Bitter melon plants have lacey, delicate figleaf shaped foliage and smallish yellow flowers. They require trellising or some structure to keep fruits off the ground and to facilitate harvest. It is best to help the plants find the trellis. They like heat and humidity and will produce all summer until checked by frost. In the kitchen, bitter melon is often paired with proteins. After removing seeds and slicing they can be salted and rinsed to reduce bitterness before adding to soups and stews like sinigang, diningdeng and pinakbet. They can be stuffed with a shrimp and pork hash and baked or steamed. They can be added to tofu scrambles with perhaps some bonito flakes added at the end. The bitter flavors aid in digestion and treating and preventing type 2 diabetes. The young leaf shoots are added to soups as well and are also dried to make a diabetic herbal tea.

Days to Maturity: 70 to 80 days from transplant. Will produce until checked by frost. Fruits should be harvested green before any orange shows.

Growing Tips: Grows best in warm humid environments and should be trellised.

When to Plant: Warm season tender perennial, meaning they will die with moderate frost. Start indoors in paper cups and, when soil has warmed, transplant without removing from cup, about 3-6 weeks later, depending on outdoor temperatures.

Planting Depth: ½" to ¾" deep. Allow surface to dry between waterings until emergence.

Spacing: 16"-24"

Sun: Trellis in full sun. Some of the vines will need help finding the trellis.

Water: Moderate, consistent water. Avoid prolonged drought as this will result in fruits becoming fibrous at a smaller size.

Grower: Feral Heart Farm, Sunol, CA