What to Do About Poorly Developing Luffa? A Detailed Guide to Practical Solutions
We have now entered the hottest time of the year, and summer is also the best season for the luffa market. Luffa helps clear heat and detoxify, and moves the bowels. Many growers have reached harvest time, but many have also run into the problem of poorly developing luffa, and poor development of luffa can seriously affect luffa yields. So what should be done about poorly developing luffa? How should it be managed so that luffa does not develop poorly? Below, the editor gives everyone a brief introduction.
1. Shade and sun protection
Luffa does not have a strong love of light; it is a short-day crop. Too long a photoperiod is not good for flower formation in luffa. In many growing areas the light period lasts more than 10 hours, which is very unfavorable for flower formation and pollination in luffa. If the conditions for flower formation are not met, bud differentiation in luffa will be blocked, leading to poor development and the phenomenon of suspended fruiting. Therefore, we need to shorten the light period the luffa receives. Control the light period to a length suitable for luffa. You can place shade nets or straw and other materials above the greenhouse to shade the luffa from the sun, and you can also spray ethephon to promote female flower differentiation and increase the flower formation rate of luffa.
2. Control temperature
Luffa is a vegetable that likes warmth and is relatively heat-tolerant. But too high a temperature will affect the growth of luffa. Summer is the final ripening period for luffa. If the daytime temperature reaches 35 degrees, photosynthesis is extremely strong and produces a large amount of photosynthate. If the nighttime temperature is above 20 degrees, the photosynthate in the leaves will be consumed too much, even exceeding respiration, resulting in insufficient nutrients. This makes luffa grow excessively, and most of the organic matter produced during the day is consumed, so it cannot grow normally. Therefore, control the temperature around the luffa well: it must not be above 30 degrees during the day, and must not be above 20 degrees at night.
3. Training vines and pruning
After luffa is transplanted, the vines and leaves of the luffa must be pruned and the vines pressed, with vine pressing done at least twice. Start the first time when the vine grows to 35 cm, and carry out the second time at 70 cm. Once the male flowers of the luffa bloom, you can begin training the vines onto the trellis. Guide the vines in a “z” shape. If the vines grow too long and too high, remove some of the leaves on the upper part of the vine, but they need to be removed evenly from the upper, middle and lower parts. This helps ventilation and air movement between the luffa plants and reduces disease. At the same time, pay attention to the growth of the luffa; if diseased fruits are found, they should be removed immediately.
4. Water and fertilizer management
Luffa is a multi-harvest crop, so naturally its water and fertilizer requirements are also relatively large. When choosing a site, choose land with fertile soil, high organic matter content, good permeability, and strong water- and fertilizer-holding capacity. Fertilizer should be applied frequently and in small amounts; small amounts means it is not suitable to apply too much fertilizer at one time, because too high a fertilizer concentration will backfire. Pay attention to the use of fertilizers with trace elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Decide the irrigation amount according to weather conditions and the growth of the luffa; it must not be too much or too little.
Poor development of luffa is roughly caused by the above reasons. Luffa itself is very fragile and is also very sensitive to its surrounding environment. But the causes are also very simple. As long as you operate according to the methods the editor has put together, there will basically not be too many problems. However, there are still other reasons, such as humidity, variety, etc. This article is for reference only.