How to Grow Kundru ki Sabji | Growing Ivy Gourd in India

Kundru is a little gourd you can easily grow in a pot for a fresh harvest for the kitchen! Let’s have a look at how to grow Kundru ki Sabji!

You must have heard about Kundru a lot in India and it might be the favorite vegetable of many of you! If you are one of those people who love Kundru ki Sabji, then here’s all you need to know about how to grow it!

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Kundru in English

Kundru in English is popular as Ivy Gourd in India. However, Kundru is also famous in different regional languages in different parts of the country.

Common Names: Baby watermelon, Little gourd, Tondli, Gentlemen’s Toes, Tindora, Kundru, Scarlet Gourd, Calabacita, Calabaza Hiedra, Coccinia Cordifolia, Coccinia Grandis, Coccinia Índica, Courge Écarlate, Kovai, Little Gourd, Tela Kucha, Tindola, Kowai fruit, Tondli, Tendli, Thai Spinach, Phak Khaep, Small Gourd

Kundru ki Sabji Information

Kundru vegetable belongs to the cucumber family. What makes kundru sabji stand out from the other cucumbers is its size – it is hardly 1-3 inches long. Kundru vegetable is native to the Indian subcontinent and is usually grown as a vegetable in subtropical and tropical climates of South-East Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Kundru Botanical Name: Coccinia grandis

Propagating Kundru ki Sabji

You can propagate kundru sabji in two ways, from seeds or cuttings. However, using both these ways can take this plant a lot of time to come into the harvesting stage so it will be a good choice to get a well-grown plant from a nursery.

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Requirements to Grow Kundru ki Sabji

Sunlight

Kundru vegetable grows best in a location that gets a minimum of 5-6 hours of direct sunlight every day. It will help the plant to produce a good number of kundrus.

It is important to make sure that you are not growing Kundru ki Sabji at a spot that gets shade for the most part of the day, as it will result in fewer or no gourds.

Soil

Kundru ki sabji is not fussy about the soil type and can easily grow well in a regular garden growing medium. If you want the best quality gourds, then amend the soil with plenty of organic matter, coco peat, vermicompost, and a handful of cow dung manure at the time of planting.

Watering

Water Kundru regularly as this plant loves to stay in a little moist growing medium all the time. Do not let the soil go dry completely and also make sure to water it only when the topsoil feels a little dry to the touch.

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Taking Care of Kundru ki Sabji

Kundru ki Sabji 2 — shutterstock/Pat JARR

Fertilizer

Kundru vegetable is not a heavy feeder and will do just fine if you have used coco peat and cow dung manure at the time of planting. To boost the number of gourds per plant, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, once in 4-5 weeks.

Pruning

Kundru ki Sabji can grow in all directions if left unchecked. So, it’s necessary to prune off the stems that are growing too much. Make sure to use a sharp shear for the job.

Support

As it is a climber/vine, it is important that you provide the right support to the plant, especially before it starts to grow gourds as then it will get heavy, making the stems droop, which can then make the kundrus touch the ground and that can rot the gourds.

Pests and Diseases

Usually, Kundru ki Sabji doesn’t get affected by severe pests and diseases. But you should check common garden pests such as aphids, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies. If the infestation is too much, use pesticides or go for some herbal remedies like neem oil solution to get rid of them.

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Harvesting Kundru ki Sabji

In optimum conditions, you can harvest Kundru ki Sabji around 3-5 months after planting. Fruit production is so high that you’ll have to gather daily. Remember not to wait too long; harvest them when they are still young bulbous, and green. Do not damage the stems while pulling the gourds and use a pair of scissors to snip them off.