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Bottle gourd, also known as lauki, is a staple in many cuisines, from South Indian sambar to North Indian lauki sabzi. Bottle gourd is widely known for its versatility. Not only is it the star of the Indian kitchen, but it is also packed with water and other essential healthy nutrients.
The bottle gourd plant climbs and has tendrils that resemble springs. The long, cylindrical, and short spherical bottle gourd types are the most common; the milky green fruits with white flesh come in a variety of sizes and forms.
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Cultivating bottle gourd at home is both an easy as well as enjoyable task. By taking proper care and knowing the requirements of the plant, you can enjoy the freshness of home-grown bottle gourd and use it to prepare many dishes. Below are the seven steps that you can follow to grow bottle gourds at home:
7 Steps To Follow While Planting Bottle Gourd
Choose The Right Spot
Bottle gourd plants are climbers, so ensure you have ample space for them. Decide whether you will grow bottle gourd plants in containers or on the ground. If growing in a container, it should be 20-25 inches wide and 18-24 inches deep.
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Sowing The Seeds
In a 25–30-inch diameter container, dig up 1 inch hole in the soil mixture, put 1 seed per hole, and make sure a container only has a maximum of 4-5 seeds, which should be 6–10 inches apart so that vines can easily spread out. Cover the seed with soil and pat it down firmly. Sowing the seeds directly to the container may take 5-8 days for sprouting; however, if you need quicker seed germination, you can soak the seeds overnight before sowing.
Also Read: How To Grow Lotus At Home In 7 Easy Steps
Soil Requirements
Make sure the soil is loamy and rich in organic matter with good drainage. The pH of the soil should be from 6.5 to 7.5. Dig up a layer of soil every 8-10 days (about 1 and a half weeks), as it allows the soil to sustain more water and makes it soft. Soil should contain 60% garden soil as well as 40% compost soil.
Image Credit: Freepik
Water And Fertilizing
Make sure the soil has plenty of moisture, provide water daily if required, and give extra water when the weather is dry or too hot. The chosen container should have small holes to release extra water, and these holes should be blocked with smaller stones to prevent the soil from draining away as well. Fertilise your bottle gourd plant not only to bear more fruits but also for large and tasty fruits.
Pollination
The plant will start flowering after 25-35 days of planting, both male and female flowers look similar, but the female flower will have a small g shape below the bloom, which male flowers do not have. Bees and butterflies will naturally pollinate your plants, but they will not do their best job; it is better to perform hand pollination. Bottle gourd flowers typically open at night and last for a day; it is the best time to hand pollinate before that when flowers are already open.
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During pollination, gently pluck a male flower and carefully open it to expose the pollen-bearing anther. Remove its petals and hand pollinate the female flower. You can use one male flower to pollinate multiple 2-3 female flowers, if have enough male flowers flowers use each male flower to pollinate each female flower.
Care And Maintenance
Ensure ample sunlight for at least 5-7 hours so that it can produce healthy fruits. Provide a sturdy trellis or support structure for the climbing vines. Prune regularly during the growing season and remove weak and diseased vines and leaves so that other fruits can’t get affected due to them. Gourds, when quite small, turn yellow, rot at the end, and eventually fall off. This may be due to waterlogging or imperfect pollination.
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Harvesting
Harvesting season of bottle gourds begins after 2-3 months of seed sowing, and it continues for about 6-8 weeks (about 2 months). Harvest Bottle Gourd fruits at the young stage before the skin becomes thick; otherwise, fruits will become inedible with lots of fibre.
