All About Tinda (Apple Gourd)

Apple gourd, also known as Tinda, is a type of fruit that is commonly found in South Asia. It is round in shape and has a flat side.

About 8 cm in diameter. It has a light green color and is approximately 50 grams in weight. Apple gourd is high in vitamin A and has 94 percent water content.

High in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and other health benefits that last long, this Indian Round gourd is a superfood and should be part of a diet.

You can make a tasty curry dish or an authentic gourmet meal by using the squash-like, water-rich gourd and stuffing it with spices.

Tinda is a great plant to grow in a container. It grows quickly into a tall vine and is a unique and important vegetable to grow during the summer. The smaller fruits are healthier to eat.r.

This article will show you step-by-step how to cultivate Tinda in pots and grow bags without any difficulty.

Also see, Moringa, and Cerasee

What is Tinda?

You can use Tinda, also known as Indian round gourd or apple gourd, which is a small, green, and round vegetable commonly used in Indian cuisine. It is a member of the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes other gourds such as cucumbers, melons, and squashes.

You can cook Tinda with spices and use it in curries, stews, and soups. People know Tinda for its mild, slightly sweet flavor and often use it as a substitute for pumpkin in dishes. It is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and various minerals.

The absence of a dominant flavor from Tinda makes it a perfect flavor to pair with spicy foods. Tinda growing in the container is a great idea. It is logical because it lets you keep the vines under control quickly.

Types

The three primary local varieties of apple gourd.

Punjab Tinda

The fruit is medium in size. Fruit that has an attractive appearance. Fruit flesh can be white, and the seeds are smaller in number. It typically produces between 8 and 10 fruits. It can yield 4.5 tons per hectare over two weeks.

Bikaner Green

The size of the fruit is huge and is fully mature after 60 days after sowing.

Swati

This F1 Hybrid tinda variety has a length between 175 and 225 cm. It also has strong growth. You can pick the fruit after about 2 months of sowing. It has a dark green hue.

Soil

Tinda adapts very well to sandy soils that are fully fertile, and its roots develop well in the soil. Mix potting soil with organic compost and perlite. Add the smallest amount of river sand. This mix will give you the nutrients your plant requires and encourages drainage.

Tinda thrives best in a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. To achieve this, select an area where the full sun is shining and the lowest temperature of the day is around 60 ° F.

Make sure the planter has holes in its bottom that allow water to drain out to prevent the container from holding water.

The most effective soil mix for potting for Tinda contains:

Garden Soil – 20 percent
Sand – 20 percent
Coco peat – 30 percent
Vermicompost – 30 percent

Mix them all and place them under the sun for a while to prevent them from becoming sterile.

Right Time to Grow Tinda

Tinda gourds flourish best in sunny, warm conditions in subtropical or tropical climates. During the daytime, they prefer temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees. They prefer temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius or more at night.

So, your raised bed must be placed in a bright and sunny location. Make sure to keep India’s Round Gourd plant outside in the sun. In India, you can plant Tinda during the dry season from February through April, when the weather is dry, and from June through July during the rainy season.

The seeds are planted from the spring to the beginning of the summer. If you reside in a colder region, the seeds can be planted inside and then moved the seeds outdoors following the last frost. The soil temperature must be between 25 and 25 degrees Celsius for seeds to sprout.

Seeds

Using a polythene or paper bag, buying and covering a healthy-looking large-sized tinda allows it to mature. Be sure that the Apple gourd vegetables haven’t aged excessively, or the seeds won’t germinate.

Split the fruit into two halves, take out the seeds, wash them, and place them in a shaded, dry area. A single tinda can yield 30-50 seeds. Tinda seeds are small and have dark brown seeds. It is possible to put the seeds in water overnight before planting to help speed the process of germination.

There isn’t a lot of space in my gardens; therefore, I put Tinda inside pots. I also place an elongated trellis inside the pot to train the vines to grow upwards. Vertical growth methods save a lot of space. Apple Gourd is planted 3-4 weeks before the final frost.

How to Cultivate Tinda

High-quality seeds are the most important necessity for the cultivation of Tinda at home. If there is already Tinda at home, you can cut it open to harvest the seeds. Follow the step-by-step process of cultivation of Apple Gourd (Tinda)

Fill the container up with the appropriate layer of potting soil and the appropriate medium.
Plant 2-3 seeds. Thin in each pot until you have the most robust seedling.
The tender seeds should be laid out in one-foot (30 centimeters) grooves, separated by 4 to 6 inches (1.25-2 meters) from each other.
The seeds can be planted as rows 12 inches (30 centimeters) spaced.
The seeds should be pushed into the soil medium using your fingers and then completely covered with soil.
Soak the seedbed immediately with a gentle shower or a watering container.
In raised beds, plant two seeds 2 feet x 2 feet in each space.
We prefer to use individual biodegradable papers, peat or cow pots as it causes the most stress on the roots during transplanting.
Reduce the size of seedlings once they are three or four leaves. You will get the three best seedlings on the vine by doing this.
Transplant after the last frost, as the soil is warm to 70 F.

Transfer of Sprout

Once you’ve observed that the seeds are starting to sprout within a couple of days, they will grow sufficiently to be moved into their final containers (pot or bags for growing).

Use a 14″ (35 centimeters deep) container or grow bag and fill it with the potting soil mix I mentioned earlier, not the one used for germination.
Then, carefully remove the saplings from the tray, ensuring they do not hurt the roots.
Then, plant the saplings into the container they will be in, and only plant 2 saplings per container.
Once they’ve been placed into their final container, you can place them outside in the full sun.

Plant Care

Watering Tinda

Tinda plants are not huge water users. If you are planting your apple gourd in a pot or container, it is best to use a can of water instead of a pipe. Only water the bottom of the plant so that the water gets absorbed slowly. Because the water will evaporate quickly in the summer, it is critical to water the plant on a regular basis.

Before watering it, ensure it is not wet. If it’s damp, then you do not need to water it. Sprinkle water directly on the soil because it is the water that gets on the plant that can cause the risk for fungal development.

Temperature

In subtropical or tropical climates, it thrives during hot, long days. Its seeds are best planted during January or February if you plan to plant them. In the colder climatic zone, you can begin it in your home or outside, and you can take it out once the cold season has ended.

Flower and Pollination

Tinda plants produce flowers in three to four weeks. The flowers are between 8 and 10 millimetres in diameter. Female flowers have tiny round bulbs in their lower.

The female and male flowers are different, pollinating each other and producing smooth fruits ready for picking after 2 to 3 weeks. If the natural pollination process is not complete, you’ll need to complete your artificial pollination method.

Create pollen from male flowers and then paint them onto the cotton buds. Sprinkle them onto stigmas, which are female flowers. This will increase the general production of this Indian round gourd.

Apple gourds are ready to be harvested once round, yet slightly flat, with vibrant green colour and a distinct flat top.

Fertilizer

The proper nutrition of the crop is vital for plants to develop efficiently and produce a high yield. Organic manure is made of natural materials, which improves the soil’s texture and adds fertilizers to the soil. Chemical fertilizers are utilized because the release of nutrients by organic manure is lower and takes longer.

Growth can be stimulated by adding 50-60 kg/ha of nitrogen that aids in stimulating the growth process from beginning to end. It is possible to apply one-third of nitrogen in addition to the full amount of potassium and phosphorus when planting Tinda seeds. Tinda seeds. The remainder of the nitrogen can be applied in the first growth phase.

Phosphorus and potassium in the amounts of 30 to 60 kg/ha and 40-60 kg/ha are used to increase seed germination rates for more productive seeds. Following Sowing, ten tons per hectare of FYM is applied to ensure proper nutrition content.

It is essential to cultivate vegetables efficiently and have the right nutrition for an adequate yield. For Tinda, you can use chemical and organic fertilizers, but you should use organic manure since you refer to it as an organic vegetable. Organic manure is made of natural substances and can bring necessary improvements to the soil. You can apply general-purpose fertilizer after thirty days as the Tinda plant is beginning to develop little. You can apply the water-soluble fertilizer.

Harvesting

Tinda’s fruit is cultivated on the vine, approximately 5 feet long. Indian Round gourds will begin blooming around the middle of the third month. The gourds begin growing between 80 and 90 days after sowing. The harvesting season will continue for three months.

Pests and Diseases

Numerous common problems could cause your tinda plant to end up dying.

Pests

The region in which you live determines the number of insects that can potentially harm your tinda gourd plant, including fruit flies, whiteflies, and many other insects. Whiteflies, in particular, pose a significant threat as their population can rapidly increase.

Severe infestations of whiteflies can lead to the loss of an entire crop. They are closely related to aphids. They suck the sap and leave behind an odor called honeydew. Ants love the honeydew that is left behind by whiteflies.

If you find whiteflies, the population may grow. In this scenario, you might be able to eliminate them from your plants by spraying the insects with water.

For more serious infestations, you must apply Neem oil spray at night, specifically at the base of the leaves.

Diseases

Tinda Plants are prone to various mildew and blight, and root rot.

Mildew is a fuzzy white speck on leaves, especially near the points of intersection of stems. Mildew is a fungus that thrives in the soil.

Blight is the influence of bacteria that bacteria create an infection in the plant root and leaves. You can spot it by observing leaves dying around the edges or at the tips abruptly. Leaves quickly turn become yellow, shrink and drop off.

Root Rot is a fungus that grows in moist soils that can cause the roots of the tinda to decay, eventually killing the plant.

You can control mildew by applying a mild neem oil spray. Remove infected plants. Do not place them in your compost, as the disease could propagate when you utilize the compost.

Apple Gourd Profile

Scientifically call Benincasa fistulosa

The common name Apple gourd, Tinda

Plant type Vegetable

Sun Light Sun is required to be in full sun

Soil Loam and Sandy

Soil pH level pH 6.5 to 7.5

Plants’ Vigorous, Clearly Lobed Leaves

Weigh of the vegetable 50-60 g

Fruit Shape Flaw Oval-Round

Fruit Color Shining Light Green

Flesh Color White

Days to Mature 70 – 80 days After Sowing

Specifications The skin surf

All About Tinda (Apple Gourd)

What is Tinda?