The Bittermelon plant also known as the bitter gourd or bitter squash, is one of the most popular vegetables in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, India and the Philippines. It is a beautiful tall trellising plant with deeply lobed leaves and a wondrous eye-catching fruit that grow from pale green to yellow to orange as it ripens. Despite its beauty, it is an acquired taste as it is bitterer than an unripe grapefruit or very dark chocolate. Most people find the first taste is a mouth-puckering experience. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this time the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to pepper or cucumber, but bitter. As the fruit ripens, the flesh (rind) becomes tougher too bitter to be eaten. The pith (inside) becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some Southeast Asian salads. This melon is worth acquiring a taste for as it serves a nutritional punch, offering iron, twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the potassium of bananas, and twice the calcium of spinach. It also contains high amounts of fiber, phosphorous, and Vitamins C, B1, B2, and B3. It is used as a preventive cure for malaria, and helps maintain health in diabetics along with many other herbal remedies. Place plants 9-10 feet apart in a sunny location (at least 6 hours of sunlight). Bittermelon needs a fertile well-draining soil with ample watering. Mulching around the plant will help retain the soil moisture that this plant needs. This plant produces vines 13-16 feet long and will need trellis fencing to support the plant and the fruits(as the fruits will rot in the moist soil). Expect harvest in 60 days-from seeding
D**3
Nice plants, great packaging
The plants are a nice size, healthy and VERY carefully packaged. The roots and soil were wrapped in a ton of plastic wrap and the bundles were securely taped inside the Priority Mail box. It took some work to get them out but that just shows how secure they were. Zero damage-even USPS couldn't hurt them and the box was squished in and quite beat up.The only thing I found odd was all the growing tips were trimmed off. Perhaps this was to get them to fit? The seller must have had their reasons as every single one was this way. There's growth from the lower nodes so I have no fear that they'll be fine but I would have preferred a single stem at the bottom given the configuration of my trellis but I can trim it if I see the need. I can't get the seeds to germinate to save my life so I'm not complaining.I've purchased from this seller in the past and the plants did beautifully so I'm expecting a gorgeous display and bountiful harvest this year.
A**S
Live Bittermelon plants.
I was highly concerned when my order arrived in a dilapidated looking box. However, the plants inside where very healthy looking. The order was for 2 live plants, but the seller sent 3 very healthy plants. Thank you very much. They looked puny and miserable for about 2 weeks post planting. But then have taken off since then. Will I be ordering from these seller again if needed? Definitely.
A**R
Five Stars
Thank you for the extra plant. They are all thriving well!
Y**S
Excellent
Excellent product
D**R
Disappointed
Only one suvived
M**H
Healthy plants
The plants arrived healthy and grew up fast.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
3 days ago
