Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Grow Ampalaya
How to Grow Ampalaya. Ampalaya, also referred to as goya, karela, balsam apple or pear and bitter melon, is a tropical climbing vine with delicate yellow flowers and tender, deeply lobed leaves. Its oval and long, textured green fruits are crunchy and bitter. Ampalaya is a popular ingredient in Chinese, Indian, Filipino and Southeast Asian cooking....
Ampalaya, also referred to as goya, karela, balsam apple or pear and bitter melon, is a tropical climbing vine with delicate yellow flowers and tender, deeply lobed leaves. Its oval and long, textured green fruits are crunchy and bitter. Ampalaya is a popular ingredient in Chinese, Indian, Filipino and Southeast Asian cooking. It can be extremely hard to find in your local grocery store so an easy solution is to grow it yourself.
Things You'll Need
Garden soil
Compost or dried manure
Water
Pruning shears
Trellis
Prepare the garden soil with compost or dried manure. Till the soil with the compost. Ampalaya thrives in soil that is rich but drains well. Choose a spot in the garden that receives six to eight hours of sunlight every day.
Soak the Ampalaya seeds in water for 24 to 48 hours for uniform sprouting.
Scatter the seeds on the soil. Spacing between the plants is up to 2 feet apart in a row. This allows sunlight to reach the lower branches. Cover with 1/2 inch of soil.
Water the soil regularly. The ground should remain moderately moist but not soggy.
Install a trellis 4 to 6 feet tall. Ampalaya grows best on a trellis so that the fruits do not touch the ground.
Harvest fruits two weeks after the flowers open. Look for young fruits that are light green, firm, juicy and crunchy. Fruits become spongy and more bitter as they mature.
Let some fruits fully ripen. Save their seeds for the next crop.
