Bottle gourd (long) – vegetable seeds

Bottle gourd (long) seeds

Bottle gourd is an excellent vegetable gifted by nature to humans, containing all of the essential constituents required for good health and a high quality of life. Lagenaria siceraria (Cucurbitaceae), popularly known as bottle gourd, lauki or ghiya, is a climbing plant, which bears hard-shelled and bottle-shaped gourds as fruits. It makes an excellent diet because it is high in vitamins, iron, and minerals. The fruit is said to contain triterepenoide cucurbitacins B, D, G, and H, as well as two sterols, fucosterol and campesterol, as well as aerpene byonolic acid, flavone-C glycosides, and lagenin.

Agro-climatic requirements

Bottle gourd demands an early development at a minimum temperature of 18°C, the warm and humid atmosphere is conducive to its growing. The temperature of night and day of 18-22°C and 30-35°F is ideal for good development and a high vegetable yield. This Vegetable cannot withstand frost.The optimal pH for soil is between 6.0-6.7, however plants might be pH-8.0 for alkaline soils.

Planting Material

For growing one hectare of land, around 3-4 kilograms of seeds are required.

Planting season

It sown on the plains from June to July for monsoon or rainy harvests, and in the highlands from April to June. Summer crops are harvested from January until the end of February.