
Growing your own supply of natural sponges is easy and fun.
Luffa (loofah) sponges do not come from the sea but from the vegetable garden. These natural scrubbers belong in the family of plants that include gourds, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons. They are most closely related to cucumbers in appearance and growing habits. They can be used as household scrubbers, body exfoliators, and young luffas are even edible and delicious when added to simple dishes and stir-fry recipes. If you added luffas to your garden this year Fall is the time for harvest. They may also be seen for sale at local farm stands and natural food stores. You may also find local seeds for sale that you can save for next year and start your own healthy skincare spot in your garden.
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Nine and good information about Luffa sponge. Thanks for sharing this one….
In Zone 9/10, SoFlo: germinated inside, placed in 3g pot. It’s about 2′ tall, not Vining, but lush with growth. It’s been over 4mo. Thx for your expertise.
What if I took my Luffa off the vine, is there a way to dry it out still?
Unfortunately, many times if you pick the luffa green, the gourd will not be matured enough and will be fleshy and gooey inside. If the gourd is light, it might have developed fibers. Luffas need a long season to ripen properly.
I live in Florida, can I plant the seeds any time?
Because luffa gourds are left to mature and dry on the vine, they need a long growing season (nearly 200 frost-free days in a row) so if you have that in your area then yes, you can start your seeds. As mentioned in the article, the best method for starting your seeds is to clip them slightly at their base (rounded end of seed). Then soak the seeds for 24 hours. Wrap the soaked seeds in a piece of damp paper towel and place them inside a plastic bag and set them in a warm spot. Check your seeds in about a week to ten days they should have sprouted. Luffa seeds can take a few weeks to germinate so this method works well as you know your seeds have sprouted before planting.
mine are growing like weeds .
We hope you were able to get a lot of Luffa fruit from your plants.
I am going to definitely try growing luffa this year. I want to try eating it!