Sponge gourd planting time and technical points Sponge gourd outdoor planting method and management technology

Sponge gourd seedling raising method and time

Sponge gourd likes higher temperatures. The seedlings grow slowly at low temperatures. Seedlings can be transplanted or broadcast directly. If you are planting sponge gourd outdoors, you can choose varieties such as Fengnongwang, Ganglu No. 2, and Fengmantian.

Germination : Before sowing, the seeds are usually germinated by soaking them in water for 8-10 hours. After taking them out, wrap them in a wet cloth and place them in a warm place. Sow them after 2-3 days of germination. In the Yangtze River Basin, cold beds are often used to raise seedlings from late March to early April .

Open-air sowing : Seedlings are raised in the open field from late April to early May . Large-scale cultivation in South China is mainly based on ribbed loofah, which can be divided into three sowing periods: spring sowing from February to March, summer sowing from April to May, and autumn sowing from July to early August.

Cultivation and management methods of loofah

earth

Key points of cultivation: The root system of loofah is well developed, and the tillage should not be too deep. Generally, shallow tillage is done 2-3 times in front of the tower, and soil is piled up 4-5 times during the growth period. Each time, the soil in the ditch is piled 1-2 cm to the root zone to promote adventitious roots, maintain soil temperature, and increase fertilizer absorption capacity.

Scaffolding

When the loofah vine is more than 8 to 10 meters long , a trellis must be built to allow it to spread and grow. After wide-bed cultivation, two beds are grouped together to form a flat trellis with a height of 1.6 to 2 meters.

If it is a narrow ridge planting or intercropping, a fence is usually built, with a 2.6-3 meter long bamboo pole, one for each hole. One or two straw ropes are tied horizontally between the two bamboo poles to make the melon vines grow along the ropes.

prune

The main vine of loofah has strong growth, many female flowers, and early fruiting. In order to promote the growth of the main vine, male and female flowers, tendrils and inverted vines should be removed in time before putting them on the shelf to save nutrient consumption.

After the mother vines are put on the trellis, they should be tended frequently . If they are too dense, cut off the dense and weak side vines, tendrils and arrange the vines and leaves evenly on the trellis to facilitate ventilation and light transmission. If a trellis is used, the side vines should be removed in time during this period, leaving the main vine to bear fruit.