Organic Green Short Bitter Gourd Seeds - Open Pollinated

Bitter gourd is a tropical vine that comes from the gourd family that includes cucumber and pumpkin. The organic Indian variety has rough ragged spikes on the rind and is narrow with a pointed edge. Bitter gourd is cultivated around the world for food for a variety of health benefits, which includes cholesterol control, decreasing blood sugar level, aiding in immunity, growth and development and increasing vision.

Benefits/Uses of Green Short Bitter Gourd Seeds

• 1 cup of bitter gourd (94 grams) has 93% vitamin C, 44% vitamin A, 17% folate and 8% potassium.
• Vitamin C is essential to improve immunity, regulate bone formation and fasten wound healing.
• Potassium, zinc and folate in bitter gourds facilitate growth and development.
• Taking 20 grams of bitter gourd could decrease blood sugar levels and increase blood haemoglobin.
• Recent researches suggest that bitter gourd has the potential to fight breast, colon and stomach cancer.
• Help decrease cholesterol levels thereby increase heart health.

Specifications of Green Short Bitter Gourd Seeds

Sowing and Caring

• Use a comfortable Grow bag like Seed2Plant HDPE round grow bags to plant.
• Use organically enriched potting mix like the one we have to pot the seeds. Leave one inch gap from the top of the grow bag. 
• Keep the soil slightly loose for the roots to breathe. 
• Water appropriately such that the soil is moist and not soggy.
• Place the pot in a location that receives warm sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.
• The seeds will germinate in 2-3 weeks. Since bitter gourd is a vine plant, it can grow up to 5-6 inches. When the vines start growing use a support net/ trellis like the Seed2Plant support net to enable faster climbing of vines.
• Pruning of dead leaves will stimulate growth.
• If the bitter gourd has more flowers and lesser fruits, pollination is recommended to stimulate fruiting. A soft cotton brush can be used gently to pollinate the plant.

Harvest

• Harvest can begin 2-4 months after planting the seeds and should be harvested before the fruit turns yellow.
• The optimal size of the gourd will be 2-4 inches during harvest.
• Mature gourds are light green. The fruits can be picked every 2-3 days.
• The fruit can be stored for food in refrigerators for up to 1 week.
• The longer the gourd stays in the vine, the bitter it will get.

Common Problems

• Bitter gourds are prone to pest attacks like spider mites, aphids and fruit flies.
• Common diseases that affect the plant include the mosaic virus, powdery mildew, downy mildew and cucurbit disease.

Precautions

• Adding nitrogen-rich organic manure like the Seed2Plant Azospirillum Nitrogen-fixing biofertilizer to the soil will stimulate the growth of the gourd.
• Application (foliar spraying) of neem oil like Seed2Plant Water-soluble neem oil will prevent pest and fungal attacks.
• Using potassium-rich organic fertilizers like the Seed2Plant A2 Desi Cow Panchagavya will stimulate faster fruiting and flowering.
• Reaping the fruit in paper bags is recommended to prevent attacks from fruit flies after reaping.

 No. of Green Short Bitter Gourd Seeds - 5