Winter Melon / Ash Gourd
Benincasa hispida
- Days to harvest
- 80–100 days
- Sunlight
- 6–10 hours/day
- Watering
- 4–6 per day
- Plant spacing
- 200 cm
- Minimum container size
- 50cm deep × 50cm wide
- Container-friendly
- 1 plants per container
- Estimated yield
- 900 kg / 100m²
- Life span
- annual
Climate Requirements
- Ideal temperature
- 25-35 °C
- Annual rainfall
- 1000-2000 mm
- Humidity
- 65-80%
- Heat tolerance
- moderate
- Drought tolerance
- moderate
Soil & Planting
Planting method
Direct seed; ground spreading or trellis; 2x2 m
Soil requirements
Sandy loam, well-drained, pH 6.0-7.5
Companion Plants
- Sweet Cornmoderate
Corn provides wind break for winter melon vines; winter melon ground cover suppresses weeds
- Long Beanmoderate
Long bean fixes nitrogen for heavy-feeding winter melon; different growth habits complement each other
- Sweet Basilmoderate
Basil repels aphids and squash bugs from winter melon; attracts pollinators for better fruit set
Plants to Avoid Nearby
- Bitter Gourd
Both Cucurbitaceae; shared powdery mildew, fruit fly, and cucumber beetle; cross-contamination risk
- Pumpkin
Both Cucurbitaceae; concentrated pest pressure and shared disease susceptibility
Common Pests & Diseases
Market Demand
High — traditional cooling soup (Chinese medicine); winter melon tea; candied winter melon export to Chinese diaspora
Regional Notes
Long shelf life (months) makes logistics easy. Chinese herbal drink manufacturers buy in bulk. Low weight-to-value ratio at commodity level but processing premium.
Sources
- Vegetable Growing Guide for Malaysia — DOA Malaysia · Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Category: Fruiting Vegetables