How to Plant Bitter Gourd
- 1). Choose a location that is warm, humid and receives six to eight hours of full sun daily.
- 2). Prepare the soil. Augment garden soil with organic nutrients like compost or dried manure. Make sure the soil drains well.
- 3). Soak the bitter gourd seeds for one to two days. Soaking the seeds in water will help guarantee sprouting.
- 4). Sink the seeds into the soil up to an inch below the surface, providing about 6 to 12 inches of space between seeds.
- 5). Water the soil regularly. Bitter gourd prefer constantly moist, well-drained soil.
- 6). Install a trellis. By encouraging the plant to climb instead of crawl, its fruits will tend to hang straight and become more accessible for harvest. Letting the plant crawl can cause fruits close to wet soil to rot.
- 7). Prune lower branches and growing tips. Removing old branches and the primary growing tips will encourage more branching and more fruit-bearing stems.
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