Momordica cochinchina 2 PCS fresh seeds

Momordica cochinchinensis

Description:
An annual climbing herbaceous plant growing 5-7 m tall. Can be grown as a houseplant.

The leaves are three-parted.

The flowers are yellow, with a pleasant scent reminiscent of jasmine. It blooms in July-August.

The fruits are large (10-12 cm in diameter), oval, and covered with papillary growths. The color varies from bright orange to green or yellow. The flavor is not sweet, with a bitter, nutty aroma reminiscent of unripe pumpkin or bitter melon.

Uses:
Culinary – the juice or pulp is added to smoothies, sauces, or used to prepare traditional dishes such as sticky rice.

Growing Conditions:
Requires a sunny, sheltered location. The soil should be fertile, loose, loamy, and neutrally acidic. Care includes generous watering with warm water, regular fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers, and cultivating the plant.

Growing from seeds:
Sow in early to mid-spring in several stages: 1) File off the seed tip with a file or fine sandpaper, removing the layers of the hard shell; 2) Disinfect the seeds by briefly soaking them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate; 3) Wrap them in a soft, damp cloth and leave in a warm place (at least 23°C) until white roots appear.

Sow the seeds, two at a time, in a special peat container with nutrient-rich soil to a depth of 1.5 cm and water thoroughly. Cover the containers with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect and leave them there. If the required temperature conditions are maintained, seedlings should appear within two weeks. Once the first shoots appear, remove the plastic wrap and place the seedlings in a sunny location. Monitor the soil moisture, preventing it from drying out, and mist the plants daily. Once two leaves appear on each seedling, transplant them, leaving the stronger one in the pot. After this, you can begin hardening off the plants: take the pots outside daily, gradually increasing the time spent outside from two hours to a day, adding 1.5 hours each day. Once the maximum time spent outdoors reaches a day, you can begin transplanting them into the ground.