Stages of growing momordica from seeds, caring for an exotic liana

Vertical gardening of the site allows you to disguise the ugly corners of the garden, and the main helpers in this are vines. Among plants of this type, momordica stands out favorably, the cultivation of which is no more difficult than growing cucumbers. An exotic guest is still rarely found in gardens, but some summer residents have already appreciated its high decorative qualities and the unusual taste of healthy fruits. We will tell you about growing momordica by seedling, cuttings, and also about caring for a tropical guest.

Description and varieties

Momordica is included in the Pumpkin family, the genus contains about 20 species of tropical herbaceous vines. Popularly nicknamed it yellow cucumber, mad melon or Indian pomegranate. The motherland of Momordika is India and Southeast Asia, where fruits and leaves are used in folk medicine, and traditional dishes are prepared from them.

Two representatives of the genus are grown as vegetable and ornamental crops:

• momordica harantia;
• momordika kokhinkhinskaya.

In our gardens, the first variety is more common - charantia. It forms long and slender shoots, reaching lengths of over two meters. Simple stems have a pentahedral cross-section, equipped with antennae. The shape of the leaf blades is reniform or round. The leaf is deeply dissected into 5-9 lobes. The leaves reach a length of 10 cm and a width of 12 cm, are arranged on the stem in the next order.

Simple yellow flowers, reminiscent of cucumber, are located in the axils of the leaves. They sit on long pedicels, appear during the active growth of lashes. Flowers are divided into male and female. During flowering, the garden is filled with a delicate fragrance similar to that of jasmine. Momordica is pollinated by insects.

Advice

When grown indoors, artificial pollination will be required to form fruit.

Elongated green fruits grow up to 15-40 cm in length and 5-8 cm in width. The surface of the skin is covered with tubercles and papillae, resembling the skin of a crocodile. Vegetables are fusiform, cylindrical, or oval.

As it ripens, the color of the crop changes to yellow-orange. When fully ripe, the fruit bursts from below, opening into three pointed fleshy lobes. Orange flesh and large ruby ​​seeds are exposed.

Growing Momordica seedlings

It is quite simple to settle a tropical vine on your plot or balcony. Growing a crop from seeds will not cause difficulties even for beginners in gardening.

The time of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on the region where Momordica is grown and the further conditions for its growth. She begins to bear fruit after 60 days from the first shoots. The seedling period lasts half of this period - 30 days. Momordica seeds for seedlings are sown in March.

The correct preparation of the seed is the key to fast growth and healthy seedlings. The seed coat of Momordica reliably protects the embryo; it is not easy to achieve germination without preliminary preparation.

Before sowing, the seeds need preparation, which includes the following steps.

1. Scarification. The procedure serves to break the integrity of the seed coat and stimulate germination. Rub the seeds gently with sandpaper.
2. Disinfection. Protects seedlings from fungal infection. Processing is carried out by soaking in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes or fungicide (according to the instructions).After soaking, the seed is rinsed in clean water.
3. Soaking in a growth promoter. Accelerate the process of awakening the seed and the emergence of sprouts. Usually a solution of potassium humate is used.
4. Germination. After performing the described manipulations, place the momordica seeds in a damp cloth and keep in a warm place at a temperature above 25 ° C. The sprouts will appear in 2 weeks.

Advice

Choose only ripe seeds that are reddish brown in color.

Like other members of the Pumpkin family, Momordica prefers organic-rich, loose and nutritious substrates. For growing seedlings, a soil mixture based on humus, garden soil, sand and peat is suitable. The components must be taken in equal proportions, after steaming the garden soil.

Since Momordica has an underdeveloped rod-type root system, cultivation is carried out in individual containers to exclude the picking process. It is advisable to select peat pots or cups with a volume of about 300 ml (diameter - 9-10 cm).

Sowing Momordica seeds for seedlings is performed according to the following instructions.

1. Fill peat glasses with soil mixture, not reaching the edge of 2 cm.
2. Make a 2 cm deep hole in the center of each pot.
3. Place the sprouted seeds with an edge, cover the hole with soil.
4. Carefully pour the container, cover with foil or glass and install it in the warmest place of the apartment. The optimum temperature for keeping is 22-26 ° C.

Seedlings will appear only after 1-2 weeks, the first watering after sowing is carried out in 2-3 days. Until the seedlings appear, the shelter is daily wiped from condensate droplets, the soil is kept moist.

Momordica seedlings during cultivation are protected from drafts and waterlogging. The temperature background for the harmonious development of seedlings should be at least 25 ° C.

Advice

Do not place pots close to glass. The leaves from contact with a cold surface will lose their decorative effect, they can get sick with a fungus.

Keep the soil well moistened, but avoid stagnant water after irrigation. Water the momordica only with warm, settled water. Seedling care necessarily includes a double feeding. Alternate the full mineral complex and organics (humates).

Disembarkation to a permanent place

The readiness of Momordika seedlings for planting is indicated by the development of a bush to a height of 25 cm. It will reach such dimensions a month later from full shoots.

Transplanting Momordica into open ground is possible only after the return frost has receded. The air should warm up to 20-22 ° C, and the soil at a depth of 10 cm - up to + 15 ° C. In Central Russia, the event is held in the third decade of May. For Siberia and the Urals, the landing dates are shifted to June 5–10. In case of sudden bad weather, it is better to protect tender seedlings with a temporary shelter. Momordica can be transplanted into a greenhouse 2 weeks earlier.

The plot for growing Momordica is selected even and sunny, with a slight shade in the midday heat. Low-lying areas are not suitable for cultivation. If you are going to plant a vine there, take care of good drainage, plant it on a "pillow" 30-40 cm high.

Momordica seedlings develop well on light loams enriched with organic matter. The area where potatoes, legumes, tomatoes, siderates used to grow is best suited.

10-14 days before planting, the site for growing Momordica should be prepared:

1. dig up the soil;
2. remove rhizomes of perennial weeds;
3. add humus or compost at the rate of 3-5 kg ​​per square meter;
4. add 20-30 g of potassium chloride, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate per square meter;
5. while re-digging, add lime or dolomite flour and some sand to improve breathability.

The grown bushes are transplanted together with peat glasses into holes of such depth that the container will fully fit.Momordica is removed from plastic cups very carefully, trying not to violate the integrity of the earthen coma. Install the root system in the hole, add soil. After compaction, pour gently. When planting, observe the distance between the bushes 0.6-1 m.

Caring for momordica in the garden

Taking care of momordica in the garden is very simple: the same agricultural rules apply to it as for growing other members of the pumpkin family.

• Support installation

To ensure the harmonious development of Momordica, immediately after planting, install a support next to the bushes. It is best to use a vertical trellis for cultivation, in which the lower crossbar is located at a height of 80-90 cm.

Advice

The support will not only protect the fragile stems of Momordica from fracture, but also provide uniform illumination of the bush and ventilation. This will protect against fungal diseases.

• Bush formation

To secure a good harvest, during the cultivation, the Momordica bush is formed. Thickening will have a bad effect on the quality of the crop, so 2-3 stems are left, and the remaining lashes are removed. Ensure good ventilation of the root zone by removing all leaves and stepchildren to a height of 50 cm.

This is done after the appearance of the first ovary. This period is associated with the protective mechanism of Momordica - all aerial parts of the bush are covered with small stinging hairs. During the first thinning, you should protect the skin from contact with stems and leaves, otherwise you will get burned like from nettles. By the time of fruiting, the protection "turns off", the hairs fall off.

• Irrigation mode, top dressing

Like cucumbers, momordica is very fond of abundant watering. In the heat, irrigation is carried out daily, pouring a bucket of water under each bush. Rely on weather conditions, water the plantings as the topsoil dries.

During cultivation, a full mineral complex or mullein infusion is added every two weeks. It is advisable to alternate organics and minerals. Momordica and folk recipes that are applicable to cucumbers are suitable - watering with serum, garden infusion.

• Artificial pollination

In the open field, you will not have problems with fruiting Momordica, but when growing in a greenhouse or on a balcony, you will have to work hard, turning into a bee. Arm yourself with a cotton swab or soft brush and gently transfer the pollen from the male flowers to the pistil of the female flowers.

Advice

Artificial pollination is best done in the early morning, at which time the viability of the pollen is at its maximum.

Disease and pest control

When growing a crop, you can face some problems. Momordica is threatened by the same diseases as its pumpkin relatives:

• bacteriosis;
• powdery mildew;
• septoria.

From lovers of juicy greenery, aphids can encroach on the bush. Fungal infections are treated by adjusting the irrigation regime. After removing the affected parts, treat the momordica with a fungicide solution. You can get rid of aphids with an infusion of garlic or a systemic insecticide. The first option is preferable if you are growing a crop for harvesting fruits.

Harvesting and storage of crops, useful qualities of fruits

Harvesting starts 8-10 days after the formation of the ovary. Momordica tastes like a cross between persimmon and pumpkin. The pulp of the green "cucumber" is devoid of bitterness, crunches appetizingly. Unripe fruits are eaten fresh, pickled, used for making snacks.

The bright yellow Momordica fruit is bitter, but the bitterness can be removed by soaking in salted water. The fruits are boiled or stewed. The bright pericarp of seeds is also eaten, after ripening it becomes sweet. In addition, the flowers, leaves, and stems of the Momordica are also eaten. They are suitable for preparing vitamin salads or dressing green soups. Vegetables are kept in the refrigerator for about three weeks.

Momordica is incredibly helpful! It helps to produce insulin, lower blood sugar, and eliminate plaque cholesterol. The substances contained in the vegetable stimulate the digestive tract. Scientists claim that the juice of this exotic is able to suppress cancer cells and even cure HIV. Momordica is rich in iron, potassium, "vitamins of youth", calcium, beta-carotene.

Reproduction of Momordica by cuttings

Momordica propagates quite easily by cuttings. Cuttings can be harvested throughout the growing season. For cultivation, the top of the lash with a length of at least 10 cm is rooted in water or a peat-sand mixture.

Cuttings are covered with cut plastic bottles before root formation to maintain high humidity and temperatures of at least 23-25 ​​° C. After the formation of the root lobe, the cutting is planted in open ground. To speed up adaptation for the first time after disembarkation, they maintain a shelter.

Having become acquainted with momordica, you will probably want to grow such an unusual and useful decoration for your garden. An effective representative of the flora will delight you with abundant fruiting, if you take proper care of it and pay due attention to growing seedlings.