1. Best Sowing Time:

Monsoon & Summer

2. Soil Temprature:

Optimal soil temperature: 10-50°C (50-95°F). Seeds should germinate in 4-7 days.

3. Steps for Seed Sowing Method:

• Take a container of your choice with drainage holes at the bottom.
• Fill the container with proper potting layers & selected growing medium.
• Sow 2 seeds at the centre of a pot. .
• On raised beds, sow two seeds per spot in a spacing of 3 x 3 ft.
• Push the seeds a little in soil medium with your fingers & completely cover them with surrounding soil. .
• Water the sown seed bed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.

4. Growth Steps of Bitter Gourd (Karela) Plants

• Cotyledons: The first two leaves will emerge in the second week of germination. These are false leaves called as cotyledons.
• First leaves: First leaves will emerge above cotyledons at the end of the second week.
• Seedling stage: Second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant. .
• Thinning: After the second week, keep only single seedling at one spot, Cut off the weak, small & lagging seedlings with a pair of scissors.

5. How to Take Care For Bitter Gourd (Karela) Plants

• Sunlight: Bitter Gourd plants require full sunlight. Therefore your raised bed should be made at a bright sunny spot. Keep the Bitter Gourd container under open sunlight.
• Watering technique: Water your potted Bitter Gourd plant every day in summer. Water the soil near the plant. Use a watering can to make sure that the plants get water in the form of the shower & not by a single flow. You can also make provision for watering by drip irrigation system for your raised beds.
• Trellis: Bittergourd is an aggressive climber & needs plenty of space to grow. So develop a strong trellis support up to height of 5-6 ft, by using locally available material like pipes, bamboo, ropes, wires etc. for your bitter gourd plant.
• Manuring: As mentioned earlier, add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio before sowing seeds. Organic manure can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, Compost or Vermicompost. .
• Top dressing: When your Bittergourd climber is more than 45 days old, Provide one tablespoon of 15:15:15 (NPK) Fertilizer per plant or mix handful of Vermicompost in the soil around each plant. .
• Plant care: Always look for the early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms of such diseases are spotted. Watch out for Powdery Mildew when plants are young.
• Harvesting: (60 days) Bittergourd climber will start flowering at the end of second month. You can start harvesting raw bitter gourd fruits after 2 months of seed sowing. Harvesting season can continue for next 3 months.