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Description
A Vietnamese-type bitter gourd, also known as balsam pear and bitter melon, Green Pearl is early to ripen its 22-30cm (9-12”) shiny green, warty fruit. Scrape the white seeds and pith out and chop into bite size pieces for use in soups and stir fries. Grow on a trellis for straight fruit.
| Latin Name |
Summer & Winter Squash: Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo, & C. moschata. Specialty Squash: Momordica charantla, Luffa acutangula. |
| Difficulty |
Easy, but all squash plants take up space, and some can be huge. |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Sprouting | 7-14 days |
| Matures | 65 days |
| Starting |
Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot where you want a plant to grow, and thin to the strongest plant. Space summer squash 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 90-120cm (36-48″) apart. Give winter squash and pumpkins even more room with a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart. |
| Growing |
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer worked into the soil beneath each plant. All squash grow male flowers first, at later female flowers. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of their petals and require pollination by bees mostly. Incomplete pollination often happens at the beginning of the season, and results in misshapen fruits that are withered at the blossom end. Just discard these damaged fruits before they begin to rot. Encourage bees to visit the garden by growing Phacelia, sunflowers, or buckwheat for improved pollination. |
| Germination Rate | 80% |
| Seed Life | 2 years |
Also known as bitter melon and balsam pear.
Hybrid seed.
Grow on a trellis for straight fruit.
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