Bitter melon, Bitter Gourd
Formats
Edible climber. The fresh leaves are ideal for salads and the dried leaves make delicious herbal teas. The fruit is also eaten young. Before consuming the fruit, it is necessary to put it to soak a few hours so that it loses its bitter taste and its sap can be enjoyed since it is not edible fresh. Very tasty in pickles, soups and stews.
Tall 2 to 5 m. Large, green lobed leaves. Fragrant, yellow flowers and cucumber-like fruits. The ripe fruit is bitter and split open to display its seeds wrapped in a red pulp.
Indoor sowing takes place from March to May, extending until June for outdoor sowing. Before sowing, seeds should be soaked in warm water 24 hours then sow 0,5cm deep maintaining a temperature of 23-26ºC.
Use
Edible, Walls, fences, Climber
Calendar
Zone map
You may also like
Flowering
| Flower colour | Yellow |
|---|---|
| Fragrant | Flower |
Botanical information
| Botanical name | Momordica charantia |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Annual |
When to plant?
| Sowing period | March, April, May, June, Spring |
|---|---|
| Harvest period | July, August, September, October, Summer, Autumn |
| Germination (days) | 8-15 |
| Average germination (%) | 70 |
| Seeds per gram | 5 |
Where to plant?
| Type of use | Edible, Walls, fences, Climber |
|---|---|
| Exposure | No preference, Sun |
| Soil pH | No preference |
| Soil type | No preference, Rich |
| Soil moisture | Moist but well-drained |
| Hardiness | Non hardy |
| Climate zone | Tropical |
Care
| Watering | Regular |
|---|
We are growers
Our main difference in the market is that we are growers of plants and seeds.
Quality control
We carry out constant quality controls of our plants and seeds.
Innovation & development
We lead and take part in different research and development programmes.
Extensive experience
We created our first online seed shop more than 30 years ago.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
We offer tips and deals to enjoy your garden all year round
PRIVACY POLICY SUMMARY
- Responsible: FRUTOS Y SEMILLAS DEL BOSQUE, S.L. +info
- Data collection: For marketing activities and for transaction processing. +info
- Legitimation: Consent of the interested. +info
- Destinatary: No data will be transferred to third parties unless legally required or if the assignment is necessary to achieve the objective. +info
- Disclaimer rights: You have the right to access, rectify and delete data, as well as other rights, as explained in the additional information. +info
- Additional information: You can access to additional, detailed information on privacy policy here.
- Poligono Les Vinyes - Carrer dels Torners, s/n
46711 Miramar (Valencia) Spain - (+34) 646 433 048 (M-F from 8am to 3pm)
- [email protected]
2026 The Original Garden. All rights reserved