STRIPED GOURD – धारी वाला कद्दू (20 Seeds)

🎃🌿 Striped Round Gourd Growing Guide
🔹 Common name ➜ Striped Round Gourd, Striped Round Pumpkin, Gol Kaddu
🔹 Scientific name ➜ Cucurbita maxima (some round varieties may belong to Cucurbita moschata or Cucurbita pepo*)*
🔹 Type ➜ Climbing vegetable vine 🌱
🔹 Special ➜ Attractive round fruits with light green stripes, tender flesh and excellent yield
✔️ Suitable for: ➜ Organic farming
➜ Natural farming
➜ Kitchen gardening
➜ Terrace gardening
➜ Commercial vegetable cultivation

🌟 Why Grow Striped Round Gourd?
✔️ Attractive striped round fruits 🎃
✔️ High yielding variety 💰
✔️ Soft, tasty flesh
✔️ Excellent market demand
✔️ Vigorous vines with continuous harvesting
✔️ Ideal for: ➜ Fresh vegetable markets
➜ Organic farming
➜ Home gardens

🌤️ Climate & Sowing Time 🇮🇳
India:
Spring/Summer Crop
➜ Feburary – May
Monsoon Crop
➜ July – August
📍 Punjab:
➜ February – May
➜ June – August
✔️ Best temperature: ➜ 22–35°C
🌾 Soil Requirement
➜ Well-drained fertile loamy soil
➜ pH 6.0–7.5
✔️ Mix plenty of organic compost before sowing.

🌰 Seed Selection
➜ Striped round gourd seeds
➜ Round pumpkin seeds
➜ Organic pumpkin seeds
➜ Desi kaddu seeds
➜ Open pollinated vegetable seeds
🌱 Sowing Method
➜ Direct sowing
Seed depth: ➜ 2–3 cm
✔️ Germination: ➜ 5–10 days

🌿 Spacing
➜ Row to row ➜ 8–10 feet
➜ Plant to plant ➜ 4–6 feet
✔️ Train vines on a trellis or bower for cleaner fruits and higher yield.

🌿 Organic Fertilizer Plan
Before sowing:
➜ FYM ➜ 8–10 ton/acre
➜ Vermicompost
➜ Neem cake
During growth:
➜ Jeevamrit spray
➜ Panchgavya spray
➜ Compost tea
✔️ Encourages vigorous vine growth and bigger fruits.

💧 Irrigation
➜ Water every 4–6 days
Critical stages:
➜ Flowering
➜ Fruit setting
➜ Fruit development
❌ Avoid waterlogging.
☀️ Sunlight Requirement
➜ Full sunlight
✔️ Minimum 6–8 hours daily.

🐛 Organic Pest Control
Common issues:
➜ Fruit fly 🪰
➜ Red pumpkin beetle
➜ Aphids
➜ Powdery mildew
Control:
➜ Fruit fly lure traps 🪤
➜ Neem oil spray 🌿
➜ Remove infected fruits and leaves

🌸 Flowering & Harvesting
➜ Flowering starts ➜ 35–45 days
➜ First harvest ➜ 55–70 days
✔️ Harvest when fruits are tender, glossy and light green for the best taste.

⏳ Crop Duration
➜ 4–5 months
📦 Yield
➜ Average yield: 80–150 quintal/acre
🌱 Special Benefits
✔️ Rich in vitamins and dietary fiber
✔️ Easy to digest
✔️ Suitable for curries, soups and stuffed dishes
✔️ Good shelf life after harvest

🪴 Growing Striped Round Gourd on Roof
✔️ Suitable for terrace gardening
Container
➜ 18–24 inch grow bag or drum
Soil Mix
➜ 40% garden soil
➜ 30% compost
➜ 20% cocopeat
➜ 10% sand
Support
➜ Strong bamboo, wire or rope trellis
Sunlight ☀️
➜ Full sunlight

Watering 💧
➜ Water regularly and keep the soil evenly moist.