Ugwu Is Popularly called the Fluted Pumpkin. It’s a vine plant that’s indigenous to West Africa and very popular and heavily absorbed in many parts of Nigeria, It may be utilized to prepare hot soups such as egusi, ogbono and edi kain kong. Additionally, it’s also utilised in the preparation of herbal medications and may be used in the treatment of common ailments such as malaria and nausea.
Guideline on how to start Ugwu farming in Nigeria
Land Selection for your Ugwu farming business:
You require a piece of land with specific capabilities. To begin with, the pH of the soil ought to be neutral. You are able to use a pH meter to validate the soil pH. in addition, the land must have sufficient sunlight exposure. Both of these variables are extremely crucial factors for the rise of your ugwu plant.
You could be wondering exactly what the dimensions of your crop should be no matter your farmland. Well, how big your crop is usually determined by the size of your own land. However, you don’t have to get a sizable piece before you begin planting, you can begin with what you’ve got.
One particular thing about ugwu is the fact that it may be planted virtually any place in the nation. Even though there are perfect conditions for optimum growth, the ugwu plant has a exceptional capability to withstand drought and even flourish in a bad land. But one significant soil factor is the fact that it has to be well drained. Ugwu does not survive in waterlogged soil.
Land Preparation for your Ugwu farming business:
After picking your location, you will want to clean the farmland and employ organic compost two weeks prior to the beginning of planting. If you’re using fertilizer, then apply 1 month following your seeds have started germinating. A nitrogenous fertilizer like urea is the very best to be implemented on the farm. The urea promotes enormous rise of these leaves. Another choice is employing the NPK fertilizer in the ratio of 15:15:15.
Seed Sourcing for your Ugwu farming business:
The next thing you need to do after land preparation is to get the seeds that you want. You may either acquire the pod containing the seeds or you may purchase the dried seeds in the local marketplace. You may even get it in other farmers which have ugwu farms.
Planting:
The perfect planting season of the ugwu plant is between April and May. In this period the rains are minimum and the plant does fairly well in these moist conditions. You need to plant the seed to the ground in a distance of one foot apart. The seed ought to be set vertically into the ground together with the pointed edge inserted into the ground and the exposed section facing upward. The depth of planting should not be too deep
When the plant begins to germinate, use a rod preferably 1 or 2 meters long and put it near the plant. After a time, the plant will start to climb round the rod. Normally, plants which are assisted in expansion with sticks often perform better than the unassisted ones.
Harvesting:
You may begin harvesting your ugwu leaves 1 month after planting But in commercial quantities, it’s best that you wait around for 60 days before you begin harvesting. . The plant can be harvested repeatedly for 2 months. This may be performed at intervals of 15 days. The Ugwu plant does not produce seeds till 6 weeks after planting.
