Bitter Gourd

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 370 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,020 mm it can use in a normal year, and 630 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 22–30 °C on average, and survives 15–38 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 24 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Bitter Gourd: 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
• Most fields here are short of sulphur.

Likes pH 6.0–6.5.

Money

Yield: about 57 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹3,500 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹3,550 a quintal, the middle of 360 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹1.1 lakh a season after typical costs.

Prices are usually best in February.

Typical costs are about ₹93,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.