Kitchen at Home and My Garden: Momordica Charantia

Bitter Melon, Bitter Gourds, Momordica Charantia，苦瓜

Cuisine Plants, Fruits, Veggies, Aroma Spices and Herbs Gardening: Bitter Gourds, 苦瓜，

Momordica Charantia

Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.

Pinch tip at 70 cm to 1 meter height.

Minimum plant base per Stalk:

30 × 30 × 20 cm ( Volume = 0.3×0.3×0.2 = 0.018 meters³ = 18 Litre )

soil volume (liters) 15–20 L

           40% soil
       + 40% compost
       + 20% sand

Shallow wide tub;

can grow with ginger at soil;
leafy greens on top or edge;
fast harvest.

Need 4–6 h sun lights.

20251226 1430 Friday, hot day

Solar board dropped from wall, Broke it s 2 arms.

🥒 Bitter Gourd No. 4 (Bottom – Arms Broken)

This one looks dramatic but is actually very promising.

What happened
Main arms broken → plant switched to survival mode
Bitter gourd naturally fruits on laterals
Result: many side shoots (exactly what we want)

⭐ Bitter Gourd Pruning Rule (IMPORTANT)

Bitter gourd fruits on many laterals.

Use this simple 3-step rule:

1️⃣ Choose 3–4 strongest laterals

Look for:

Thicker stem
Healthy dark green leaves
Growing outward (not crossing)

👉 These become your fruiting arms

2️⃣ Remove the rest gradually

❌ Cut:

Thin, weak shoots
Shoots growing downward or inward
Crowded shoots near the base

✂ Don’t remove everything at once — spread it over a few days.

3️⃣ After flowering starts

Let each lateral grow ~60–80 cm

Then pinch the tip

➡ This forces female flowers + fruit set

🧠 Visual Guide (Simple)

Main stem (damaged)
|
|—— Keep lateral A → fruit
|—— Keep lateral B → fruit
|—— Keep lateral C → fruit
|—— Remove weak shoots

⚠️ Extra Tips (Very Important)

Bitter gourd is heavy fruit

Use fruit nets (you already collected them 👍)

Ensure sun + airflow

Don’t overwater after pruning (prevents rot)

🥒 BITTER GOURD No.4 – EXACT PRUNING GUIDE

Since the main arms broke, we will rebuild the plant using laterals (this is actually ideal for fruiting).

🔢 Step 1: Count Nodes (Very Important)

A node = where a leaf + tendril + lateral (or bud) comes out.

Start counting from the soil level upward.

✂️ Step 2: What to REMOVE (Do this first)

❌ Remove ALL laterals and buds (keep their leaves) at:

Node 1–5 (bottom 20–30 cm)

Reason:

Poor airflow (improve airflow)
Weak fruit (Strong main vine)
Disease risk (Cleaner trunk)

👉 Cut them flush, clean cut.

⭐ Step 3: What to KEEP (Core Decision)

✅ Choose 3 or 4 laterals ONLY from:

Node 6–12

Pick laterals that:

Are thicker
Have bigger leaves
Grow outward / upward
Are not crossing each other

👉 These become your main fruiting arms

✂️ Step 4: Remove the Rest (Gradually)

If you see:

6–8 laterals total
Keep 3–4
Remove the weakest 1–2 per day

⚠️ Don’t strip everything at once — bitter gourd hates shock.

🌼 Step 5: After Flowers Appear (CRITICAL)

Bitter gourd fruits on laterals, but too long = leaves only.
When a kept lateral reaches: 60–80 cm

OR

After 2–3 female flowers

✂️ Pinch the tip

➡ This forces:

Female flowers
Fruit swelling instead of vine length

🥒 Step 6: Fruit Load Control (IMPORTANT)

Per plant:

First round: 3 fruits max

After harvest: allow another 3–4

If too many fruits set:
❌ Remove smallest ones early

Reason:

Bigger, straighter gourds
Less stress on roots

20251226 1430 Friday, hot day

relocate these four pots against the eastern wall out to the front together with the 3m x 3m x 2.4m arch trellis for easy maintenance, to receive better sun lights and air flow.

20251215 Monday 1000 heavy rain since yesterday

Pinched top at 70 cm to 1 meter

Set up arch trellis 3 m x 3 m x 2.4 m height.

20251211 Thursday 1600 Sunny afternoon

Ku gua

20251205 Friday Sunny morning

20251115 Saturday cooling morning

Transplanted long beans stalks

About six inches height, havin

20251109 Transplanted bitter gourds

It is better to wait till their tendrils come out then Transplant.

20251109 9 am Sunday hot morning

Cut out the coriander root from the bunch bought from Sheng Song.

Buried them with an egg and a over ripe banana. Cover up with black pot.

20251109 10 am Sunday hot morning

transplanted bitter gourds today

Selected the fattest tallest strongest.

Prepare to use hydro tub for the balance seedlings.

this black container with holes sitting inside a white tub is a basic Deep Water Culture (DWC)–style hydroponic setup, or what’s sometimes called a “passive hydro box”.

It’s simple, effective, and well suited for testing bitter gourd and leafy vegetables.