How to manage loofah to produce more fruits?

Luffa is widely loved by diners for its unique taste and nutritional value. It has delicate flesh and smooth taste, and is very popular in the market. However, during the planting process, many farmers often face a problem: the number of melons produced is insufficient. This phenomenon is not only related to the selected varieties, but also closely related to the planting and management techniques. So how should we manage loofahs to produce more fruits?

Step 1: Determine the right time to plant

Luffa is a vegetable that likes warmth, and its seeds can only germinate normally at a temperature of about 30 degrees. Therefore, it is ideal to choose a period when the average daily temperature reaches about 25 degrees for planting. If sowing is too early, especially when the average daily temperature is below 15 degrees, the germination rate of loofah seeds will slow down, causing the seedlings to grow weak and not conducive to high yields.

In North China, it is more appropriate to plant loofah outdoors between Grain Rain and Beginning of Summer after the temperature stabilizes. Avoid blindly sowing in advance in order to get the loofah on the market as soon as possible.

Step 2: Soil selection and thinning

Luffa does not have high requirements for soil, but in order to obtain high yields, it is essential to choose loose, well-permeable and fertile soil. Luffa is not tolerant to waterlogging, so it is planted in beds, which is convenient for watering and good for drainage.

Loofah can be raised in advance and then transplanted, but direct seeding is usually more suitable. Before sowing, soak the seeds in room temperature water for 4 hours, then sow them, keep the row spacing at about 1 meter, sow 2 to 3 seeds in each hole, and cover the soil to a depth of 2 to 3 centimeters. After germination, thin out the seedlings when the plants have 3 to 4 leaves, leaving 1 to 2 healthy seedlings in each hole.

Step 3: Scientific management and water and fertilizer supply

1. Watering: Loofah needs sufficient water to grow, but the amount of water should be adjusted according to the growth stage. Before fruiting, if the soil is moist, you can reduce watering to prevent the seedlings from growing too vigorously due to excessive water. After fruiting, the amount of watering needs to be increased, but waterlogging should be avoided for a long time.

2. Top dressing: The growth of loofah requires sufficient base fertilizer, which can be decomposed organic fertilizer and a small amount of compound fertilizer. In the early stages of flowering and fruiting, it is necessary to increase the supply of fertilizer . 60 to 80 kilograms of triple compound fertilizer can be applied per mu, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer should be sprayed once every half a month to promote high yield.

Step 4: Management of loofah vines

After the previous planting and water and fertilizer management, the last step is to manage the loofah seedlings. Although loofah vines grow in a messy manner, they need to be selectively retained and removed to reduce nutrient loss. Each loofah vine can retain 2 to 3 side vines, and cut off the excess side vines to facilitate ventilation and light transmission. For vines that grow too vigorously, "pinching" is carried out to promote increased yield.

The height of the loofah rack should not be less than 2 meters to promote vertical growth. For loofahs that grow crooked, you can straighten them by hanging them, that is, tie a rope around the bottom of the loofah and tie a heavy object to the other end.

The above is the method of growing loofah, I hope it will be helpful to you. The key to growing loofah is to master the correct time and method to ensure that the loofah can grow healthily and bring a rich harvest.