How to Grow Loofah in Containers: Methods and Key Techniques

In recent years, deeply affected by food safety issues, many people have put their idle balconies to use. Because balcony space is limited, container growing has become the first choice for many urban farmers. Let's introduce how to grow loofah in containers.

Loofah growing - raising seedlings: In spring and summer, seedlings are usually raised and then transplanted; in autumn, seeds are sown directly.

(1) Place the seeds in 60°C hot water and stir constantly while soaking for 10-15 minutes, then soak the seeds in 30°C warm water for 2-5 hours. After washing, wrap them in a wet cloth (or paper towel) and germinate them at 25-30°C for 24-36 hours. Sow when 2/3 of the seeds have sprouted white.

(2) Sow the seeds by dibbling them into disposable plastic cups, cover with 1-2 cm of soil, and water thoroughly; you can also sow directly in the appropriate container, with 2-3 seeds per hole. At a suitable temperature, they sprout in about 5-7 days; when the temperature is lower, cover with film to keep warm.

(3) Water appropriately. When there are 4-6 true leaves, transplant on a sunny afternoon, applying sufficient base fertilizer (for summer sowing, apply less or none), with 1 plant per pot.

Loofah - daily management (1) It likes strong light and requires at least 8 hours of light per day; it tolerates high temperatures and fears cold, with an optimal growing temperature of 25-30°C, and the minimum temperature should not be below 12°C; at high temperatures, it still grows vigorously when water and fertilizer are not lacking; it tolerates moisture and needs sufficient water. When the temperature is low, water before noon on sunny days; in dry weather, water once every other day; at high summer temperatures, water once in the morning and once in the evening:

(2) When the plant is about 50 cm tall, earth up and press the vine down once; when it is about 70 cm tall, earth up and press the vine down again, coil the vine on the soil surface and remove the side vines. Pruning should generally be done on a sunny afternoon.

(3) When female flowers begin to appear, set up a support, guide the vine onto the trellis in a zigzag pattern, and tie it with string at intervals of about 20 cm to secure it.

(4) Before the first fruit sets, all side vines should be removed; afterward, if there are too many side vines for harvesting, remove some of the overly dense or weaker side vines. After side vines bear 2-3 fruits, pinch off the growing tips. In the middle and late stages of growth, appropriately remove yellow and old leaves, following the principle that leaves should not overlap and shade each other.

(5) During the growing period, it is best to promptly remove tendrils, most male flowers, and poorly developed fruits. If necessary, hand pollination can be done, usually at 5-6 pm using male flowers that opened that day.

(6) Before fruiting, apply decomposed organic fertilizer once every 10 days, for a total of 2 applications, and be careful to avoid applying too much nitrogen fertilizer; after fruiting, apply decomposed organic fertilizer once a week.

(7) In the early growth stage, you can interplant vegetables such as bok choy and spinach to make full use of the space.

Loofah - harvesting: 10-14 days after flowering, it can be harvested. At this time, the flower at the tip begins to dry up, the color of the fruit skin begins to darken, and the fruit feels elastic when held. If you need to save seeds, you can wait until the fruit skin turns yellow before harvesting.

(Text / Caiba editor: caiba_org / WeChat public account: dsytzc)