Who would have thought that former sago land could be used to grow bitter gourd weighing almost 1 kilogram per fruit? 

This is what Muhammad Ridha Gabriel experienced when he planted Lipa F1 bitter gourd on his former sago peatland. The cultivation was carried out through a demonstration plot to observe the growth and performance of bitter gourd on the land. 

The results started to show from the first harvest. Ridha harvested 17 kilograms of bitter gourd. In the second harvest, the yield increased to 70 kilograms. It was not only the harvest volume that was encouraging. The bitter gourd fruits were also quite large, weighing 0.8–1 kilogram each. 

To support the plants’ growth, Ridha used manure, followed by balanced fertilization. The plants were continuously cared for throughout the growing period until harvest. 

“At first, I wasn’t sure how the bitter gourd would perform when planted on this former sago land. After the first harvest, I was quite happy with the results. The fruits are also quite large, with some weighing almost 1 kilogram. The plants are still producing fruit, so I’m looking forward to the next harvest. Hopefully, the results will be even better,” said Ridha. 

The bitter gourd plants are still producing, which means several more harvests can still be expected from this demonstration plot. 

After just two harvests, the results have already shown good progress. Land that was previously used for sago is now also being used to grow bitter gourds. For Ridha, this has been a new experience in managing his land. He will continue caring for the plants and see how they perform in the coming harvests. 

The journey of the Lipa F1 bitter gourd demonstration plot on former sago land is still ongoing. We look forward to seeing the results of the next harvest.