Amoos Jacob- October 8, 2024
How to germinate bitter gourd seeds Fast- Easy Way
When it comes to planting summer vegetables in the home garden, growing bitter gourd comes to mind as it is a popular summer vegetable worldwide, harvesting fresh vegetables from your own garden is very satisfying.
Normally, bitter gourd seeds germinate within 7 to 10 days depending on growing conditions and the variety of seeds. The germination time can be reduced to 3-4 days, methods used to germinate bitter gourd seeds fast are soaking and scarification. Learn how to grow bitter gourds from seed to harvesting.
Each method is discussed in detail in the article below.
Use High-Quality Seeds
The quality of seeds is highly important if you want uniform and fast germination. Always buy high-quality and fresh seeds to get a good germination rate. The seed’s viability decreases when one year or more old. Whenever you buy seeds, buy from a well-reputed gardening store.
Methods to Germinate Bitter Gourd Seeds Fast
Most of the seeds are not able to start their germination because moisture does not reach them due to the hard cover. Below are methods to speed up the germination.
- Soaking
Soak the bitter gourd seeds in clean water for 24 hours this will soften the hard seed cover. The seeds will be swollen which indicates that the seeds have absorbed the required moisture and will germinate faster. Don’t use the seeds that are floating after 24 hours because there are fewer chances that they will germinate. Drain the water and let the seeds dry completely.
After the seeds are dry take a nail clipper and clip the seed cover tip carefully seed should not be damage. The purpose to cut the tip of seeds cover is to expose the seed.
Note: Avoid soaking the seeds for more than 24 hours this may cause the seeds to rot.
- Scarification using Sand Paper
Scarification is the method of breaking or scratching the hard cover of the seed so that moisture can reach the seed and start germination in less time.
Scarification is done using sandpaper/nail filer by rubbing the bitter gourd seed from one side on the sandpaper. Gently rub the seed on sandpaper and stop when the seed is visible or when the cover color changes, you have to be very careful while rubbing the seed inside should not be damaged. After that soak the seeds in water for 10 to 12 hours, drain the water and let the seeds dry, and then sow them in soil.
How Germinate Bitter Gourd Seeds Fast
After soaking/scarification of seeds you can use paper towel method to start germination fast than sowing, this will further reduce the time.
Germination by Paper towel method
Bitter gourd or any seeds can germinate faster using the paper towel method. For this you will need paper towels and a plastic bag that has zipper or any plastic box with a lid.
Moisten 3 to 4 paper towels using water sprayer, make sure the sheets are not too wet because seeds only need moisture to start germination. If seeds will stay wet they will rot. Place the soaked seeds on half of paper towel and fold over. The distance between the seeds should be 1 inch or more.
After that, put the paper towel in plastic bag or plastic box and close it. Place the plastic bag or box in a warm place. Check the seeds daily, once the roots are 1.5 to2 inches long, then you can transplant them to soil or a container. Seeds will germinate in less than 3 days (time can vary).
Frequently Asked Questions
A. There can be several reasons for bitter gourd seeds not germinating mainly low quality or old seeds, temperature more than 32 °C, the soil is not well-draining, and if seeds are planted deep in soil.
A. Buy quality seeds soak them in water for 24 hours, drain water, and let them dry. Use well-draining soil and sow seeds about 1 inch deep in soil. Water using a shower and maintain moisture in the soil.
A. Bitter gourds germinate successfully between 20°C to 32°C.
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