What to Do About Poor Development in Loofah? Detailed Solutions
We have now entered the hottest time of the year, and summer is also the best season for the loofah market. Loofah helps clear heat and detoxify, and promotes bowel movements. Many growers have also reached the harvest time, but many people have encountered poor development in loofah, which can seriously affect loofah yield. So what should be done about poor development in loofah? How should it be managed so that loofah does not develop poorly? Below, the editor gives a brief introduction.
1. Shade and sun protection
Loofah is not strongly light-loving and is a short-day crop. Too long a daylight period is not conducive to flower formation in loofah. In many growing areas, the light duration reaches more than 10 hours, which is very unfavorable for flower formation and pollination in loofah. If the conditions for flower formation in loofah are not met, bud differentiation will be hindered, leading to poor development in loofah and the phenomenon of resting gaps. Therefore, we need to shorten the light duration that loofah receives. Control the light duration to a length suitable for loofah. You can place shade nets or straw and other materials above the greenhouse to shade the sun for loofah, or you can combine spraying with ethephon to promote female flower differentiation and increase the flower formation rate of loofah.
2. Control temperature
Loofah is a vegetable that likes warmth and is relatively heat-tolerant. However, too high a temperature will affect the growth of loofah; summer is the final maturity period for loofah. If the daytime temperature reaches 35°C, photosynthesis is extremely strong, producing a large amount of photosynthetic products. If the nighttime temperature is higher than 20°C, the photosynthetic products on the leaves will be consumed too much, or even exceed respiration, resulting in insufficient nutrients. This causes loofah to grow excessively, and most of the organic matter produced during the day is consumed, so it cannot grow normally. Therefore, the temperature around loofah must be well controlled. During the day it must not be higher than 30°C, and at night it must not be higher than 20°C.
3. Vine training and pruning
After loofah is planted, the vines and leaves of loofah should be pruned and the vines pressed. Press the vines at least twice. Start the first time when the vines grow to 35cm, and carry out the second time at 70cm. Once the male flowers of loofah are in full bloom, you can begin guiding the vines onto the trellis. Guide the vines in a "z" shape. If the vines grow too long and too high, remove some leaves from the upper part of the vines, but they need to be removed evenly from the upper, middle, and lower parts. This is conducive to ventilation and air permeability between loofah plants and reduces disease. At the same time, pay attention to the growth of loofah. If diseased gourds are found, they should be removed immediately.
4. Water and fertilizer management
Loofah is a multi-harvest crop, so its natural demand for water and fertilizer is also relatively large. When selecting land, choose land with fertile soil, high organic matter content, good permeability, and strong water and fertilizer retention. Fertilizer should be applied frequently and in small amounts. Small amounts means it is not suitable to apply too much fertilizer at one time. Too high a fertilizer concentration will backfire. Pay attention to the use of fertilizers with trace elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Determine the irrigation amount according to weather conditions and the growth of loofah. It must not be too much or too little.
Poor development in loofah is roughly caused by the above reasons. Loofah itself is very fragile and is also very sensitive to the surrounding environment. But the causes are also very simple. As long as you operate according to the methods compiled by the editor, 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.