A Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Methods and Key Techniques of the Eight-Ridged Gourd
The eight-ridged gourd, also known as Guangdong loofah, is a species in the genus Luffa. It gets its name because the surface of the fruit has 8 ridges. It originated in India and is now cultivated throughout our country. Its flavor is sweeter and more refreshing than that of ordinary loofah, and it is quite popular on the market, so how should it be cultivated? Let's take a look together.
1. Site Selection and Land Preparation
The eight-ridged gourd has no strict requirements for soil, but for planting it is best to choose a ventilated, sunny site at an altitude above 500 m, and it is advisable to choose well-drained sandy loam soil, which can prevent the high summer temperatures from affecting the yield and quality of the eight-ridged gourd. After selecting the planting site, plow the soil and build it into beds 4 m wide, and apply base fertilizer along the edges of the beds. The eight-ridged gourd has an extremely high yield, so it requires a large amount of fertilizer; generally, 1000 kg of barnyard manure, 20 kg of compound fertilizer, and 2000 kg of human excrement are applied each year.
2. Sowing
When planting, direct seeding in the open field is generally used. To avoid root breakage during transplanting, the direct seeding method is adopted. Before sowing, sun-dry the seeds for one day, then soak them in warm hot water for 15 minutes, and then continue soaking for 4 hours. Remove them, let them dry, and mix the seeds with plant ash. Open holes on the bed surface and sow, paying attention to controlling the spacing between holes to maintain air circulation between plants; generally, sow two seeds per hole. After covering with soil, water them, then cover with plastic film to keep them warm and moist to facilitate emergence. After emergence, promptly break the film.
3. Field Management
When the seedlings grow heart leaves, thin them promptly, leaving only one plant per hole, removing the excess weak seedlings, and keeping the strong seedlings. After thinning, apply additional fertilizer and water to promote the growth of the seedling vines. When the seedling vines have grown to about 1 m, increase the amount of fertilizer applied, and during the fruiting period, increase the frequency of fertilization, applying fertilizer once after each harvest. One month after thinning, promptly set up a trellis to guide the vines. Build a large flat trellis between the plant rows for three-dimensional cultivation. After the vines emerge, promptly set up poles for the branches and vines to climb and grow.
4. Pruning
To promote the growth of the main vine, you can remove the side branches and flower buds that sprout from the base of the main vine. When the main vine grows to the trellis, promptly pinch off the top, remove the male flowers, and prune the side branches, reasonably keeping 2-3 robust side branches. Also promptly remove old leaves, yellow leaves, and excessive male flowers to reduce nutrient consumption, so that more nutrients are supplied to the fruiting branches, promoting more flowering and fruiting and increasing yield.
The above are the cultivation methods of the eight-ridged gourd. We hope this helps you. To learn more about cultivation knowledge, please follow us.