There are two types of loofah.
First, the common loofah, the melon is slender cylindrical or long rod-shaped, the tender melon has fuzz, no edges, smooth skin or fine wrinkles, the meat is tender, the seeds are flat and smooth, and the black has winged edges, such as Nanjing Long Loofah and Hubei Flesh Loofah.
Second, angular loofah, the so-called foreign loofah in our city, is generally short in melon shape, rod-shaped without fuzz, angular, tender melon with crisp meat and slightly thick seeds without edges, such as angular loofah in Guangdong and edge loofah in Garden. ?
Growth habit of towel gourd
Illumination: Luffa is a short-day crop, which likes strong sunlight and is resistant to weak light. In the seedling stage, short sunshine and large temperature difference are beneficial to female flower bud differentiation, early fruiting and high yield. Shorter sunshine and higher temperature in the whole growth period are beneficial to the growth and development of stems and leaves, to maintain healthy nutritional growth, and to the development of flowering and fruit setting, the development of young melons and the improvement of yield.
Temperature: Luffa is a thermophilic and heat-resistant crop. The suitable temperature for the growth and development of Luffa is 20-30℃, and the suitable temperature for the germination of Luffa seeds is 28-30℃, and it germinates rapidly at 30-35℃.
Moisture: Luffa likes humidity and is afraid of drought. When the soil moisture is high and the water content is above 70%, it grows slowly when it is below 50%, and the air humidity should not be less than 60%. At 75%-85%, the growth rate is fast and there are many melons. When the air humidity reaches saturation in a short time, it can still grow and develop normally.
Soil: Luffa is a vegetable crop with strong adaptability and not strict requirements on soil. It can be cultivated in all kinds of soil. However, in order to obtain high yield, loam and sandy loam with thick soil layer, high organic matter content, good air permeability and strong water and fertilizer conservation ability should be selected as the best.