Snake Gourd

Tamil Name: Podalanga; Scientific Name: Trichosanthes cucumerina;

Beginner Level

G T

Planting/Sowing

Jun – Jul; Dec – Jan;

Harvesting

Feb – Mar; Aug – Sep;

First Harvest

~80 Days;

General Info

Crop category	Vegetable
Life span	Annual
Type of crop	Creeper
Part(s) of the crop to harvest	Fruit (shoots, tendrils, leaves also edible)
Avg. Height	Up to 5 ft

Climate & Humidity

Snake gourd thrives in tropical, warm, humid climate.

Planting / Sowing

When to plant / sow seeds (ideal season):
Jun – Jul; Dec – Jan;

How to plant:
Direct sowing: First prepare the soil so that it is rich with nutrients using manure and compost. Then dig pits and sow 3-4 seeds in each pit and cover with loose soil. Trellis is required for support since this is a creeper.

Soil Depth & Spacing Requirements

Pits are dug at a spacing of 2 m x 1.5 m.

NOTE: Please go through the Guides in the Knowledge Base for more details on topics ranging from Spacing & Lighting to Soil and Nutrients.

Irrigation

In general, irrigate once a week during summer and only when needed during rainy season.

NOTE: Irrigation should depend on how moist / wet the soil is. Check your plants everyday to see if they require irrigation or not. Check the Watering & Irrigation guide for more info.

Pruning

Allow the plant to grow without any laterals and tendrils about 12 nodes above the top of the trellis, and prune the main stem. Lightly tie the stem with the trellis wire using a string. Count each lateral to 12 nodes and prune the rest.

NOTE: See the Pruning guide for general info.

Harvesting

When to harvest
Snake gourds are ready for harvest generally after 70-80 days after sowing. Fully developed, tender fruits are harvested once in 5-7 days. Do not allow fruit to mature on the vine as they turn colour and become too bitter to be palatable.

How to harvest
Harvest when the fruit is a foot and a half with a sharp knife.

NOTE: Harvest periods can vary depending on the environmental, climatic, soil conditions.

Pests & Diseases

Pests	Leaf beetles and root-knot nematodes, fruit fly, pumpkin beetles
Common Diseases/ Problems	Powdery mildew, downy mildew
Pest and Disease prevention measure(s)	Apply neem cake to the soil to discourage nematodes; apart from prevention, the other method is the management after the infestation. Techniques such as deep summer ploughing, hand collection and destruction of infested leaves help in dealing with the diseased areas of the plant.

NOTE: Read Pest & Disease Control for more information.

Did you know?

The snake gourd has very peculiar and beautiful white flowers that are fringed with lacy tendrils. They bloom at night (as they are pollinated by moths) and have a pleasant fragrance.