Opo 158
About this variety
Opo 158 (ARBGH-158) is a vigorous F1 hybrid bottle gourd. The fruit is shiny light green, medium-long and cylindrical, with a slightly hairy surface, and is hand-picked at marketable size over multiple pickings.
It is a warm-season, frost-sensitive vine that needs staking or trellising — support keeps fruit clean and straight, cuts damage from ground contact, and makes picking easier. Sow once the soil has warmed.
Grow guide
How to grow
Site & soil prep
Any well-drained soil with reliable irrigation works; medium to heavy, well-drained soils are preferred. Deep-plow then harrow or disc 3–4 times, clear residue and weeds, work in well-rotted compost or aged manure, and form ridges and furrows along the slope.
Seeding & spacing
Sow once soil is at least 59°F (optimal 77–86°F). Seed rate about 1.5–2.0 kg/ha (~0.6–0.8 kg/acre). Direct-sow 2 seeds per hill, rows ~8 ft (250 cm) apart and hills ~3 ft (90 cm) apart — roughly 1,800 hills per acre.
Support
Provide staking or trellising. It keeps the fruit clean and straight, cuts damage from lying on the ground, and makes picking easier on this vigorous vine.
Feeding & watering
UF/IFAS applies a cucumber target of ~150 lb N/acre to Asian cucurbits — split part preplant, the rest sidedressed. Irrigate every 3–4 days in hot weather; keep soil evenly moist and avoid waterlogging. Base phosphorus and potash on a soil test.
Harvest
First picking begins 60–62 days after sowing. Hand-pick at marketable size, with multiple pickings from one planting.
When to sow · by zone
| Zones 9–11 | Sow Feb–Mar | |
| Zone 8 | Sow late Mar–Apr | |
| Zones 6–7 | Sow late Apr–May | |
| Zones 3–5 | Late May–Jun · start indoors |
| Zones 9–11 | S. California, S. & central Florida, S. Texas, Gulf Coast, Arizona low desert, Hawaii |
| Zone 8 | Coastal Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, central Texas, coastal Pacific NW, interior California |
| Zones 6–7 | Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mid-Atlantic (PA/MD/NJ), Ohio Valley |
| Zones 3–5 | Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, New England, upstate New York, high Mountain West |
Seed treatment & handling
Full seed treatment and handling details for Opo 158 will be published when this variety becomes available for sale.
As with all our varieties, F1 hybrid seed is for planting only — not for food, feed, or oil.
Good to know before you buy
- This is an F1 hybrid — saved seed won't breed true, so buy fresh seed each season.
- Give it support — staking or a trellis keeps fruit clean, straight, and easy to pick.
- Warm-season and frost-sensitive — sow only once soil has warmed (≥59°F, ideally 77–86°F).
Sourcing
Sourced from Ankur Seeds, 27 New Cotton Market Layout, Nagpur 440018, India. Packaged & distributed by Harvest Goals LLC, Fremont, CA · +1 (650) 305-5334.
Origin India · F1 Hybrid · Non-GMO · For planting purposes only, not for human consumption.