How to grow loofah in autumn? Loofah planting tips

What problems should we pay attention to when cultivating loofah in autumn? Let's talk about them in detail below:

(1) Variety selection

Choose loofah varieties that are early maturing, suitable for dense planting, disease-resistant, high-yielding, resistant to aging, have good commercial quality, high early yield, and are long and stick-shaped.

(2) Sowing and raising seedlings

① The suitable sowing period for autumn loofah is from mid-to-late July to early to mid-August. Soak the seeds in 30~C warm water for 3 hours. After taking them out, soak them in 0.1% potassium permanganate solution for 30 minutes to disinfect them. Then rinse them with clean water and place them under ventilated conditions for natural germination. Sow them after the seeds turn white.

② Raise seedlings in nutrient cups. Mix the mature soil and a small amount of high-quality chicken manure evenly, put them in cups, and water them thoroughly. Sow 1-2 germinated seeds in each cup. Cover them with a small amount of fine soil and spray them with 1000 times dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Then use a cover to block the seedbed to prevent exposure to the sun and heavy rain. During the seedling raising period, pay attention to keeping the seedling soil moist, but not too much water to avoid excessive growth. 7 days before transplanting and planting, spray 1-2 times with 2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote the dark green leaves of the melon seedlings, thick stems, and developed root systems.

(3) Fertilizer and water management

10 days before planting, combined with land preparation, apply 1500 kg of decomposed chicken, duck and pig manure, 100 kg of cake fertilizer, and 50 kg of triple compound fertilizer as base fertilizer per mu. After the seedlings have grown slowly, sprinkle thin manure water once to promote the growth of new roots. After the first female flower is pollinated and fruited, dig holes about 30 cm on both sides of the roots, apply 20 kg of urea per mu, soak 50 kg of cake fertilizer for more than 3 days, and 25 kg of triple compound fertilizer as fruit fertilizer to promote the expansion of melons and fruits. After the first batch of melons are harvested, 15 kg of urea is applied per mu as relay fertilizer. It can also be combined with spraying potassium dihydrogen phosphate, foliar treasure and other nutrient solutions while spraying pesticides to prevent diseases and insects. During the peak fruiting period, harvest 1 to 2 times, and apply manure water about 7 days. 100 grams of urea can be added to every 50 kg of manure water. If deformed fruits are found, water them in time to keep the soil moist to prevent the increase of deformed fruits caused by rain after drought, which will affect the commodity benefits.

(4) Field management

① Planting. When the melon seedlings reach 4-4.5 leaves, plant them in the field as soon as possible. Use dense planting, 2 meters apart, 2 rows per bed, 25-30 cm spacing between plants, and 2,200-2,500 plants per mu.

② Build a scaffold and prune. Luffa is a climbing plant, so a flat shed must be built before pulling out the vines. For example, if bamboo poles are used for the scaffold, one inclined pole for each plant and one pole opposite to the shed are used to build an inclined scaffold about 2 meters high. Then, bamboo poles, plastic webbing or iron wires are used to pull a net in the vertical and horizontal spaces of the top of the scaffold. After the vines of the luffa are placed, the vines should be guided in time and tied to assist in putting them on the scaffold so that the vines and leaves are evenly distributed on the scaffold. All side vines before being put on the scaffold should be removed. When 2 to 3 buds appear on the side vines on the scaffold, the top should be pinched in time; and excessive male flowers should be cut off. After that, 2 side vines should be left on the upper end of the main vine, and the rest should be removed. When these two vines grow to about 10 leaves, they should also be pinched and removed. Attention should be paid to wiping off some old leaves at the bottom of the main vine to reduce nutrient consumption and ensure ventilation and light transmission in the field. In addition, the melons should be sorted frequently so that the melons hang heavily in the shed for growth. Plant adjustment work should be carried out in the afternoon on sunny days to avoid damaging the vines and leaves.

(5) Harvest at the right time

Sponge gourds are eaten young, so the harvesting period is less flexible. It usually takes 10 days from flowering to commercial maturity. In terms of production, it can be harvested when the fruit stalks are smooth, the fruit changes color slightly, the hairs are reduced, the skin feels soft to the touch, and the young fruit surface is shiny. If it is not harvested in time, not only will the fiber of the sponge gourd age and lose its edible value, but it will also affect the fruit setting in the later period. It is better to cut the fruit stalks with scissors in the morning.

(6) Pest and disease control

The main diseases of loofah are virus disease, downy mildew and powdery mildew. Metalaxyl and triadimefon can be sprayed for prevention and control. Spray once every 7 days for 2 to 3 times. The main pests are aphids, melon borers, and melon-snatching melons. For prevention and control, 800 times dimethoate and 1000 times dimethoate of 5% can be sprayed.