Rich gourd – బీరకాయ | Jhimani | Karviturai | Turai (Hindi) | Peyppirkam | Akacavaeni (Tamil) | Kahire | Naagadaali (Kannada).

Being rich in dietary fibers and smooth flesh, luffa facilitates easy digestion and easy movement of food through the bowel. Thus, it helps in relieving indigestion and constipation problems., It is also rich in Vitamin A , folates and BComplex vitamins.

HARVEST : Ridge gourd fruits grow very fast even when you grow ridge gourd in pots. After pollination they are ready to pick in approximately 8-12 days. You can pick your gourd about 2-3 days after the fruit has stopped growing. Leaving it too long on the plant makes it fibrous and then it can not be consumed. However the fruit can be left to dry on the vine for harvesting seeds and using the fibrous part called loofah as a natural scrubber. Use a pair of scissors or any garden cutter to remove the fruit from the plant. Do not remove the fruit by pulling. It will damage the plant.Ridge gourd is a hassle free plant to grow when its nutrient and water needs have been taken care of. You can plant them in a staggered manner in your garden once in every 20-25 days to enjoy them throughout most parts of the year.