I am a little embarrassed to admit that although I used luffa for a majority of my life, I had no idea until maybe 7 or 8 years ago where it actually came from. I had vaguely considered it, and thought maybe it came from the ocean. It wasn’t until I was browsing through a seed catalog and I saw it listed that it dawned on me that luffa was a plant, and that I could grow it. I have to admit my mind was a little blown. I was excited by the thought because I bought them regularly, and the idea that I could grow something that I used frequently in my life, beyond food, was amazing. I imagined myself harvesting giant luffa sponges and it made me feel like a legit homesteader. Maybe next I would try growing cotton or spinning wool! It would be a few years after that moment before I got what could be considered an actual harvest. The first several times I tried growing them I got a couple of sad little moldy sponges, there was a little bit of a learning curve.
Now I grow enough luffa in a season that I do not have to buy plastic scrubbies or sponges. I use them for everything from washing my body to dishes to scrubbing my counter top. Here are some things I learned along the way.
How to Grow Them
This plant needs a long growing season, at least 4 months of warm temperatures, for the gourds to reach their mature size. If you live in an area with a short growing season I recommend starting them indoors they way you would tomatoes or peppers and planting them out after the last frost of Spring. The seeds can take a couple of weeks to germinate and they need warmth. I suggest starting the seeds on a warming mat. They need heat, sun and moisture to grow, and they like a soil rich in organic matter so be sure to amend your soil with some compost. Mulch your soil so that it does not dry out easily.
In some countries luffa are harvested while small and eaten like a summer squash, (a nickname for it in some regions of the US is vining okra). I grow so many other types of squash I only do this with the fruits that come on in late Summer that I know will not have a chance to mature. I prefer to save as many as possible for the purpose of being a sponge because none of my other squash varieties have that special power.
Give Them a Trellis if Possible
I have learned they do very well on strong trellis and the vines are sprawling so they require a large amount of space. They do wonderful grown against a chain link fence. My favorite way isto grow them on an arched cattle panel, then they also provide shade. You can let them crawl all over the ground too, but they will grow over anything they encounter and there is a better chance the gourds will not rot if they are not buried under a mountain of vine. If you do have a lot of space and no trellis, do not let lack of a trellis stop you, plant some seeds and see what happens.
Harvesting
When your luffa are ready to harvest they will dry out and the skin will become brittle and flake off easily. Another sign is that when you shake them you will be able to hear the seeds rattling around inside. They need to come off of the vine either right before or right after the last frost or they will begin to rot. If they are not brittle yet,they can still be peeled, although it is admittedly a little bit wetter and messier. I peel mine, shake the seeds out and lay them in the sun for a day or two to make sure they are fully dry. I leave some whole for larger cleaning jobs and cut some into rounds because I find them easier to work with when doing things like washing dishes or my face. I like to replace them every 2 or 3 weeks. Store them in a cloth bag so they do not gather dust. Another fun thing you can do if you cut the luffas into rounds is immerse them into your own homemade soap. This is so great because then your body scub and soap are one! These little luffa soaps, or luffas themselves, make great gifts.
Some people like to further process their luffas by soaking them in a solution of bleach and water to kill any bacteria that exist on them and/or to make the sponge a brighter whiter color. It can also remove some of the dark spots that may occur. I personally do not do this. I rinse them in hot water and lay them in the sun to dry and get naturally bleached for several days.
Why Grow Luffa?
Because throwing a luffa in your compost has a positive impact on the planet and putting a sponge or plastic scrubby into a landfill has a negative one. It will reduce the amount of plastic being used in your home, and they make fun and unique gifts. Good luck growing this fun garden crop! If you are already growing them we would love to hear your tips.
Have you never tried using a luffa before and would like to before you commit a whole season to growing them? Well that sounds reasonable of you. Click the image below for an Amazon link and you can have luffas in your hands in just a couple of days. I have also included links for luffa seeds and a great book on natural soap making. These are affiliate link.
