(IPPM) in Vegetables - Vegetableipmasia.org

Resource Manual on IPPM in Vegetable
World Education Philippines, Inc.
Varieties of bitter gourd differ in fruit size, color, ridging, and degree of bitterness
Table 21. Growth Stages of Ampalaya
Growth stage
No. of Days
Seedling
Vegetative
Flowering
Fruiting/Harvesting
Maturity
c. Land Preparation
7 10 days after sowing (DAS)
30 35 DAS
40 45 DAS
48 55 DAS
60 70 DAS
The field should be well-prepared and the soil must be well pulverized and leveled. If the
soil pH is lower than 5.8 apply lime one month before planting at the rate of 1,000- 3,000
kgs/hectare depending on the soil acidity.
d. Planting
There are two options in planting bitter gourd, direct seeding and transplanting.
Direct Seeding
Sow the seeds 2 cm deep at a spacing of 30 cm between plants and 300 cm between
rows. Other recommended spacing are: 200 cm x 50 cm; and 100cms x 100 cm. The
recommended spacing will give you 10,000 plants/hectare or one plant/sqm.
Transplanting
Sow the seeds 2 cm deep in any kind of small plastic bag or small container using a
potting mix that has good water holding capacity and good drainage. Water the seedling
thoroughly every morning to maintain a moist but not wet soil. Grow the seedlings in
full sun with adequate protection against heavy rains, winds and stray animals. Harden
the seedlings by reducing the watering three days before transplanting. At
transplanting, remove the plastic bag or container with minimum disturbance to the
roots. Do not delay transplanting too long beyond the first true leaf stage. Transplant
on cloudy days or late in the afternoon. Transplant seedlings into the field at spacing
similar to those used for the direct seeding method.
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