How to grow loofah to achieve high yield?

Luffa is a vegetable that can be grown all year round. It is suitable for open-air planting in spring, summer and autumn, and is mostly cultivated in greenhouses or sheds in winter. As a widely grown vegetable that is deeply loved by consumers, loofah occupies an important position both in farmers' field cultivation and in market sales. However, in the process of growing loofah, many farmers may encounter some challenges, such as poor growth of loofah, small number and size of flowers and fruits, or only flowering but no fruiting, and bent and deformed loofah fruits. These problems not only affect the yield of loofah, but also affect the quality and market value of loofah. So how can we grow loofah to achieve high yield?

1. Planting time

Luffa likes warmth and plenty of sunlight and is highly heat resistant. The optimal temperature range for seed germination is 25-35℃, while the optimal temperature for plant growth is 20-30℃. When the temperature is below 15℃, seed germination will slow down, and germination will be more difficult when the temperature is below 10℃. The period from Grain Rain to Beginning of Summer is the suitable sowing period for open-air planting of loofah, but it is not advisable to sow blindly too early.

2. Choose strong seedlings and plant them thinly

Luffa has strong adaptability and is not demanding on soil, but it prefers soil that is deep, loose, rich in organic matter, and has strong water and fertilizer retention capabilities. Such soil conditions help to achieve higher yields. Luffa likes a humid environment, but is not resistant to waterlogging. Therefore, it should be avoided to be planted in low-lying waterlogged areas. It is recommended to use high ridge cultivation.

Luffa can be transplanted from seedlings or directly sown, with direct seeding usually the main method. When sowing, 3 to 4 seeds can be placed in each hole. The seeds can be soaked for 3 hours before sowing to speed up germination. After sowing, cover the soil with 2 to 3 centimeters. After the seedlings emerge from the soil, select 1 to 2 strong seedlings to keep. Strong seedlings have stronger resistance to adversity and are conducive to high yield.

The loofah plant is tall and covers a wide area, so when planting, holes should be dug at intervals of 1 meter. Too dense sowing can lead to field congestion, increase the risk of pests and diseases, and cause flowers to fall off, which can seriously affect yields.

Please note that loofah and bitter melon should not be mixed, because the bitter substances in bitter melon pollen may affect the taste of loofah.

3. Scientific watering

Before the loofah bears fruit, you can water it less or not at all, but after it bears fruit, you need to increase the amount of watering to promote high yield.

When sowing, if the soil is moist, no watering is required; if the soil is dry, watering is required. The seedling stage requires less water. Excessive watering can easily lead to vigorous growth of the plant, which is not conducive to root growth. Therefore, water less and avoid flooding. After the loofah sets, its demand for water increases, and the soil moisture should be kept above 70%. You can water it frequently with small amounts of water. Keeping the soil moist will help produce more loofahs and speed up their growth.

4. Scientific fertilization

Luffa is a fertilizer-loving crop. When planting luffa, it is best to apply the base fertilizer in holes. Put an appropriate amount of decomposed farmyard manure and a small amount of triple compound fertilizer in each planting hole. In order to promote the healthy growth of seedlings, you can sprinkle 2 to 3 times with decomposed dilute manure water or apply a small amount of urea during the seedling stage. As the seedlings grow, the concentration of manure water can be gradually increased.

Luffa has a high demand for nutrients during the flowering and podding period. During the initial flowering period, heavy topdressing should be applied, with 30 kg of triple compound fertilizer per mu, and 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer should be sprayed once every 10 days, for 2 to 3 consecutive times, to prevent premature aging of the plant and significantly increase yield. After that, it is best to apply decomposed manure after each harvest to ensure that nutrients can be replenished in time after each harvest.

5. Pruning and guiding vines

During the growth process of loofah, many side vines will be produced. Only 2 to 3 strong side vines need to be retained. Cutting off the excess side vines can save nutrients, which is conducive to more flowering and more melons. When pruning, you can also cut off the old, diseased and yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant to enhance ventilation and light transmission in the field and reduce diseases and pests. For plants with vigorous growth, "topping and pinching" can be carried out to inhibit vegetative growth, promote reproductive growth, and help increase yields.

Luffa is a climbing plant. When the vine grows to 30 cm high, you can insert bamboo to guide the vine. The vine should be guided counterclockwise, and the height of the frame should not be less than 2 meters.

Luffa may become bent during the growth process, affecting its commercial quality. If you want the loofah to grow straight, you can tie a small stone with a small packing rope when the loofah is bent, so that it will slowly grow straight. Luffa should be picked in time after it matures to reduce nutrient consumption, prevent fibrosis, and avoid affecting quality.

To sum up, loofah is a popular vegetable. When planting it, you only need to sow at the right time, plant in a reasonable sparseness, cultivate strong seedlings, water scientifically, fertilize reasonably, and prune and guide vines, then you can easily grow high-yield, high-quality loofah.