Sowing

• Sponge gourd can be grown from spring through monsoon in both well-draining containers and raised beds Sponge Gourd seeds can be grown in containers or on raised beds.
• If you opt for growing sponge gourd in a container, choose a circular pots or grow bag with 16” diameter and minimum depth of 8-10 inches.
• Make sure your container has proper drainage holes at the bottom
• Ideal sowing medium for sponge gourd seeds is 2 part garden soil & 1 part any Organic Manure or 1 part garden soil, 1 part Coco Peat & 1 part Vermicompost.
• Fill your container with the growth medium of your choice.
• Sow 2 seeds at the centre of a pot.
• On raised beds, sow two seeds per spot in a spacing of 4 x 4 ft.
• Place your seeds on the surface of the medium and use the inside with the tip of a pencil and cover the surface with growing medium.
• Water the sown seed bed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.
• Before sowing the seeds, add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio. Organic manure can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, Compost or Vermicompost.

Caring

• Your spongegourd seeds will germinate within the first 6 - 8 days. You will notice tiny sprouts growing at this stage.
• Second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant.
• After the second week, keep only single seedling at one spot, Cut off the weak, small & lagging seedlings with a pair of scissors.
• Sponge Gourds require full sunlight to grow. Make sure that your raised beds and containers get sufficient sunlight.
• Water your potted Sponge Gourd plant every day in summer.
• For an even shower use a Watering can to water your plants or use a drip irrigation system.
• Being an aggressive climber, sponge gourd needs a lot of space to grow. So develop a strong trellis support up to height of 5-6 ft, by using locally available material like pipes, bamboo, ropes, wires etc. for your Indian Round Gourd plant.
• When your bottle gourd plant is more than 45 days old, provide one tablespoon of 15:15:15 (NPK) Fertilizer per plant or mix handful of Vermicompost in the soil around each plant.
• Keep an eye out for early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections and spray appropriate medicines.
• Sponge Gourds have separate Male & female flowers on same plant. Fruits will be formed on female flower after pollination.
• By the end of third month ( 80-90 days after sowing ), Sponge Gourd climber will start flowering.
• Raw sponge gourd can be harvested 3 months after sowing the seeds. Harvesting season can continue for next 3 months.

Common Problems

Sponge gourd plant is not growing fruits.
Insufficient pollination is a big factor that can hamper the growth of bottle gourds. If sufficient pollination does not take place, the female flower will grow initially, but will die and fall off eventually. To increase pollination you can opt for hand pollination using a brush.
Why are my Sponge Gourd seedlings wilting?
Overwatering is the main cause for wilting. Too much water can drown your seedlings and deprive their roots of air, which leads to wilting and your seedlings might eventually die.
Why are my sponge gourd seeds not germinating?
Growing conditions like moisture, improper soil temperature, over watering or under watering can all be a reason why your seeds are not germinating.