Momordica - a plant that is worth planting at home or in the garden

Development of momordica
Among the usual and familiar garden plants, such as pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, today you can also find an unusual representative called momordica. Currently, this very picturesque exotic plant is increasingly being grown by amateurs on their own plots and at home. Momordica is a plant that arouses interest for its appearance, taste of fruits and use.
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Momordica. general description

Momordica is a genus from the Pumpkin family. The life form of all types of momordica is a herbaceous liana-like annual plant from tropical regions. Like many pumpkin crops, it has thin and long stems from 2.0 m to 4.0 m. The leaves are rounded at the base, strongly cut towards the top, they look like grape leaves.
Flowers in momordica they are yellow; there are male and female flowers on the same plant. Immediately after pollination occurs, the ovary grows quite quickly. The fruits are green at the beginning of ripening; when ripe, they become bright yellow, red or orange. In addition, the ripe fruit is divided into three lobes and is covered with tubercles that form a bizarre ornament. The shape of the fruit can be round - cylindrical, spindle-shaped.
The flesh of unripe fruits is light green; when the fruits are ripe, it turns bright red.The seeds are brown, their number reaches 50 pieces.
Popularly called momordica:
  • bitter cucumber
  • bitter gourd
  • mad cucumber
  • balsam pear
  • Indian cucumber
  • crazy melon
The plant received these names because of the bitter taste of ripe fruits. In Asian and African countries, momordica is grown on an industrial scale as a popular vegetable and medicinal crop. Momordica fruits have a rich vitamin and mineral composition; when eaten, a special marinade is used to eliminate bitterness. In addition to the fruits, in these countries the leaves, stems and flowers are prepared for food.
The genus Momordica has about 20 species, of which the following are popular:
  1. Momordica cochin, the soft shell of this species contains a large amount of carotene, a special oil is obtained from it.
  2. Momordica charantia is a popular vegetable plant, all parts of which are used for food.
  3. Momordica balsamica, the plant is widely used as a homeopathic remedy.
Despite the fact that all types of momordica are inhabitants of the tropics, they can also be grown in temperate climates both in open and closed ground and indoors.

Growing momordica

Development of momordica

Considering that Momordica is a close relative pumpkins and cucumber, the agricultural technology for growing these crops has much in common. Regardless of whether bitter cucumber will continue to grow indoors or outdoors, its seeds must be sown to obtain seedlings. The time for sowing momordica seeds is the end of March - mid-April.
Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked, the purpose of which is:
  • disinfection
  • softening of the dense seed coat
For soaking, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Soaking time is one day.To sow momordica seedlings, you need the following soil composition:
  • leaf soil, 1 part
  • peat, 1 part
  • humus, 1 part
  • sand, 1/2 part
Seating seeds It is better to place them in individual pots made of peat or cardboard, so as not to injure the root system of momordica seedlings during transplantation.
The seed is embedded into the ground edgewise. The embedment depth should not exceed two to three of its dimensions. Seeds should be planted in well-moistened soil. You should not place pots with momordica crops on a cold windowsill, since warm, moist soil is needed for friendly shoots to appear.
If all conditions are met, on the sixth - seventh day the first cotyledon leaves appear above the surface of the earth.
The seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place after the fourth or fifth true leaf appears. This can be done in the last days of May. The planting technology is the same as when planting cucumbers. At first, the seedling needs a film cover in case of early summer frosts.
When grown as an indoor potted crop, indoors or on a loggia, momordica must be provided with vertical support along which the plant will grow as liana up.
For landscaping, momordica is placed near gazebos, arches, and fences. Throughout the season, the objects on which the momordica climbs look very elegant, especially after the fruits acquire a red, yellow or orange color.

Indian cucumber fruits in cooking and folk medicine

Indian cucumber

Fruits of bitter or Indian cucumber can be used for food only while they are green, fully ripe, they become unusable and very bitter.You can cook from them almost all the same dishes as from zucchini, you just need to soak them in salt water for a couple of hours to remove the bitterness. After this, it can be fried in batter, used in stews and seasonings. Very young momordica fruits can be pickled like cucumbers - gherkins.
Currently, this plant is included in various diets aimed at reducing body weight.
Momordica is used in both folk and official medicine. It helps with many diseases:
  • joints
  • respiratory organs
  • skin
  • metabolism
  • when infected with worms
Research is currently underway on the treatment of certain types of cancer and diabetes with this plant. Despite the benefits of momordica, self-medication should not necessarily require a doctor’s recommendation.
This exotic culture in its appearance and chemical composition fruits, leaves, flowers, deserves to be grown indoors or in the garden.
Educational video about momordica:
Indian cucumberMomrodika