- Prepare the soil
Decide first if you’re putting it in a pot or planting it directly in your backyard. If using a pot, ensure that there is proper drainage to prevent fungal infections on the roots of your bitter gourd plant.
- Sow the seeds
Make sure that the seeds that you have are of good quality. You can either plant the seeds directly or put them in a germination tray first. For every hole, put 1-2 seeds. Water the seeds a bit.
- Water daily and add support
Water the seeds daily and patiently wait for at least a week before the seedlings emerge from the ground. Be careful not to overwater it, though. Once the plant has grown about 2-3 inches, provide support for the vine. Use a strong stick at first.
- Once it grows, add a rope
Once the bitter gourd vine grows longer, you need to use a rope so that the vine can have something to climb on and grow further. You will also notice that flowers are sprouting on the vine on the 8th week.
- Harvest the fruit
By the 12th or 13th week (about 3 months), the fruit is already ready for harvesting. You will notice this when the fruit has a light green color and the spines has rounded a bit.
