Ash Gourd

🌱 QUANTITY: 15 Seeds
⏳ SEED TO HARVEST: 100–120 days
🌿 SOWING METHOD: Direct sow
🏞️ SOWING TIME (PLAINS): January-March, June-July, October-November
🌄 SOWING TIME (HILLS): April-July
☀️ LIGHT REQUIREMENT: Full sunlight

The Ash Gourd, also known as Winter Melon, Petha, or Poosanikai, has a long history of cultivation with origins tracing back thousands of years in India and China. This versatile heirloom variety has long been valued in traditional Indian kitchens and Ayurvedic practices for its cooling, nourishing, and medicinal properties.

Recognizable by its large, round to oblong fruits covered with a natural ash-like waxy coating, ash gourd is celebrated for its long storage life and unique culinary uses. Its mild, refreshing taste makes it a star ingredient in South Indian curries, kootu, and sambar, while in North India it is famous for being transformed into the beloved sweet “petha” of Agra. Beyond its culinary appeal, ash gourd is praised in Ayurveda as a natural coolant, digestive aid, and detoxifying vegetable.