Bottle gourd Seeds – long

Bottle gourd has a high content of water and hence is excellent to combat thirst. It is very good for diabetes patients who feel thirsty all the time. Having a glass of lauki juice once in a day will keep you hydrated throughout the day. Also, your body will absorb all the essential vitamins and minerals present in this vegetable.

Note: Used as seeds only and not for consumption. Seeds to be sown before the expiry date.

Planting And Care:

• Bottle gourd seeds can be grown in containers or on raised beds.
• If you opt for a growing bottle gourd in a container, choose a circular pot or grow bag with a 16” diameter and a minimum depth of 8-10 inches.
• Make sure your container has proper drainage holes at the bottom.
• Ideal growing medium for bottle gourd seeds is 1 part Garden Soil + 1 part Coco Peat + 1 part Vermicompost Or 2 part Garden Soil + 1 part Organic Manure.
• Fill your container with the growth medium of your choice. Sow 2 seeds at the center of a pot.
• On raised beds, sow two seeds per pot in a spacing of 3 x 3 ft.
• Place your seeds on the surface of the medium and use the inside with the tip of a pencil and cover the surface with a growing medium.
• Water the sown seedbed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.
• Before sowing the seeds, add good quality organic manure in the soil with a 2:1 ratio. Organic manure can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, Compost, or Vermicompost.
• Fill the cells/cups with a moist coco-peat medium

Bottle gourd Special Pride Care:

• Your bottle gourd seeds will germinate within the first 6 – 8 days. You will notice tiny sprouts growing at this stage.
• The second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant.
• After the second week, keep only a single seedling at one spot, Cut off the weak, small & lagging seedlings with a pair of scissors.
• Bottle gourds require full sunlight to grow. Make sure that your raised beds and containers get sufficient sunlight.
• Water your potted Bottle Gourd plant every day in summer.
• For even shower use, a Watering can to water your plants or use a drip irrigation system.
• Being an aggressive climber, bottle gourd needs a lot of space to grow. To develop strong trellis support up to a height of 5-6 ft, by using locally available material like pipes, bamboo, ropes, wires, etc. for your Bottle Gourd plant.
• Keep an eye out for early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections and spray appropriate medicines.
• By the end of the second month (50-60 days after sowing), the bottle gourd climber will start flowering.
• Raw bottle gourd can be harvested 2 months after sowing the seeds. Harvesting season can continue for the next 3 months.
• Hold the seeds and sow 2-3 seeds per cell/cup. Since Lavender seeds are small in size, do not sow them deeply.

Common Problems

Bottle gourd plant is not growing fruits.?
Insufficient pollination is a big factor that can hamper the growth of bottle gourds. If sufficient pollination does not take place, the female flower will grow initially but will die and fall off eventually. To increase pollination you can opt for hand pollination using a brush.

Why are my bottle-gourd seedlings wilting?
Overwatering is the main cause for wilting. Too much water can drown your seedlings and deprive their roots of air, which leads to wilting and your seedlings might eventually die.

Why are my Bottle gourd seeds not germinating?
Growing conditions like moisture, improper soil temperature, overwatering or under watering can all be a reason why your seeds are not germinating.