Momordica care
This crop is especially sensitive to watering — there should always be enough moisture. It is advisable to give an abundant amount of water (about 10 liters per 1 plant) in the evening every other day, in a particularly hot period — daily. The water should not be icy — it is better to use the water from the barrel.
Mulch keeps the soil moist well, so it should be added if necessary. If you notice that the roots have appeared above the ground, then they must be sprinkled with earth — to train the plant.
Momordica loves good food. From June to October, 4-5 top-ups should be carried out, alternating organic and mineral. The culture reacts perfectly to infusions of manure and droppings, as well as to complex fertilizers (NPK) with the addition of trace elements. In order not to engage in independent selection of ingredients, you can purchase ready-made fertilizers for cucumbers and zucchini and use them, breeding according to the instructions.
Formation of momordics
It all depends on the purpose for which you grow momordica. This plant forms a large number of stepsons, which is beneficial if you need to cover a fence or an unsightly building with beautiful openwork leaves and see some bright toy fruits. When thickening, most of the ovaries will surely fall off.
If the goal is to harvest, then you need to grow momordica in 1-3 stems. To do this, the stepsons growing out of the lower two nodes are removed, left above 1 or 2, and the rest are also pinched. So fruits will form on the main stems, which will have enough light and nutrition, and they will be able to grow and ripen. In any case, the lower leaves and stepsons should be removed by the end of June so as not to provoke the development of fungal diseases.
Varieties
Momordica is not yet very popular in the vast expanses of our country — probably because many seed producers do not bother to designate a specific variety. It is often possible to find a seed material where it is written simply “momordica” or “momordica, an exotic mixture” on the bag. And — a photo of what should be the result. It remains only to read the short description on the back and hope for the best. It is important to pay attention to the date of seed collection, they should be last year’s or two-year maximum.
Popular varieties of momordica:
- ‘Jade’. An annual highly decorative vine with beautiful openwork leaves. Stepson formation is strong. The fruits ripen in about 70 days from the moment of emergence, their surface is furrowed, without spikes, orange-yellow in the mature state. The weight of one fruit is up to 300 g, length up to 30 cm. Unripe fruits can be consumed whole fresh, and juicy, delicious “berries” can be extracted from ripe ones;
- ‘Gosha’. This variety was bred specifically for cultivation in Siberia, but it will still not work in the open ground to get a harvest in this region — you need a greenhouse or at least a film shelter. But the fruits of this plant reach 35 cm and 400 g of weight, the yield is high, good resistance to diseases and pests;
- The varieties ‘Yellow Dragon’, ‘Naya’ are also interesting.
Using
As mentioned above, momordica is used for vertical gardening and as a food crop. To prepare different dishes, take green (unripe) fruits. After maturation, the outer skin of momordica in most varieties becomes coarser, becomes bitter and unfit for food, but the ruby “berries” that open to the eye are delicious and juicy.
Momordica is quite nutritious, but, in addition to its nutritional value, it also has healing properties. In the countries of the East (India, Korea, China, Japan) this culture is valued primarily for its ability to cure diseases. All parts of the plant are involved, except the roots. Momordica contains a large amount of vitamins, in particular vitamins E and F, as well as folic acid. The plant is used to raise the general tone and strengthen the body’s resistance to viruses and bacteria, treat hypertension, hemorrhoids, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, as well as to lose weight and cleanse blood vessels.
Momordica is undoubtedly an exotic plant, so we can do with general information about this culture to broaden our horizons. However, for many summer residents, it will be a fascinating experiment to launch an original vine into their garden that does not require special care and bestows unusual fruits. Who knows, maybe the Indian cucumber will become a familiar plant for you, without which there is nowhere — and will occupy its niche in the decorative design of the garden or a place of honor in your menu!
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