Bitter melon, which is available all year round but produces the most in summer, prefers an environment with good drainage and sufficient light. It grows best when planted at 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, if the ambient temperature is lower than 15 degrees. , bitter melon will easily stop growing. Usually, balsam pear starts to appear on the market in the south in February and March. The main production areas are Nanzhou and Kanding in Pingtung. In April and May, the balsam pear in Budai, Chiayi grows well. In June and July, the balsam pear in Taichung News Agency, Changhua Ershui, etc. It is the time when the earth comes out.

Variety of white bitter melon

Bitter melon can be divided into two types: white and green according to color. White is the most common type, accounting for about 70% of Taiwan's total bitter melon production.

White Jade Bitter Melon:

The most commonly eaten variety of bitter melon, because it has the lowest bitterness, it is suitable for various dishes. It is shaped into a long strip, with a common length of 22 to 25 centimeters. It is usually used for soup, steaming or stir-frying. It is also suitable for stewing or making into cold dishes.

Apple bitter melon:

It is a popular variety in recent years and the price is relatively high. The appearance is relatively round and plump, and the taste is juicy, crispy and sweet. Some people will eat it cold or raw, and it is also suitable for stir-frying and stewing.

Varieties of Green Bitter Melon

The green bitter melon has a more varied appearance, because the flesh of the green bitter melon is firm and tastes bitter, so it is often cut into thin slices to make cold dishes. or quick stir-fry dishes.

Daqing balsam pear:

The most common variety among green balsam pear, it is similar in size to white jade balsam pear, and its color is brighter than grass green. It is usually used for salad dressing and juice making.

Pink and green bitter melon:

The color is slightly lighter than that of Daqing bitter melon. It tastes harder and is easy to grow. It is mostly used for juice or cold dressing.

Emerald green bitter melon:

It has an elongated shape with smaller rice grains (protruding parts). Because of its beautiful color, it is mostly used in restaurant dishes and is suitable for blanching and stir-frying.

Mountain bitter melon:

It is smaller in size, has less yield, is mostly dark green in color, and has a normal length of 3 to 4 centimeters. It has the most bitter taste and is mostly used in pickled side dishes. Due to the popularity of organic diet in recent years, it has become more and more popular among people who pursue health.

Bitter melon can be divided into three types according to the shape of the fruit

Short round: short conical shape, 15 to 20 cm in length, 8 to 11 cm in shoulder width, tapered;

Long shape:

Long conical shape, with a length of about 20 to 30 cm, which is the type with the largest cultivation area in Hainan;

Bar shape: long Bar shape, more than 30 cm in length, up to 100 cm in length, rarely cultivated in Hainan. According to skin color, it can be divided into three types: white, green-white and turquoise.

New varieties: Bitter melon, especially new varieties, are widely cultivated in tropical to temperate regions of the world. It is widely cultivated in both north and south of my country. It is characterized by a sweet and bitter fruity taste. It is mainly used as a vegetable and can also be candied. The mature pulp and arils are also edible. The roots, vines and fruits are used as medicine and have the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying.

1. Cuiting Series

Cuiting-1

An excellent hybrid first-generation early-maturing pimple green variety, with vigorous growth, stick-shaped melon strips, flush heads and blunt tails , melon color is dark green, the length of the melon is 35-40 cm, and the weight of a single fruit is about 600 grams. It has high yield, strong hardness and no premature aging, and strong disease resistance. It can be planted in early spring and autumn. It is suitable for protected areas in the north and open-air cultivation in the south.

The medium-mature variety now cultivated has rod-shaped melon strips, straight, good finishing, and strong ability to continuously set melons. The melon is about 40 centimeters long, and a single melon weighs about 600 grams. It has a small heart cavity, thick flesh, and a hardness better than similar varieties. Highly resistant to powdery mildew, strong growth in later stages without premature aging, resistant to storage and transportation, abundant commercial melons, and outstanding high yield.

Cuiting-3

The average melon length is more than 40 cm, and the weight of a single fruit is about 800 grams. It has a high commodity rate and is resistant to transportation.

2. Big Ding

Also called Jiangmen Big Ding. It was introduced from Jiangmen, Guangdong and has been cultivated for many years. The vines of this variety are 400 cm long. More side vines. The leaves are 15 cm long, 18 cm wide, and green. The first female flowers are born on the 8th to 15th nodes of the main vine. The fruit is 15 cm long, 10 cm wide at the shoulder, green, shiny, with knob-like protrusions, and the flesh is 1.0 to 1.3 cm thick. A single fruit weighs 250-400 grams and matures early. In spring sowing, it takes 80 to 100 days from sowing to the first harvest, and the harvest continues for 50 days; in autumn, sowing takes 50 days to the first harvest, and the harvest continues for 30 days. The growth potential is strong, and both the main and side vines can bear fruit.

It is relatively cold-resistant, resistant to fertilizer, tastes sweet, slightly bitter, and has excellent quality. The yield per mu is 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms, and the products are mainly shipped to the north and exported to the Hong Kong and Macao markets.

3. Emerald No. 1 Big Top

Hainan began to introduce the variety in the early 1990s to replace the "Jiangmen Big Top" variety, and it is mainly distributed in Qiongshan, Chengmai and other cities and counties. This variety has vigorous growth, with stems and vines 250 to 300 centimeters long, dark green leaves, and a large number of female flowers per plant. The first female flower node is located at the 10th node of the main vine. It has strong fruiting ability, with an average of 5 to 7 fruits per plant. indivual. The fruit is conical, neat and beautiful, with a length of 14 to 16 cm, a shoulder width of 8 to 10 cm, a flat base, a blunt top, alternate tubercles and round tubercles, thick and straight tubercles, 1.1cm thick flesh, dark green, and a single fruit weight of 400 gram. Early maturity, 10 to 15 days earlier than "Jiangmen Dading", 60 to 70 days from sowing to first harvest in spring, and about 40 days of continuous harvest. It has good yield, medium stress resistance and excellent quality. The yield per mu is 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms, which is suitable for transportation to the north and export to the Hong Kong and Macao markets.

4. Suixin No. 2

Breed in 1985 by the Guangzhou Vegetable Science Institute. It was introduced to Hainan in the early 1990s and is mainly distributed in southern Hainan. The vine length of this variety is 450 cm. The leaves are 19 cm long and 19 cm wide, yellow-green, and the first female flower is on the 19th node of the main vine. The fruit is 18 cm long, 6.2 cm wide at the shoulder, light green, with tuber-like protrusions connected into strips, and the flesh is 1.2 cm thick. A single fruit weighs about 300 grams. It takes 50 to 90 days from sowing to first harvest, and 50 to 60 days from continued harvest. Strong growth potential, heat resistance and excellent quality. The yield per mu is 1,700 to 2,000 kilograms, and the products are mainly shipped to the north and exported to the Hong Kong and Macao markets.

5. Penang

Also called Xinhui Changshen. It was introduced from Xinhui, Guangdong in the early 1980s and distributed in various cities and counties in Hainan. This variety has good resistance and strong branching ability. The first female flower is borne on the 16th to 18th node of the main vine, and a female flower is borne every 3 to 6 nodes thereafter. The melon is long and conical, with neat longitudinal groove stripes alternated with knob-like protrusions. The melon is 23 centimeters long, 8 centimeters wide at the shoulder, and weighs 400 to 500 grams per fruit. Oily green, shiny and highly adaptable, it can be planted in spring, summer and autumn, and is suitable for planting in summer and autumn. Medium maturity, from sowing to first harvest, takes 70 to 90 days in winter and spring, 50 to 70 days in summer and autumn, and continues harvesting for about 45 days. It has strong heat resistance, firm texture, slightly bitter taste, good quality, and can withstand storage and transportation. The yield per mu is 2,000 to 2,500 kilograms, which is suitable for northward transportation, export and domestic sales.

6. Yingyin

Yingyin is imported from Guangzhou Vegetable Research Institute. It is distributed throughout Hainan, but is more cultivated in the southern region. The vines of this variety are 400 cm long. Many side vines. The leaves are 15 cm long and yellow-green. The first female flower is born on the 25th to 30th node of the main vine. The fruit is 25 to 30 cm long, 5 to 8 cm in transverse diameter, yellow-green, with thick and straight sarcoma and 1.2 to 1.5 cm thick flesh. A single fruit weighs 300 grams. Late maturing, about 80 to 100 days from sowing to first harvest, and 40 to 60 days from harvest. The growth potential is strong, and the side vines mainly bear fruit. It is heat-resistant and rain-resistant and can be sown in spring, summer and autumn, but is more suitable for summer sowing. The meat is tender, slightly bitter and of excellent quality. The yield per mu is about 2,000 kilograms.

7. Qiong No. 1

Qiong No. 1 bitter melon is an excellent bitter melon variety bred from local bitter melons in Hainan by the Melon and Vegetable Research Institute of the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The vines of this variety are 400 cm long, the leaves are 15 cm long and 18 cm wide, and are light green. The side vines are multifunctional, and both the main and side vines can produce melons. The first female flowers are born on the 15th to 20th nodes of the main vine. The fruit is 25 to 35 cm long, 8 cm in transverse diameter, light green, with thick and straight sarcoma, and 1.2 cm thick flesh. A single melon weighs 500 to 600 grams. Medium to late maturing, it takes 70 to 90 days from sowing to first harvest in winter and spring, and 60 to 90 days to continue harvesting, and 45 to 50 days from sowing to first harvest in summer and autumn, and 40 to 50 days to continue harvesting. Strong growth potential, heat and humidity resistance, stable and high yield. The yield per mu is 2,500 to 3,000 kilograms for spring planting, and 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms per mu for summer and autumn planting. The meat is thick and smooth, with a slightly bitter taste and high quality. This variety is very popular among consumers due to its beautiful appearance and outstanding product properties. It is suitable for sales within the island and the mainland market. It can also be exported to Hong Kong and Macau. It has great market potential.

8. Du Ruan Liang Gua

Du Ruan Town in Pengjiang District, Jiangmen, Guangdong is a famous production area of ??Liang Gua. Du Ruan Town has abundant rainfall all year round and fertile land.

Du Nguyen Cold Melon

Du Nguyen Cold Melon

Therefore, the "Du Nguyen Cold Melon" produced here is of excellent quality and is famous overseas.

The melon shape is plump, the skin is emerald green, the sarcoma is large and dense, the meat is crispy, slightly bitter and sweet, and the quality is excellent. They are often exported to Hong Kong and Macao, and overseas Chinese often bring one or two with them when they return to their country to find their roots.

However, due to the introduction of a large number of exotic vegetable varieties into the fields and the long cultivation time of cold melons, it is not possible to plant a large number of single-type vegetables. "Du Nguyen cold melons" gradually disappeared from the stage of the times, and the planting area of ??cold melons also gradually decreased. . The former fields of cool melons have turned into vegetable fields, and farmers are worried about whether the reputation of "Du Nguyen cool melons" will no longer be brilliant.

To this end, the Agriculture Office of Du Ruan Town applied for a patent for "Du Ruan Liang Gua". Gradually, the planting area of ??cold melon is getting larger and larger, reaching about 1025 acres. In the near future, "Du Ruan Liang Gua" will achieve greater glory.

9. Pearl melon

Black pearl

A popular type of pearl melon in Taiwan. Very early, strong growth, strong fruiting ability, strong stress resistance, long spindle-shaped fruit, dark green color, pearl-like protrusions, moderate flesh thickness, moderate sweet and bitter taste, single fruit weighs about 0.6 kg, long production period, good quality, suitable Densely planted.

Daiyu

Medium-early maturing, strong plant growth, melon length 26-30CM, shoulder width 6-8CM, single melon weight 500-800 grams, plump and straight melon shape, with thorns Smooth and prominent, the melon flesh is thick and the color of the melon is slightly green like jade. High output, good quality, durable for storage and transportation. It has high resistance to viral diseases, fusarium wilt and spot disease, and has wide adaptability. The optimum temperature for growth is 16-32 degrees.