Planting, cultivation and management techniques of loofah

Luffa is a plant of the genus Luffa in the Cucurbitaceae family and is widely grown throughout the country. It is not only rich in nutritional value, but also has certain medicinal value and is often cultivated as a vegetable . Many farmer friends said that the loofahs they grow at home produce a lot of fruits every time. Now let’s learn the planting, cultivation and management techniques of loofah.

1. Types of loofah

There are many types of loofah, which are mainly divided into two categories according to their appearance: ordinary loofah and ribbed loofah. There are many types of ordinary loofahs, such as long loofahs, short loofahs, shiny loofahs, white loofahs, etc.

2. Loofah varieties

In order to produce more and better loofahs, we must first choose excellent varieties, especially hybrid loofah varieties. These varieties are professionally selected and bred by scientific researchers and have the characteristics of early and abundant fruit production.

3. Planting density

Different planting densities require different management and pruning methods. Taking Youbi No. 1 loofah as an example, there are three main cultivation modes: greenhouse hanging vine cultivation, open-field "human" frame cultivation and flat frame greenhouse cultivation. At present, growers with larger planting areas mainly adopt the first two cultivation modes, which have relatively low costs and a cultivation density of 800-1000 plants per mu.

4. Pruning methods

High-density cultivation usually adopts single-vine pruning. If the loofah is not pruned in time, the side branches will grow randomly, causing the branches and leaves to shade each other, grow vigorously, and it will be difficult to form female flowers. Even if female flowers are formed, they will fail to develop due to lack of nutrition. This is the main reason why the loofah produces few fruits. Therefore, when planting loofah, pruning and branching should be carried out in time.

5. Fertilizer and water management

Before the fruits bear fruit, avoid fertilizing and watering excessively, and let the seedlings grow on the basal fertilizer to improve their resistance. Too much fertilizer and water in the early stage will cause the vines to grow vigorously, making it difficult to form female flowers and delaying the time of fruit setting. In the later stage of loofah fruit development, it is necessary to ensure sufficient supply of fertilizer and water, because loofah likes water and has a high demand for water, especially during the swelling period, it needs more fertilizer and water. After each batch of loofah is harvested, add fertilizer and water in appropriate amounts according to its growth to promote subsequent growth and development of loofah.

6. Harvest at the right time

When the loofah reaches the sales standard, it should be harvested in time. If harvested too early, the weight of the melons will be low, affecting the yield and income; if harvested too late, the loofahs will become old, affecting the taste and the subsequent growth and development of the loofahs.

The above are the key points of loofah cultivation. If you do these well, the efficiency of loofah cultivation can be improved. Do you have any other questions about loofah cultivation?