The Bengali month of Bhadra is about to begin, bringing the season of autumn, and there is water all around. At this time bottle gourd (lau) can be grown on slightly higher ground. It is a winter vegetable, but it can now be grown all year round, though heavy rain can reduce the yield.
According to the Agriculture Information Service (AIS), bottle gourd seed can be sown in Bhadra. Pits should be dug 4–5 metres apart, 75 centimetres wide and 60 centimetres deep.
Fertiliser for each pit
Each pit should then receive 20 kg of cow dung, 200 grams of TSP and 75 grams of MoP. Once the pit is ready, sow 4–5 seeds in it. Two to three weeks after the seedlings emerge, top-dress each pit with 250 grams of urea and 75 grams of MoP in two or three instalments.
Raising seedlings
To raise bottle gourd seedlings, choose a high spot that gets light and air. Make a seedbed 1 metre wide and as long as the land allows, then sow seed of an improved variety.
After the seeds germinate, loosen the soil between the rows and take the necessary steps to protect the plants from insect attack. Grown this way in Bhadra, bottle gourd can give a good yield, enough to meet the family's needs and to sell at market.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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