Guide on How to Grow Loofah and Bitter Melon on the Same Trellis

In rural areas, people often build a trellis to grow loofah, bitter melon, bottle gourd, and climbing squash together. This method saves labor and produces high-quality fruits and vegetables. The following article from My Garden will guide you on how to grow loofah and bitter melon on the same trellis.

1. Guide on How to Germinate Seeds, Mix Soil, and Plant Loofah and Bitter Melon

There are many ways to grow loofah and bitter melon together on a trellis. You can find dozens of different tips on various forums. However, according to the admin, you should learn methods from local farmers (in your area). 

They are the real "experts" as they have lived there for a long time and know the specifics of sunny days, rainy days, and each growing season. Of course, you can learn from them and adapt their methods to create your own (for example, if they spray pesticides, you might choose not to, or create your own organic treatments). Below is my method.

1.1. How to Germinate Seeds

Everyone has their own habits or methods, such as soaking in hot water, then cold, or wrapping in damp paper. I always germinate seeds directly in the soil. I usually germinate seeds in a small container or seedling tray. When the seedlings have 3-4 leaves, I transplant them into a larger container. For the first one or two days, keep them in a shady spot or cover them to protect from intense sunlight, which can weaken the plants. Once the plants are stable, place the container in a position where the trellis is ready. Insert small stakes or poles for the vines to cling to while they have not reached the trellis yet.

• Loofah, bitter melon, bottle gourd, and climbing squash all prefer sunlight, requiring a minimum of 4 hours per day.
• Water in the morning and evening. When the fruits begin to form, water more but avoid overwatering.
• The seeds of loofah and bitter melon have a seed point (the area that will split to sprout). When germinating, the seed point should be facing upwards. If you can't determine the orientation, you can lay the seeds horizontally.
• The seed germination soil should be mixed like the planting soil (details below).

1.2. How to Mix Soil

• I use commercially available soil, mixing it with well-rotted cow manure and pre-mixed rice husk and coconut coir (also purchased from a store). The approximate ratio is 2 parts soil + 1 part cow manure + 1 part rice husk.
• For dry cow manure, place it in a sealed container and water it. If someone in the house drinks beer, it’s even better to add some "spent beer" into it. After about 15-20 days, it can be used.

1.3. Planting Instructions

• When first planting, fill the container with only 1/3 or 1/2 of the foam box. In this article, you can use a foam box if you don’t have a garden; otherwise, feel free to plant in the garden.
• Loofah and bitter melon can last for a long time (3-4 months or more), so when planting, choose the largest container/pot possible.

2. Detailed Guide on Caring for Loofah and Bitter Melon on the Same Trellis

To care for loofah and bitter melon on the same trellis, you can follow some suggestions below.

2.1. Girdling

• When the vines reach about 2 meters, proceed to girdle. Cut all the leaves from the base up to more than 1 meter, remove the tendrils from the stakes, and lay the cut section of vine down on the ground. Use small sticks to gently press down on the leaf nodes that have been cut, helping them to make contact with the soil. You can sprinkle a little new soil next to the leaf nodes to stimulate root growth. The remaining vine tips should be tied to a stake so that the vines continue to climb. It’s best to do this in the afternoon when the vines are soft and flexible. In the morning, the vines are full of water, brittle, and easily damaged or broken.
• After one week or 10 days, when you see roots have developed at the leaf nodes in contact with the soil, you can add more soil (do not fertilize at this stage), covering the entire portion of the coiled vine lying at the bottom of the container.

Note:

• When you first girdle, if you cover the vine immediately, the young vine portion that is buried may easily rot, leading to the death of the vine. Even if it survives, it will be weak due to insufficient root support.
• Girdling helps the plant develop additional roots. As a result, the nutrient supply for the fruit will be richer later on.
• One week after covering the girdled portion, apply well-rotted cow manure. Sprinkle the manure evenly over the surface of the container but not too close to the climbing vine. Then lightly cover it with a thin layer of soil. At this time, the amount of manure + soil should be about 1/2 to 2/3 of the container.

2.2. When to Prune Tips?

During this stage, please note the following:

• Bitter melon will begin to produce fruits and many new shoots. If there are no new shoots, prune the tips to encourage branching. If you see many flower buds (female flowers) on the bitter melon, you can increase nutrition with vermicompost or other organic fertilizers. It depends on the ability and goodwill of the gardener.
• Loofah may still be tirelessly crawling around, climbing as much as it wants. Occasionally, right at the junction (leaf node), a few stray shoots may appear. You need to nurture and closely monitor these shoots because flowers and buds will come from them. If it grows too quickly and doesn't leave behind any stray shoots at the junctions, you must hold it back. Prune the tips!
• If the loofah is thriving, you do not need to add more fertilizer. If the leaves turn yellow and the plant's growth is weak, lightly add some cow manure. If the leaves are overly lush and thick (leaf blight), cut back on some leaves and prune the tips to encourage budding until the loofah decides to "stop roaming" and produce flowers and buds. At this point, you can add nutrients for it. The amount and method of adding fertilizer will be the same as for bitter melon mentioned above.
• If the loofah keeps dreaming about the days of wandering and refuses to bear flowers, you can give it a stimulating dose. Lightly apply some NPK fertilizer away from the base (a type of fertilizer that promotes fruiting for climbing plants, not to be confused with flowering fertilizers for ornamental plants).
• I imagine this: Since the bitter melon produces flowers early and easily, the loofah will learn from it, or to avoid being thought of as "blended," it will resolve to produce flowers. Therefore, after many seasons of growing on the same trellis, I continue to grow the two together.
• Loofah will not taste bitter when grown alongside bitter melon. (This has been proven through many seasons of experience.)

2.3. Some Notes on Growing Loofah and Bitter Melon on the Same Trellis

• After harvesting the first batch, if the plants are still healthy, wait until the second harvest before adding more soil... and continue until the container is full or the plants show signs of wilting.
• If the container is full of soil and the plants are still thriving and able to reproduce, you can expand the container to add more soil. "As long as there is rice, the pigeons will come." Thus, adding more soil will encourage the roots to grow upward. Therefore, use straw or collect old leaves and organic waste to cover the top of the container so that the new roots are not affected by wind and rain.
• Loofah and bitter melon are often susceptible to whiteflies and aphids on the underside of the leaves, spreading quickly. Therefore, regularly monitor and immediately remove any affected leaves if you don't want to spray pesticides or any biological treatments... Preventing and controlling disease is always better than treating it.
• Bitter melon is also prone to yellow flies, which cause the fruits to turn yellow and rot internally. You can use traps for yellow flies or simply cover them with bags. Unlike human bags, the bags for bitter melon must have the bottom cut off and many holes for air circulation.

The lifespan of these two plants is quite long, averaging 3-4 months or more, starting from when the seedlings are planted. Well-rotted cow manure remains the foundation that helps the plants prolong their lifespan. If possible, you can also apply vermicompost, chicken manure, fish emulsion, or other organic fertilizers that you are familiar with. Regularly remove old leaves by adopting a "leave some, cut some" method but do not cut leaves where buds are forming or fruits are developing; overgrowth can easily lead to pest problems. Guide the vines with stakes to prevent them from overlapping and entangling.

The above are my experiences with loofah and bitter melon grown in foam boxes and climbing together on a trellis in Saigon. I continue to plant year-round regardless of the weather. If anyone has different experiences, please share to give new growers more options.

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