How to germinate bitter gourd seeds? In order to grow bitter gourds in your garden, you need to make sure that the seeds you have will germinate. In that way, more seedlings will grow which will eventually turn into plants after.
The plants will grow longer vines, a lot of leaves, and sooner flowers and fruits will appear on the plant. In order for it to happen, you need to make sure you have great bitter gourd seeds that will germinate. There are ways to make those seeds germinate which is easy to do.
How To Germinate Bitter Gourd Seeds?
One of the best ways to germinate bitter gourd seeds is by using a seedling tray. A seedling tray is a tool that is used to germinate seeds. Gardeners use this tool because it is easier to use and getting the seedlings out from the seedling tray is easy especially when you are going to transplant the seedlings.
To germinate bitter gourd seeds, all you need to do is prepare the following materials: bitter gourd seeds, a seedling tray, soil, and water. Get the seedling tray and place the soil inside. You can use soil from your garden or use soil mix. Then flatten the soil in the seedling tray.
After that place one bitter gourd seed per hole. Then cover the seeds with soil. Once completed, you need to water it. The water will help the seeds germinate. Then place the seedling tray in a little bit of shade. The bitter gourd seeds will sprout around 5 to 10 days. Some seeds will sprout as early as 3 days.
Aside from germinating bitter gourd seeds in a seed tray, there are other methods you can try. You can germinate the seeds using a paper towel. To do this you need to prepare bitter gourd seeds, a paper towel, a plastic ziplock, and water.
Wet the paper towel with water. You can use a spray bottle to wet the towel or soak it in the water. Just be careful not to tear it. Then lay the paper towel and start placing seeds on it. Make sure that the seeds are not overcrowded in one place. Then fold the paper towel and place it inside the plastic ziplock. You can check if the seeds germinate after 5 days. Once the seeds have been germinated, you can transfer them into containers.
If you don’t want to use a seedling tray and or paper towel, you can also directly sow them in the ground. There are some gardeners who prefer to plant them in the ground directly. This is also a good way to grow bitter gourds. Propagating bitter gourds can only happen using a seed, as there is no other way to grow this plant. But it is great even if it takes bitter gourd some time to grow.
How Long Do Bitter Gourd Seeds Take To Germinate?
The bitter gourd seeds take around 5 to 10 days to germinate. Some of the seeds may sprout as early as 3 days. The seeds of bitter gourds are small and they will sprout more quickly than the seeds of trees.
The seeds of smaller plants grow roots way faster than tree seeds. The cover of the skin is softer and thinner which makes them sprout easily. It only takes a few days while seeds of the tree take around 3 to 4 weeks up to 3 months.
A few leaves and roots will grow on the bitter gourd seeds in no time. Once the seedlings have enough height you can now do transplanting. The seedlings will turn into plants and sooner the bitter gourds will bloom.
Do You Soak Bitter Gourd Seeds Before Planting?
Yes, you can soak bitter gourd seeds into the water before planting. Soak the bitter gourd seeds in the water for around 12 to 24 hours before planting. The water will help soften the seeds which make it easier for the seeds to grow roots.
It will make the germination way faster than not soaking them in water. Some people don’t do it and some try it. There is a benefit to seeds if they are soaked in water. It is enjoyable to grow bitter gourds from seeds. You will observe and see how the plants grow from seed up to harvesting.
Why Are Bitter Gourds Not Germinating?
The bitter gourd seeds may not germinate because of some factors. If you have old stock seeds then they may not sprout. They might already dry and cannot sprout. You need to buy high-quality seeds which are capable of growing roots. You can buy seeds from nurseries, agriculture stores, or even online.
There are gardeners who save seeds from the fruits. If those seeds are still young and not fully mature, then some of them may also not germinate. Let the seeds mature and harden before saving seeds from your garden.
Another reason why the seeds are not germinating is that the soil is too moist. Too moist soil may cause rotten seeds so you need to make sure that you give only enough water when sowing the seeds and the containers you use have drainage.
Can I Grow Bitter Gourd From Fresh Seeds?
Yes, you can grow bitter gourds from fresh seeds. You need to make the bitter gourds ripen well. You will know it by looking at the fruit’s color and appearance. The bitter gourd fruits should already color yellow to orange and they already break apart. You will see that the seeds inside are coated with jelly red.
You need to get the seeds and clean them. Wash them thoroughly until the red jelly coating is removed. You can use the seeds in growing bitter gourd plants. Once the seeds germinate, you will see the growth stages of bitter gourd from seeds until fruiting.
Do Bitter Gourds Have Seeds?
Yes, bitter gourds have seeds. The seeds of bitter gourd in one fruit can range from 10 to 20. If the fruit is already ripened you can have a high percentage of germinating seeds. You can make a garden using those seeds.
If the seeds you get from the fruit are too young then they might not germinate. Make the seeds mature before getting them.
You can use fresh seeds from the fruit, but if bitter gourds do not produce fruits then it will be hard for you to get and save seeds. You need to take care of the plants well to make it happen.
It is great to know how to germinate bitter gourd seeds. Growing bitter gourds from seeds is really exciting to do. If you love gardening then try growing this plant if you have not tried it yet. It is enjoyable to try new things, new plants in your garden.
