How to grow Ridge Gourd / Sponge Gourd - Home Gardening 

How to plant Ridge Gourd:

• Prepare a good growing medium with two parts potting soil, one part Coco Peat and one part Vermi Compost.

• You can grow 2-3 plants in one containers.

• You can use container of any shape with at least 12 inches deep.

• Plant the Ridge gourd seeds at 1 inch depth in a gap of 4 inches and irrigate them.

• The distance between plants has be to ensured so that roots of all plants can spread well in all directions.

• Seeds will start germinating in 5 to 6 days.

Irrigating Ridge Gourd:

• Ridge gourd plants need a lot of water.

• Mulch the pot / container heavily to avoid evaporation.

• Water your potted Ridge Gourd plant every day in summer.

• Water the soil near the plant. Use a watering can to make sure that the plants get water in the form of the shower & not by a single flow.

• You can also make provision for watering by watering by drip irrigation system for your raised beds.

Ridge Gourd - Fertilization

• Ridge gourds are heavy feeders.

• They need a lot of nutrients and also a lot of water.

• Organic manure can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, compost or vermicompost.

• Liquid Fertilizer like Fish Amino or Panjakavya can be applied over the ridge gourd plants as foliage spray

• Fertilization should be done every 15 days for better growth and yield.

   

Harvesting Ridge Gourd

• Ridge gourd fruits grow very fast even when you grow ridge gourd in pots.

• After pollination they are ready to pick in approximately 8-12 days.

• You can pick your gourd about 2-3 days after the fruit has stopped growing.

• Leaving it too long on the plant makes it fibrous and then it can not be consumed.

• Use a pair of scissors or any garden cutter to remove the fruit from the plant.

• Do not remove the fruit by pulling. It will damage the plant.