What fertilizer is best for loofah?

Luffa is a plant that is valuable all over. It is also called Shenggua, Caigua, Tianluo or Bugua. Usually, we mainly eat its fresh and tender fruit. When planting loofah, no germination treatment is required, but it needs frequent watering and fertilization, and you can save the seeds yourself. So what kind of fertilizer is best for loofah?

1. It is not suitable to apply uncomposted organic fertilizer to loofah

Although chemical fertilizers have the characteristic of rapid effectiveness, their nutrients are single and long-term use will cause soil hardening and acidification, which is not conducive to the growth of beneficial microorganisms in plant roots. Therefore, when growing vegetables, they should be used in combination with organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are comprehensive in nutrition and have long-lasting effects. They can improve soil structure and enhance the soil's ability to retain water and fertilizer. Using organic fertilizers to grow vegetables can not only increase the yield of loofah, but also improve its flavor.

Organic fertilizers can be applied as base fertilizers. When transplanting healthy loofah seedlings, add decomposed organic fertilizer (such as pig manure, sheep manure, bean cake, etc.) and a small amount of compound fertilizer as base fertilizer in each planting hole. Hole application can improve the utilization efficiency of fertilizer.

“People are afraid of raw water, and vegetables are afraid of raw fertilizer.” The “raw fertilizer” here refers to undecomposed organic fertilizer. Using uncomposted organic fertilizer to grow loofah will bring three major problems: first, uncomposted fertilizer will continue to ferment after being applied to the soil, and the high temperature generated may cause burns to the roots of the plant; second, uncomposted fertilizer contains a large number of insect eggs and pathogens, and direct application may cause the occurrence of loofah diseases and pests; finally, most of the nutrients in uncomposted fertilizer exist in the form of organic matter, which is difficult for crops to absorb directly. During the fertilizer composting process, the nutrients are decomposed and released, making them easier for the plants to absorb.

Special note: Organic fertilizer usually needs to be fermented 2 months in advance. By mixing the fertilizer and piling it up, the temperature inside the pile can reach about 60°C during fermentation, effectively killing internal pathogens and insect eggs. The fermented organic fertilizer is easier to be absorbed by plants.

2. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer application on loofah

During the growth period, loofah has higher requirements for nitrogen and potassium, followed by phosphorus. Nitrogen promotes the growth of plant stems and leaves, phosphorus helps flowering, and potassium promotes the synthesis and transport of carbohydrates.

Although loofah has a greater demand for nitrogen, nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied excessively. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer will lead to excessive plant growth and field congestion, delayed or no flowering of the loofah, and serious flower and fruit drop. In addition, excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer may also cause the plant to become tender and juicy, making it more susceptible to insect pests.

Note: Overgrowth of loofah will significantly reduce yield. For plants that grow too vigorously, you can inhibit vegetative growth and promote reproductive growth by topping and pinching. At the same time, pruning dense side branches, diseased leaves, old leaves and yellow leaves can not only enhance ventilation and light transmission in the field, but also reduce nutrient waste, which is conducive to more flowering and fruiting of plants.

3. Avoid fertilizing loofah too concentratedly

Many people only apply base fertilizer when growing loofah, and no longer apply top dressing in the later stage, which may cause the loofah to become deficient in fertilizer in the middle and late stages of growth. Luffa is a plant with a strong ability to bear fruit continuously. If there is insufficient fertilizer and water in the middle and late stages, the plant will easily age prematurely, with yellow-green leaves and fewer flowers and fruits, thereby reducing yield and quality.

Special note: When the loofah seedlings are 10 cm tall , apply 8-10 kg of urea per mu or water them with 2-3 times of decomposed manure water to promote the healthy growth of the seedlings. During the initial flowering period of loofah, 30 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer can be applied per mu (50 grams for each planting hole). Cover the soil after topdressing to ensure the normal growth and development of vines and leaves and meet the nutrient needs of the plant for continuous flowering and fruiting.

4. Don’t rely solely on soil fertilization for loofah

In the middle and late stages of plant growth, the roots will gradually age and their ability to absorb nutrients will decrease. Therefore, in addition to soil fertilization, it is best to apply foliar fertilizer . Foliar fertilizer has the characteristics of high efficiency, rapid absorption, strong effect and economical usage. Reasonable spraying can effectively improve the yield and quality of loofah.

During the flowering and fruit-bearing period of loofah, spray 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once every 10 days for 2-3 consecutive times. This can not only optimize the quality of the loofah, but also prevent premature aging of the plant and significantly increase the yield.

Special note: If you do not spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer, you can spray it with wood ash extract in the early stage of loofah flowering. Wood ash is rich in potassium, phosphorus and various trace elements, and can be used as foliar fertilizer.

Use 5 kg of wood ash and 20 kg of water, stir it thoroughly, let it stand for 12 hours and filter it. Take the clarified liquid and dilute it 5 times with water before spraying it on the leaves. It can prevent early leaf fall, enhance photosynthesis, and promote flowering and fruiting of loofah.

Supplement: In addition to scientific fertilization, loofah also requires scientific watering. Luffa likes moisture, but it should not be watered too much during the seedling stage. Appropriately dry soil is conducive to the deep root system. After flowering and fruiting, the water requirement increases. You can water frequently in small amounts to keep the soil moist.

To sum up, scientific fertilization can maximize the yield potential of loofah. The principle of loofah fertilization is: "sufficient and comprehensive base fertilizer (mainly organic fertilizer), light application in the seedling stage; heavy application in the flowering and fruiting stage". This makes it easier to grow high-yield and high-quality loofah.