How to Care for a Bitter Melon Plant

Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, is a common ingredient in Asian dishes. The melon plant thrives in hot, humid weather and is low maintenance once established. Caring for a bitter melon plant involves regular watering and providing a climbing surface. You can grow bitter melon anywhere in your garden that gets full sun. The fruit will be ready to pick around three months after planting. Pick the melons while they are still tender, or they will develop an unpleasantly bitter taste.

Plastic bottle
Trellis
Straw mulch
Urea-based fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Keep the bitter melons in a warm, humid spot that gets full sun. The plant grows poorly in cool temperatures. If you plant when the nights are still under 50 degrees F, cover the plants with the top half of a cut plastic bottle for warmth.
- 2
  Install a trellis next to the plant once it germinates. Bitter melon is a vining plant, and giving it a trellis to climb will keep it from taking over your garden space. It also prevents the fruits from becoming misshapen.
- 3
  Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist to the touch. Lay a 2 inch layer of straw mulch to keep down weeds and maintain soil moisture levels.
- 4
  Apply 1 ounce of urea-based fertilizer to the soil around the base of the plant every two weeks, once fruit begins to develop. Pick the fruits when they are still immature and have a light green color.

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