Grower’s Guide

Ridge Gourd – Growers’ Guide

Ridge Gourd Growers’ Guide

Season
Can be planted in all tropical season. Loofah plant best in rain, but do not like low temperature.

Soil
Lome, Clay loma, good irrigation. To plough the soil with dry sun 7-10 days. To plough the soil deep 20 -25 cm. Additional manure rate 1-1.5 ton / rai Chemical fertilizer 15-15-15 rate 40 Kg./rai soil to cover up plot wide 80 cm. high 30 cm. 2 row/ plot [ plot wide total 6 m.] Use plastic or strew to cover up step end.

Agriculture
Transplanting sprout 10-15 days, open water in to plot, perforate on plastic space 80 cm. It is climber must bamboo or net to climb.

Fertilizer
1. With plough Fertilizer 15-15-15 rate 40 Kg./rai
2. After transplant 7-10 days Fertilizer 21-0-0 rate 20-25 Kg./rai
3. After transplant 20-25 days Fertilizer 15-15-15 rate 25-30 Kg./rai
4. After three always 10 days Fertilizer 15-15-15 rate 20-25 Kg./rai

Disease important
Anthracnose Downy Mildew spray Mancozap+Matacllic coper.

Maturity
Smooth loofah 55-60 days, ridge gourd 35-40 days after transplant

GOURD FACTS: The white-flowered gourd often has extremely large fruits. Some may attain a length of 1m (3 feet) or more, and fruits with diameters of 0.5 m are not uncommon. Traditionally the Lagenaria gourds served many purposes, being used for cutlery, utensils, scoops, ladles, containers of all sorts, fishnet floats, whistles, and rattles.

Gourd seeds should be planted in a warm, sunny location as soon in the spring as danger from frost has passed, for they require a long growing season to mature fruit andare killed by the first frost of autumn. Well-drained, fertile soil and a trellis, fence, or wall to provide support for the vines aid in the development of well-shaped, unblemished fruits.