Organic Snake Gourd Seeds - Open Pollinated

Snake gourds are elongated, slender, curved, or straight and vary in size from small to very wide. Snake gourd is one of the healthiest vegetables, abundant in essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. These minerals help to strengthen bones and teeth while also enhancing bodily functions. Snake gourds with waxy green skin that is speckled or striped with a lighter shade of green are used for consumption. The snake gourd can grow straight or in spirals and twisted curls. Iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamins A, B, and C, nutrition, calcium, and phosphorus are all present in snake gourds. Snake gourds, botanically known as Trichosanthes cucumerina, are some of the world's longest gourds, belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. They grow on annual, tropical vines and are some of the world's longest gourds. In India's southern states, it's also known as Serpent gourd, Snake squash, Club gourd, Chichinda, Padwal, and Pudalangai.

Benefits/Uses of Snake gourd

• The snake gourd has been proposed as a potential cure for diabetes. While snake gourd in Chinese therapy is also a low-calorie food in the treatment of diabetes.

• Snake gourd extract is among the best treatments for arterial problems such as palpitations and other conditions such as heart pain and stress. The extract was believed to lead to improved circulation, which in turn makes your heart condition less significant.

• Snake gourd leaves were shown to be effective in the treatment of diseases such as jaundice and the reduction of bilious fever.

• The juice of snake gourd is a powerful purgative that aids in the removal of toxins from the body. The snake gourd can also be dried, but this approach isn't always as effective as juicing it. It's a healthy digestive aid that helps with digestion. The leaves serve as an emetic, removing toxins from the body while also aiding in bowel cleansing.

• The snake gourd is a low-calorie vegetable. It gives you the majority of the nutrients you need without adding any fat to your body.

• The extract from snake gourd leaves is very useful in the treatment of hair and scalp disorders such as alopecia, which causes partial and often total hair loss. You must apply the juice topically to the affected area to receive this medication.

• Snake gourd is high in dietary fiber, making it one of the most effective remedies for softening stools and alleviating bloating and constipation.

Specifications of Snake gourd Seeds

Planting and Care for Snake gourd

Sowing snake gourd Seeds

• The snake gourd's seeds have exceptionally hard outer shells, making them difficult to germinate. Even under ideal conditions, seeds can take up to a month to germinate, and up to 40% of seeds fail to sprout.
• To speed up germination, carefully crack the hard shell with pliers, similar to how you would crack an almond shell: place the pliers' jaws on the ridged seam that connects the seed's two halves and gently push until it breaks open.
• Caution is advised because if the shell is crushed and the endosperm inside is damaged, the seeds will not sprout.
• Soak gourd seeds in water overnight or up to 24 hours before placing them on top of the refrigerator or in another warm position to hasten germination.
• After soaking the Snake gourd seeds, plant them in large grow bags with a moist seed-starting mix.
• To keep the moisture in, wrap the pots or containers in plastic wrap.
• Remove the plastic wrap when the sprouts appear, which is normally within 10 days.
• Some gardeners tend to germinate their seeds with wet paper towels. On a plate, place a warm, wet paper towel, then add the cracked seeds and cover them with another wet paper towel.
• Keep the seeds warm, such as on top of a refrigerator or a seed-sprouting mat set to 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Keep an eye on the seeds and keep the paper towels moist. The seeds typically sprout in two weeks.

Growing snake gourd

• The seedlings need daily watering after the seeds germinate, which takes between 10 and 30 days after planting.
• Plant your snake gourds 3 feet (90 cm) apart in grow bags. These plants grow rapidly and need a lot of space to survive.
• Three weeks after planting the seedlings, apply a side dressing of compost to provide additional nutrients as the gourd vines grow.
• To support their 4 1/2- to 6-foot-long fruits, snake gourd plants need large trellis or creeper nets.
• Adding a small light bulb to the structure often attracts moths, which pollinate the night-blooming flowers. Three months after the seeds germinate, harvest the gourds.
• To encourage lateral shoots and flowering vines, prune the vines regularly, particularly after the first month. Snake gourd matures in 45 days on average after planting.
• The flowers will begin to appear 3 to 4 weeks after planting. That is a sign that you can concentrate on the next crucial step in ensuring a good harvest.

Harvesting snake gourd

• After 2 or 3 weeks of noticing the growth of the fruits, you can harvest your snake gourds.
• The seeds are fairly nonexistent when Snake Gourds are young, the pulp around the grain mass is solid, and the flavour is smooth, like a cucumber. The rind hardens and becomes red as it matures, and the taste becomes bitter and gelatinous with several seeds.
• Snake gourds can grow to be about six feet tall.
• When they reach that size, the squash becomes fibrous and unpalatable. To get a tasty snake gourd, harvest it when the fruit is about a foot and a half long (up to.5 meters), or about the length of your forearm.
• Longer varieties average 40-45 centimetres in length, while smaller varieties average 15-20 centimetres in length.
• When in doubt, pick them as early as 2 weeks old, when the skin is firm but not rough to the touch.

Precautions while growing snake gourd

Snake gourds are confronted with the same type of pest and disease as other gourds. Keep an eye on snails, slow beets, leaf beetles, and caterpillars that consume the leaves and vines. We recommend that insecticides be avoided. Pick them by hand instead, and dump them into a soapy water bucket.

The easiest way to germinate indoor snake gourd seeds before transplanting outdoors is to soak the seed first.

Snake Gourd is a warm seasonal plant that favours at least 6 hours of daily sunlight, and temperatures from 27°C to 35°C between 80°F and 95°F. You will have to pollinate your flowers as they close during the day, making it impossible for insects to do your work. Most varieties of snake gourds need to be harvested before they ripen, usually after 2 weeks of development, before the skin becomes red.

Common Problems affecting snake gourd plants and solutions

Aphids are common on young vines, but you can remove them by blasting them off with water from a garden hose.

Powdery Mildew first appears as white powdery residue primarily on the upper leaf surface. On the lower surface of the leaves, circular patches or spots appear. In severe cases, these spreads, coalesce and cover both the surfaces of the leaves and spread also to the petioles, stem, etc. Severely attacked leaves become brown and shrivelled and defoliation may occur. Fruits of the affected plants do not develop fully and remain small.

Whitish Mildew appears first as a white powdery residue on the upper leaf surface. Circular patches or spots occur on the lower surface of the leaves. In extreme cases, these disperse, coalesce, and cover both surfaces of the leaves, as well as the petioles, stem, and so on. Severely damaged leaves turn brown and shrivel, and defoliation can occur. The fruits of the affected plants do not fully grow and remain small.

The neem oil biopesticide is sprayed immediately after the disease occurs. 2-3 sprays are administered every 15 days. Signs and signs

The plant ultimately dies as a result of Fusarium wilt. The roots are not harmed. Leaves wilt abruptly in older plants, and vascular bundles in the collar region turn yellow or brown.

The disease is managed with three sprays of Pseudomonas Fluorescens Biofertilizer at 5-6 day intervals after the emergence of initial symptoms. During spraying, the leaves of fully grown vines should be thoroughly soaked.

Downy Mildew disease appears as yellow angular spots on the upper surface of the leaves at first. When the humidity is strong, whitish powdery growth occurs on the lower surface of the leaves. The disease spreads rapidly, destroying the plant quickly due to defoliation.

To prevent the growth of resistant strains, Trichoderma Viride Bio Fertilizer can provide excellent disease control.

No. of Snake Gourd Seeds - 6