Seema
About this variety
Seema is an F1 hybrid bitter melon (bitter gourd / karela) prized for its blackish dark-green fruit and distinctive thick, warty, sharply-ridged skin — the look most associated with the Indian type, distinct from the smoother, paler Chinese type also sold in US Asian markets. It's an early, vigorous climbing vine, so growers get both a strong plant and one of the fastest first harvests in the lineup.
Fruit runs 5 to 6 inches with blunt, interrupted ridges. Harvest at the tender green stage most buyers expect, before the fruit begins yellowing and softening toward ripeness. Picking continues through a long season.
Grow guide
How to grow
Site & soil
Full sun with well-drained sandy or loamy soil; this crop won't tolerate soggy roots. Deep-till, clear residue and weeds, and mix in well-rotted compost. Form raised rows or ridges if your soil holds water — good drainage matters more here than for the bean lines.
Sowing & trellis
Sow 2 seeds per hill on roughly 59"×35" (150×90 cm) spacing — seed rate about 0.8–1.0 kg/acre — and thin to the stronger seedling after the soil has reliably warmed. Trellising isn't optional: beyond supporting the vine and improving yield, it keeps fruit off the ground, where contact with moist soil causes rot.
Feeding
Bitter melon is a fairly heavy feeder over its long season, similar to eggplant. Size rates to a soil test; feed at planting and again as vines establish and flower, then maintain steady fertility through the fruiting window.
Watering
Water regularly, especially during flowering and fruit development — inconsistent moisture hurts fruit quality and yield. Prefer morning watering so foliage dries — better where humidity and disease pressure are a concern.
Harvest
First picking at 45–50 days — one of the fastest crops in the lineup. Pick at the tender, fully green stage before fruit begins to yellow and soften. Regular picking keeps the vine productive through its long window.
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
This seed has been treated with Carboxin + Thiram (0.17 mg ai/g seed each; EPA Reg. No. 400-112).
Harmful if swallowed, absorbed through skin, or inhaled. Do not use treated seed for food, feed, or oil purposes. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. Keep out of reach of children and domestic animals.
Untreated seed for organic and no-spray growers is coming soon.
Good to know before you buy
- This is an F1 hybrid — saved seed won't breed true, so buy fresh seed each season.
- This is the Indian type (sharply ridged, warty skin), distinct from the smoother Chinese type — worth naming on packaging.
- Trellising protects both yield and fruit quality, since ground contact causes fruit rot.
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 · 5 g · F1 Hybrid · Non-GMO · For planting purposes only, not for human consumption.