Annual / Vegetables - Fruits / Gourd - Angular Loofah Gourd - Luffa
 
 
  •   Plant name - Loofah
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  •   Common name - Chinese Okra
  •   Plant type - Vegetable
  •   Vegetation type - Annual
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  •   Growth rate - fast
  •   Leaf / Flower color - Green / Yellow
  •   Other names - loofa
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    Description :
        Luffa, are a genus of tropical and subtropical vines classified in the cucumber (Cucurbitaceae) family. In everyday non-technical usage the name, also spelled loofah, usually refers to the fruit of the two species Luffa aegyptiaca and Luffa acutangula. The fruit of these species is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable.
        The fruit must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in China and Vietnam. When the fruit is fully ripened it is very fibrous. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge which is used in bathrooms and kitchens as a sponge tool. .
     
     Growing Instructions :
    * Sometimes called rocket, arugula is a peppery green in the mustard family. The leaves can be sauteed or eaten fresh. Mix arugula greens with other salad greens to enjoy their tangy flavor. As arugula matures or as the plant experiences warmer weather, the spicy flavor gets stronger. Since heat induces bolting, plant arugula as a spring or a fall crop. The greens mature in 30 to 40 days and can grow either in full sun or part shade.
    * Prepare the soil in your garden bed for planting by turning it over with a shovel to loosen and aerate the soil. Do this as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring; arugula doesn't tolerate summer heat. Remove roots, rocks and weeds you find in the garden bed since the arugula will compete for resources.
    * Smooth out the soil with the underside of your shovel to level it out before planting the arugula seeds. If you skip this step, water will pool in low spots, stressing the young plants.
    * Dig a furrow one-half-inch deep using a small shovel. Sow arugula seeds in the furrow leaving one inch between seeds. Then cover over the furrow with soil. If you're planting multiple rows, leave 12 inches of space between the rows.
    * Water the newly planted arugula seeds until the soil becomes moist, not wet. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, within five to seven days.