Key points of high-yield cultivation technology of loofah

Luffa, a plant of the genus Luffa in the Cucurbitaceae family, has a long history of cultivation in China. In recent years, with the increase in the export volume of luffa processing, the requirements for product quality have also been increasing. Therefore, it has become particularly important to master the corresponding cultivation techniques to achieve high quality and high yield. Let’s learn the key points of high-yield loofah cultivation technology.

1. Sowing and seedling raising

1. Seedbed preparation

Choose a plot of land that is sheltered from the wind, facing the sun and has sufficient sunlight as the loofah seedling bed , and apply base fertilizer 10-15 days in advance, mainly decomposed organic fertilizer . 1-3 days before sowing, prepare the land, make nutrient pots, and cover them with plastic film in preparation for sowing.

2. Planting seeds

The best time to sow loofah is from the end of March to the beginning of April.

(1) Use the seed soaking method to germinate. First, air the seeds for 2-3 days, soak them in warm water for about 6 hours, and then put the seeds in an incubator to germinate. After the seeds turn white, sow them in nutrient pots or grids.

(2) Directly sow dry seeds in nutrient pots or grids, cover them with mulch immediately after sowing, and build a small arch shed to promote early emergence of seedlings. The seedbed needs to be kept moist to prevent insufficient moisture from affecting germination.

3. Seedbed management

After sowing, seedbed management should be strengthened. Before germination, the temperature inside the seedbed film should be kept at 20-30℃. Seeds that have been soaked and germinated will germinate in 2-3 days, and dry seeds will germinate in about 6-7 days. After emergence, the temperature is low in the early stage and the seedlings are young, so the focus is on keeping warm and preventing frost. In the middle and late stages, as the temperature rises and the seedlings are older, the focus should be on ventilation and seedling hardening. Ventilation and seedling hardening should be carried out flexibly according to the temperature. Ventilation is not required on rainy days when the temperature is low, but the film must be removed for ventilation on sunny days when the temperature is high, and the ventilation volume should be gradually increased. The film can be uncovered day and night 2-3 days before transplanting.

2. Fixed-point transplantation

Transplanting is usually done around April 20 (Grain Rain). When the seedlings grow 1-2 true leaves, they can be transplanted with soil. 7-10 days before transplanting, apply sufficient basal fertilizer on the rows to be transplanted, 20 dan of human and animal fertilizer, 50-75 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 15-20 kg of potash fertilizer per mu. After fertilizing, plow the land in time and carefully prepare it into a fat back shape. Spray herbicides and cover the ground with mulch before transplanting. The planting density of loofah should be 500 plants per mu, with a row spacing of 3 meters and a plant spacing of 0.4-0.5 meters.

3. Raising the vines

After the loofah is planted, you can start to build the frame. The scaffolding is set up with poles 1.5 meters apart and 2 meters high. The roof is woven into a square with small bamboos, lead wire or ropes. The trellis must be strong and sturdy, able to withstand the weight of fresh melons and typhoon attacks. When the vines grow to more than 2.5 meters, they can be placed on the shelves. When the melon vines are put on the shelf, no matter how long the vines are, they should move forward in parallel, which is conducive to the vines stretching evenly on the shelf. After the melon vines are on the shelf, they should be tended frequently to ensure that they are evenly distributed on the shelf.

4. Management of melon season

The loofahs have different fruiting periods and are divided into plum melons, summer melons, and autumn melons. Luffa usually begins to bloom and bear fruit in mid-to-late June. It takes 45-50 days for plum melons to bloom and bear fruit until they are ripe for picking, 35-40 days for summer melons, and about 50 days for autumn melons. In order to achieve "three melons growing at the same time, early melons growing, and high-quality loofahs", the following aspects should be emphasized in cultivation:

1. Emasculation

After the vines are put on the shelf, they must be constantly pruned, buds must be dug, and an appropriate number of male flowers must be removed. Generally, only one main vine is left on each loofah plant, and other side branches and buds must be removed at any time. Luffa has male and female flowers growing on the same nodes, and there are more male flowers. In order to reduce nutrient consumption, more than 70% of the male flower buds can be picked off in time. When removing the male buds, be careful not to injure the female buds on the same node.

2. Remove the inferior melons from the good ones

For each loofah plant, only 1-2 high-quality fruits are selected at different stages. The young high-quality fruits should be symmetrical from top to bottom, straight in shape, and with thick, not slender, stems. At the same time, temporarily leave a young melon on the first few nodes of the selected small melons to compete for nutrients. When the selected high-quality melons grow large enough to avoid bursting, remove the small melons in front. The melons should not be left on the top of the rack, but should be hung in the air in time. If the melons become bow-shaped, they must be straightened manually (small stones can be hung on the pedicels).

3. Fertilization and topdressing

Reasonable application of topdressing plays an important role in the fruit setting and fullness of loofah. The time, frequency and amount of topdressing depend on the growth of the loofah and the amount of fruits produced. When the diameter of the first-stage young melons grows to more than 4 cm, the first topdressing should be applied, with about 3 kg of pure nitrogen per mu (equivalent to about 7 kg of urea). After 10 days, apply 4-5 kg ​​of pure nitrogen (equivalent to about 10 kg of urea) per mu to promote the expansion and fullness of the loofah. Thereafter, apply topdressing every 15 days or so, with 4-5 kg ​​of pure nitrogen (equivalent to about 10 kg of urea) per mu each time. The main method of fertilization should be pouring, and it should be applied in rotation about 50 cm away from the base of the stem to prevent fertilizer damage near the roots.

6. Select melons for seed

Since there are many varieties of loofah, and they are affected by insects and wind, the varieties vary greatly, so they need to be purified and rejuvenated every year and isolated for seed production. The high-quality loofahs with straight and symmetrical bodies, a length of more than 70 cm and many ovary chambers are selected as good varieties.

7. Harvesting and peeling

The melon is usually picked when the body changes from soft to hard, the stem turns yellow, the stem becomes soft and has a yellow ring, a slight cracking sound can be heard when pinched, and the concavity of the stem gradually becomes larger. Peeling: After picking the loofah, it needs to be peeled to get the loofah sponge . The main method of peeling is to soak the melon in water: use a wooden stick to break the skin or a knife to cut the skin, soak it in a container such as a river or a water tank for several days, then remove the rotten skin, wash the loofah and dry it.

To sum up, loofah is not only an important summer and autumn fruit vegetable, but also the main raw material of loofah sponge, and has a high planting value. The above content introduces the high-quality and high-yield cultivation technology of loofah. I hope it can help everyone!