How to take care of gourds
Here are some small life experiences on how to take care of gourds and the planting methods and techniques for gourd care. Let's learn about them together.
The sowing time for gourds is usually in spring, specifically around Qingming Festival. Before sowing the gourd seeds, soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes, then wrap the seeds in damp gauze or tissue paper and place them in a container, keeping them in a warm environment and ensuring they stay moist. They should germinate after about a week. Then plant the seeds in the prepared soil, water them sufficiently, and they will sprout seedlings after a week.
1. Site selection and preparation
The first step in planting gourds is to choose the right site. The planting site should have good drainage and sufficient fertility, and should not be located on slopes or in depressions. The previous crops should be grain crops like wheat and corn, and should not be planted continuously with melons like watermelons. Also, if there are residual herbicides in the soil, it should not be planted. After selecting the site, prepare the land. Land preparation is necessary because tilling and disinfecting can eliminate bacteria in the soil and promote gourd growth. Then, press down to retain moisture and prepare long ridges at the same time, which is beneficial for later weeding.
2. Seed soaking and germination
After preparing the land, select high-quality seeds and soak them in 45-degree warm water for about a day. After soaking, take them out and wrap them in gauze. Then prepare a germination shed, place disinfected sawdust in a basin, and lay a layer of isolation cloth on top. Place the seeds evenly in the basin, cover them with a dry towel and a cotton quilt to keep warm for germination. Add a small amount of water every day, controlling the amount to prevent water accumulation inside the seeds, and keep the temperature around 26 degrees, not exceeding 25-32 degrees.
3. Seedling raising
During the germination process, prepare a seedling bed, lay an appropriate amount of farm manure and straw on the bottom of the bed, then cover it with soil and compact it. Use pesticides like Dickson to disinfect, mix the nutrient soil, put it in bags, fill and compact it, and make holes in the bottom for drainage. Place it on the seedling bed, water it sufficiently, then plant the germinated seeds with the eye facing the soil, cover with soil, and water again. Finally, wait for the seeds to germinate, and after the seedlings sprout, transplant them as needed according to their growth.
4. Field management
After transplanting, the next task is field management. When fertilizing, combine it with intertillage and weeding. When the main vine of the gourd reaches about 0.5 meters, do it together with watering. Urea can be used as fertilizer. When applying fertilizer, pay attention to the application location to prevent the roots and leaves from coming into direct contact with the fertilizer, which could cause root and leaf burn. Control the growth of the plant, leaving 1-2 main vines for each藤蔓, do one directed earthing-up, tilting them towards the direction of the wind to prevent them from being uprooted by strong winds. Observe the growth of the plant and do the necessary pinching, topping, and hand pollination to promote plant growth.
The above introduces how to take care of gourds and the specific methods and techniques for gourd planting, for reference by netizens.