The information on this page applies to seedlings sold by Fremont LEAF Nursery during our 2021 Seedling Sales.
Lageneria sacraria.(Cucumber family) A globe shaped variety that produces melon sized fruit, with all the flavor of the longer varieties. Light green skin with delicious white flesh. [1]
Seed Type
| Organic | Heirloom | Non-GMO | Hybrid | Open-pollinated | Untreated |
Additional Information
| Container Friendly | Trellis Needed | Easy to Grow | Pollinator Friendly |
Best Time to Plant Your Seedlings
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Growing Conditions
| Light | Soil Temperature | Soil | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Sun | Above 60º F | Well drained, organic rich | Keep moist |
Planting Tips
| Plant Spacing | Row Spacing | Days to Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| 12 inches | 60 days |
- Pollinating instructions: The plant produces night blooming white flowers. The male flowers have long peduncles and the females have short ones with an ovary in the shape of the fruit. Sometimes the female flowers drop off without growing into a gourd due to the failure of pollination if there is no night pollinator (probably a kind of moth) in the garden. Hand pollination can be used to solve the problem. [2]
- Harvesting instructions: Fruit can be either harvested young to be consumed as a vegetable, or harvested mature to be dried and used as a utensil. When it is fresh, the fruit has a light green smooth skin and white flesh. If any of the young fruit are not harvested, the vine will stop growing or will abort new fruit forming. [2]
- Additional instructions: To obtain more fruit, gardeners sometimes cut off the tip of the vine when it has grown to 6–8 feet in length. This forces the plant to produce side branches that will bear flowers and yield more fruit. [2]
Common Pests and Diseases
- Pests: Spotted and striped cucumber beetles, bacterial wilt disease, fruit flies [3]
- Disease: Powdery and downy mildew, rusts, rots, watermelon mosaic virus, bacterial wilts [3]
Useful Resources
- https://www.seedsofindia.com/item/Bottle-gourd-Bhoomi-4
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabash
- https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-bitter-melon/
If you bought this seedling and have any questions or feedback, let us know in the comment section below.