What is the best soil for bitter gourds? There are many types of soil and some of those types are not suitable to use in growing a plant like bitter gourd. Some types of soil are not well-draining and are of poor quality compared to other types.
You need to use good soil because it has many benefits for your plants. The plants may thrive well and produce an abundant harvest very soon. So which soil to use for the bitter gourd?
Soil For Bitter Gourds
Soil Requirements
The bitter gourds need sandy-loam soil type. This kind of soil is perfect for this plant. When you grow bitter gourds in great soil, it can help to increase fruit size and have an abundant harvest sooner.
Well, draining soil is needed so that you can prevent soil from becoming too soggy and prevent overwatering. Sometimes when you water the soil, waterlogging happens so by using excellent soil your plants will be safer.
Sandy soil drains water fast. You cannot use sand soil alone because the plants will not get water. The water runs out quickly and you need to water them more often to keep them moist.
You need to use some soil mixture to the sand to make it great. You can mix compost or peat with sand and it will be great to use in growing bitter gourds.
Compost helps improve the soil quality and helps the plant thrive well. The vines will grow longer and have a great bitter gourd lifespan when they get more nutrients.
Bitter Gourd Soil pH Level
If you are going to grow bitter gourds you need to make sure that the soil pH in your garden is around 5.5 to 6.7 pH. The bitter gourd plants like less acidic soil and they will thrive in this kind of soil.
You can check the soil acidity by using a soil pH tester. There are many great tester tools that you can buy from the agriculture store, nurseries, or even online.
Checking the soil acidity using a pH tester is one great way to know if the soil in your garden is acidic or not. When you have too acidic soil in the garden, there are some negative effects on your plants.
Having acidic soil prevents the build-up of nutrients. There will be fewer nutrients if the soil is too acidic. So you need to know the characteristics of the soil in the garden to have better yields to come.
You can add elemental sulfur if you want to acidify your soil in the garden. Having better soil will increase the number of bitter gourd fruits per plant.
Importance Of Having Well Draining Soil For Bitter Gourds
When you water bitter gourds, the waterlogged will be prevented if the soil is well-draining. It is good to have well-draining soil because root rot will be prevented if overwatering happens.
One of the most common mistakes gardeners make is giving too much water to their plants which puts the plant in a bad position. You need just to give enough water to your bitter gourds to prevent overwatering which can lead to yellow leaves.
When enough water is given the plants will be safer and will thrive excellently. You need to take care of bitter gourd plants to grow them better.
Improve Soil Quality
When the soil is not rich in nutrients, you need to improve it. You need to add fertilizer to bitter gourds to make them grow well. More leaves, longer vines, more flowers, and a lot of fruits will happen when they are getting enough nutrients along their journey.
The bitter gourd will grow fast when they are getting sufficient nutrients regularly. You can buy chemical fertilizers or organic fertilizers at the market or make your own.
Fertilizers sold on the market are really useful to use. They are working well and are effective in growing bitter gourds. If you are practicing organic gardening then you should go with organic fertilizers.
Some shops sell vermicompost which is a good fertilizer. If you don’t have enough money you can create homemade fertilizer. You can make compost with leaves, grasses, wood chips, and some other organic matter and let them decay. By improving the soil you will have an abundant bitter gourd harvest sooner.
Aside from having nutrient-rich and well-draining soil, the plants also need sun for them to thrive better. The bitter gourds need sunlight for at least 6 hours per day. That length of sunlight is enough for them to create food. It will help the vines grow longer and make them mature.
Once the bitter gourd plants mature, you will see flowers on the plant. The bitter gourd blooms when they are already 30 days old. But mostly flowers will appear after 2 to 3 months. And sooner the fruits will appear next.
It is great to know what is good soil for bitter gourds. There are many types of soil out there but some of them are not suitable for bitter gourds. You need to find a way to improve your soil quality which will help the plants thrive better. Great quality soil will increase the chances of having more nutrients which is essential for plants’ growth. When the plants grow excellently, more flowers and fruits are going to be developed.
