How to plant Buddha's hand gourd for high yield
A tip for life, introducing how to plant Buddha's hand gourd for high yield and the key points of cultivation techniques for Buddha's hand gourd in the field of green plants and flowers, the specific introduction is as follows:
Buddha's hand gourd belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, named because its shape resembles two hands clasped together, symbolizing Buddhist blessings. Buddha's hand gourd is also known by other names such as twin-hand gourd, apple gourd, harvest gourd, and longevity gourd. The cultivation of Buddha's hand gourd generally consists of three steps: seed selection and germination, transplanting and planting, and field management. Buddha's hand gourd is widely cultivated in southern China, where it can be harvested continuously for 10 to 20 years after a single planting, while in the north, it is planted annually. Buddha's hand gourd is rich in nutrients and can be eaten raw as fruit or cooked as a vegetable. It is very popular in the market and therefore, planting Buddha's hand gourd can not only be used for home consumption but also sold as a vegetable to obtain higher economic benefits.
1. Select Buddha's hand gourd seeds for germination. Unlike other gourds, Buddha's hand gourd seeds are the whole fruit, not individual seeds that can be easily extracted. Choose seeds from disease-free, mature fruits (about 28 days old), without damage or pest infestation, and of good quality. The age of the gourd should not be too long or too short; fruits older than 30 days or younger than 25 days can affect germination. Collect seeds in the autumn of the previous year and store them in sand around the time of the minor snow festival, keeping the temperature between 5 to 10 degrees Celsius to prevent freezing or premature germination. Before planting, place the seeds in an environment of 20 degrees Celsius to germinate. After about 15 days, the Buddha's hand gourds will successfully root and sprout.
2. Transplanting and planting. Choose loose, fertile soil with rich organic matter and apply well-rotted manure (about 20 kg per plant), mixing it with the soil. Plant the Buddha's hand gourd seedlings on one side when they are about 25 to 30 cm tall.
3. Field management: (1) Keep the soil moist. After transplanting, Buddha's hand gourds grow slowly in the early stage due to lower temperatures and require less water, just keeping the soil moist. After the summer solstice, with higher ground temperatures, drought conditions can easily cause the vines to wither, so be sure to water and moisturize.
(2) Trellis management. Buddha's hand gourds are very vine-like plants that require a lot of space. It is necessary to set up trellises in time to allow the gourds to produce more. The trellis should be about two meters high, with about 50 square meters per plant. Each node of the Buddha's hand gourd can sprout lateral branches. To avoid tangling and improve ventilation and light penetration, it is important to organize them, allowing the vines to be evenly distributed to increase the fruiting rate.
(3) Pinching the top to promote fruiting. The main vines of Buddha's hand gourds produce fewer fruits, mainly on the lateral or grandchild vines. The rule for fruiting is that the main vines are less productive than the lateral vines, and the lateral vines are less productive than the grandchild vines. When pruning, the top of the main vines should be removed in time to allow for slow development. Before going onto the trellis, only three lateral vines are left per plant, and the rest are removed. After going onto the trellis, no more lateral vines are removed, allowing them to grow freely, but be sure to organize the vines to ensure good ventilation and even distribution.
(4) Apply compound fertilizer. With high yields, a single plant can produce more than 600 gourds. Timely fertilization helps increase yield. About 30 cm away from the root, dig three radial trenches, mix organic and chemical fertilizers, apply them, and then cover with soil. That's it for this section. Remember to visit often, and if you like it, give it a thumbs up before leaving.
The above information on how to plant Buddha's hand gourds for high yield and the comprehensive explanation of cultivation techniques may help solve your problems with green plants.