Raw / fresh
Use cucumbers and tender young fruit raw in salads, pickles, snacks, and cold dishes where suitable.
Cucurbits
Bitter Melon growing guide
Tropical climbing vine producing intensely bitter fruit used in Asian and Caribbean cuisine. Highly nutritious. Prefers hot, humid conditions.
7-14 daysGermination
55-70 daysHarvest
60 cmSpacing
1.5 cmSow depth
FullSun
TenderFrost
2.5 cm/weekWater
5.5-6.5pH
Planting calendar by climate
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| Climate | Sow | Transplant / Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical | Jan - Dec | Jan - Dec | Jan - Dec |
| Subtropical | Sep - Dec | Sep - Dec | Nov - Mar |
| Mediterranean | Sep - Oct | Oct - Nov | Dec - Feb |
| Temperate | Sep - Oct | Nov | Jan - Feb |
| Cool | Oct | Nov - Dec | Jan - Feb |
| Arid | Sep - Nov | Sep - Nov | Nov - Feb |
Cooking and eating ideas
A quick garden-to-table guide for using Bitter Melon after harvest.
Cooked
Grill, roast, saute, stuff, bake into fritters, simmer into curries, or cook mature squash and pumpkin.
Store / preserve
Pickle cucumbers, freeze cooked squash, cure storage pumpkins, or make relish and chutney.
Try: Pickles, Grilled slices, Pumpkin soup, Zucchini fritters.
Good companions
Corn, Beans, Marigold
Avoid near
Potato
Growing note
Harvest young for milder flavour. Train up trellis for best production.
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