THE CHINESE CUCURBITS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 51

Appearance
Since bitter melon is often grown as an ornamental, you know it must be good-looking.
It's a handsome vine with attractively lobed, bright green leaves and numerous small,
cheerful yellow flowers. The melons are really odd-looking. They grow up to 12 inches
long, about 2 inches in diameter, and are oval but taper to a point at each end. When
immature, the fruits are yellowish green or dark green. As they mature, they turn the
same bright yellow as the flowers, then bright orange. Plants are very showy when fully
fruited. If allowed to ripen, the melon will split open; the inside it reveals is even more
striking than the flowers and fruits. This is a fascinating plant to grow and to eat.
How to Grow
Getting started. Bitter melon, like most melons, is a warm-weather crop. Wait to sow
seeds outdoors until all danger of frost is past and the ground is thoroughly warm. Or
you can start them indoors two weeks before the last frost and grow them indoors for a
month before setting out. (See page 201.)
Planting. Bitter melon grows best with some sort of support. Sow seeds next to a fence
or trellis 1 inch deep, 6 to 8 inches apart. A well-fertilized soil, high in nitrogen, will
suit it best. The seeds are slow to germinate (up to 14 days), so be patient. Keep the
seedbed moist until seedlings appear.
Growing needs. Copious watering is required throughout the growing season. To make
this easier, dig a ditch next to the planted row to catch more water. Water every four
days if the season is dry; deep watering is the only kind that will do any good.
Bitter melon is a heavy feeder; it requires a good deal of fertilizer. Side-dress plants
every couple of weeks, or water with half-strength fish-and-seaweed fertilizer. Dusting
the vines with wood ashes or using a wood-ash mulch may help deter pests. (Don't try
this if your soil is alkaline, though.)
When vines are about 10 inches long, tie them to their support. From then on, you
can weave new growth in and out of the support. For the most ornamental effect, tie it
in such a way as to train the foliage where you want it to go.