green and firm. Common diseases your bitter melon may encounter are watermelon mosaic potyvirus, downy mildew, or leaf spot. Great companion plants to grow near bitter melons are bush beans, corn, pumpkin or squash and radishes. However, many people prefer eating the pink flesh only. Trellis the vines. These may include abdominal aches, fever and headache. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. References. If you started your bitter melon seeds in peat pots to get a head start, bury the pot and plant at the same depth it’s presently growing and don’t plant deeper or it puts undue stress on the plant. For more tips on storing of vegetables use this link. After handling store bought seeds, wash your hands thoroughly as they are usually treated with chemicals which may be harmful if ingested. Make a hole on the soil surface and put the seeds. Bitter melons take around 10-15 days to germinate.