Loofah MH 028
A sponge gourd for tender, fragrant young fruit picked over a long season.
- CropSponge gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca)
- Harvested forYoung fruit
- Typical crop cycleFirst harvest about 40–50 days after sowing
Overview
MH 028 is a sponge gourd in Zinbioseed's vegetable seed range.
Sponge gourd — mướp hương — is a fragrant, tender vegetable used in everyday soups and stir-fries. The vines are vigorous and productive, and young fruit is picked every few days over a long season.
Key features
- Tender, fragrant young fruit
- Heavy, continuous bearing on a trellis
- Picking starts about six weeks after sowing
Growing guide
- SowingSoak the seed for 4–6 hours, then sow 1–2 seeds per hole about 2 cm deep, or raise seedlings in trays and transplant them at the first true leaf.
- TrellisPut up a sturdy trellis or overhead frame about 1.8–2 m high before the vines start to run, so the fruit hangs straight and clean.
- Feed and waterWater evenly and side-dress little and often once flowering starts, with extra potassium while the fruit fills.
- PestsUse bait traps or fruit bags against fruit flies, and watch for thrips, aphids and downy mildew.
- HarvestPick the fruit young and soft, before it turns fibrous, every 2–3 days.
