Why is the loofah I grow bitter? (Why is the loofah I grow bitter?)

Causes and preventive measures of bitterness in bitter melon

There are many reasons why loofah tastes bitter, which are mainly related to variety, cross-pollination, light, fertilization, weather, and plant injury. They are explained below one by one.

Reason 1: Variety

There are many varieties of loofah, and different varieties have slightly different tastes. If the variety of loofah you bought has some bitterness, the loofah you grow will be bitter.

Solution

The bitterness caused by the variety can be solved by changing the variety.

When purchasing loofah seeds, you should ask and compare carefully. It is best to buy some seeds that were planted last year and performed well in all aspects. This way you know the roots and will avoid buying bitter loofahs.

Reason 2: Insufficient light

Luffa likes a growing environment with sufficient light and has high requirements for light.

If bitter melon is planted in a shady or poorly lit place, or if the density of loofah is too high, resulting in insufficient light in the lower part, the loofah will not be able to carry out sufficient photosynthesis.

This results in poor growth of the loofah plant, resulting in a bitter melon.

Solution

When planting loofah, you must choose a place with good ventilation and sufficient light. The planting density should not be too large to ensure that the lower leaves can also receive sunlight.

Only under sufficient light conditions can the loofah leaves effectively carry out photosynthesis and accumulate enough nutrients to supply the loofah growth. Only in this way can the grown loofah and bitter gourd be good and will not taste bitter.

Reason 3: Cross-pollination

Luffa is a monoecious plant with unisexual flowers, which means that there are male and female flowers on the luffa plant. The pollen from the male flowers is transferred to the stigma of the female flowers to complete the pollination process, and luffa will grow.

Male and female flowers in the same plot can pollinate each other. If they are of the same variety, it is normal pollination. If they are pollinated between different varieties, or if the pollen of bitter melon is transferred to the loofah, the loofah will taste bitter.

Solution

The pollination of loofah is generally carried out by insects, which can avoid the situation where pollen cannot be transmitted.

However, the cross-pollination mentioned above may also occur. In order to avoid this situation, only the same variety can be planted within a certain distance range, and bitter melon and loofah should be planted separately or at different times.

Reason 4: Improper fertilization

The growth of loofah requires sufficient nutrients. Insufficient nutrient supply will affect the growth of bitter gourd, resulting in deformed and bitter gourds. At the same time, fertilization should be reasonable to ensure that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements are supplemented.

If the fertilization is not balanced, it will also cause bitter melons. For example, if too much nitrogen fertilizer is applied and too little phosphorus, potassium and organic fertilizer is used, bitter melons will occur.

Solution

The fertilization of loofah should be balanced, not only supplementing macroelements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also medium and trace elements.

Increasing the use of organic fertilizer and reducing the use of chemical fertilizer during the loofah planting process can improve the taste of the loofah. In addition, different fertilizers should be used according to the fertilizer requirements of different growth periods.

Reason 5: Dry weather

During the growth process of loofah, it is necessary to ensure sufficient water supply, especially during the fruiting period, when the demand for water is very high. If there is a long-term drought during this period, resulting in insufficient water supply for the loofah, the melon will taste bitter.

Solution

To ensure sufficient water for loofah planting, water it in time when encountering dry weather to ensure sufficient water supply. However, the water should not be too much, too little water will also affect its growth. In case of continuous rainy weather, drain the water in time.

Reason 6: Plant injury

If the bitter melon roots are seriously injured during the transplanting process, or if the fertilization and weeding operations are improper, causing the roots or vines of the bitter melon to be damaged, the loofah plant will grow poorly, resulting in a bitter melon.

Solution

Be careful when transplanting the loofah, and try to bring as many roots as possible. The loofah can quickly resume growth after transplanting. In the process of fertilizing and weeding, the depth should be appropriate and not too close to the root system to avoid damaging the root system.