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More On How To Grow A Luffa |
72 Comments |
| By Aaron Newton in Green Living, How To | November 28, 2006 | ||
Quite a few people were interested in my recent harvest of Luffa shower sponges. I thought I’d explain a bit more about the plant and the process of growing it. Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. or as it is commonly called, the Loofah, is a vegetable native to South America. It can be eaten when it is smaller. I have stir fried them but only up to a size of about 4 inches. After that they become tough like an over ripe squash. Left to fully mature each fruit produces an excellent sponge. Seeds for this plant are readily available through vegetable catalogs and you’ll only have to buy seeds your first year- one mature Luffa sponge will produce at least 30 seeds. Some will produce many more.
Frost kills the plant and it needs 4 to 5 months of growth to produce sponges. Here in North Carolina I can plant seeds directly in the ground near the date of the last frost and then harvest a modest number of sponges later in autumn. If I wanted a better yield or if I lived further north I would start them indoors several weeks, maybe even a month before the date of the last frost and transplant them outdoors after frost danger has passed. Planting them on the sunny, southern side of your property will help. They are natural climbers and are happiest running up the sides of a trellis or even the outer walls of your home. I sprinkle a few seeds near, but not in front of, one of my south facing gutter downspouts. When the plant sprouts it climbs up the downspout and along my gutters. It doesn’t impede the flow of water and in the fall when the plant dies I easily pull it off of my home. The large Luffa leaves help to shade the hottest side of my house in the summer. I am certain they could be grown just as well on a large trellis. They can get quite long. I’ve grown vines that exceeded 15 feet in length.
Sometimes Luffas left to fully mature and turn brown or Luffas that ripen lying on the ground will have brown splotches of color throughout the sponge. For some people this isn’t a problem. Others however do not like bathing with something that is several different shades of rust. After I remove the outer skin and squeeze out the pulp and seeds from inside the Luffa, I often soak them in a weak solution of bleach and warm water for about 5 minutes. This is especially true of the Luffa sponges I give as gifts. The process usually lightens the color and gets rid of dark brown spots. After doing so I let them dry thoroughally by hanging them up or placing them on a drying rack. It is also possible to dye the Luffas if you think you’d like bathing with a pink sponge.
I highly suggest you try growing Luffa sponges; even those of you in Northern climates with shorter growing seasons. Each morning as I start my day, I am reminded of my commitment to becoming more self-sufficient when I shower using a sponge I grew myself.
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Chris said,
Great information! You have got me convinced.
GreenBean said,
I thiink I’ll try that next season and see how it goes, thanks for the info!
GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow : Blog Archive : How To Make (and grow) A Luffa! said,
[...] Click here for Part II of this article! Luffa Sponge [...]
Nitin said,
I am cautioned by the experience of kudzu and many other non-native plants being planted to some purpose… which end up adversely affecting the ecosystem. Any reference of studies done on the potential effects of loofah planting in North America?
Why not just plant it inside and in controlled greenhouse environments?
aaron said,
Nitin,
Unlike Kudzu, frost kills the plant. True the Luffa will reseed but I know both plants and the Luffa is nothing like Kudzu. I think it is a non-native worth growing.
Most of the vegetables grown in the U.S. are not native.
Josephine said,
And a lot of cars driven in the U.S. are not native.
Hole said,
What does Spongebob Squarepants have to say on this?
Ebola said,
Really useful guide! I’ll have to try and grow some of these myself at some point. Wouldn be interesting to see whether they can grow in the UK, and to impress my friends!
Arcadia said,
you’ve got me convinced, thanks so much for sharing this great do-it-yourself idea!
Ret said,
You can also “hack” the luffas by growing the fruits in a container. That way, you can get a square sponge (and call it Bob) or any other shape… or just tie around the luffa some string to get special shapes, etc.
Nitin said,
I agree with Josephine… cars should not be grown in the US.
Most non-natives are introduced thinking that they “require minimal oversight” to control them in the open… but can grow fast and easy! I suggest that the practice of growing things in greenhouses is worth emulating…
KantGirl » i’ve been away. said,
[...] i have this obsession with doing things from scratch. you better believe that i will be growing me a luffa. instructions at groovygreen [...]
smn said,
where in North Carolina do you live? because im in asheville
Donovan said,
I am blown away, I never even thought to wonder where a lufa came from!
urbanecoinc.com » Carnival of the Green #56 said,
[...] and Aason’s folow up: More on How To Make A Grow A Luffa “Quite a few people were interested in my recent harvest of Luffa shower sponges. I thought I’d explain a bit more about the plant and the process of growing it. Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. or as it is commonly called, the Loofah, is a vegetable native to South America.” [...]
Stacy said,
This is awesome. I am definitely going to try this in spring. We have lots of climbers – english ivy and morning glory – rampant actually. Have you seen the loofa grow in any competition like this? Would keeping them in large pots be possible, with lots of room to climb?
Stacy said,
Oops, I mean luffa!
Nolly said,
Any idea how they’d do in an area where an annual frost is not guaranteed? (Inland Southern California. It can dip near or below freezing at night, but may not.)
Scott A. Meister said,
First of all, for all those folks paranoid about introducing something non-native, a large portion of the veggies you grow in your garden, that are now considered standard (aside from corn, beans and squash), were introduced by colonials, it’s just been so long, that most people have forgotten. Don’t get too uptight about introducing non-native species, and worry more about being a responsible gardener who manages what you introduce properly. Remember that nature, in reality has no borders, and birds that travel internationally also have the ability to introduce new species to an area. Heck, food aid shipments have introduced GM seeds into South America, virtually by accident (although conspiracy theorists may disagree on the accidental part). However, having said that, the best bet is to always obey the precautionary principle. Do some research, and think it through…very well, before you do something you might regret. Be prepared to take responsiblity for your actions.
As far as uses for the loofa, if any of you happen to have a composting toilet, these make an excellent alternative to toilet paper. Simply slice them up into wafers, and store them in a small container full of a highly diluted tea-tree oil solution next to your toilet. You’ll get a much healthier, more comfortable, anti-bacterial wet-wipe, that is fully compostable, means less trees are dropped for the sake of paper, and we get a sustainable source of home-grown TP (without the embodied energy costs of processing, packaging, shipping and supermarket shelf storage!) How’s THAT for a win-win situation!
GO LOOFA!
Soccer/CS » Blog Archive » GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow : Blog Archive : More On How To Grow A Luffa said,
[...] More on how to grow a loofah This entry was posted on Thursday, 4 January 2007 at 20:14 and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. [...]
Dinner Party IV « CRog said,
[...] We had an hour to make breakfast and no eggs anywhere in the house, not in the fridge and fresh out in the garden. So Hunter and I drove to the Mexican grocery around the corner with Mary on top, I found a giant loofah, cheap beer and mexican cheese and we were on our way to a really good round of breakfast tacos, my mother’s favorite food. [...]
good said,
Nice reading. Funny comments:)))) Thanks guys.
chrissy said,
I found some seeds in a loofa I had bought so I stuck them in the garden. The loofa look like a zuchinni, and they are pretty tasty too!!!
micah mcdaniel said,
i bought luffa seeds yesterday at the garden shoppe and was surprised and happy to see your information and success story here online. Thanks for the instructions so that i may have a rewarding experience!!!
maidensolo
GroovyGreen.com - Start Today :: Save Tomorrow : Blog Archive : Return of… THE LUFFA! said,
[...] The article was so popular I posted follow-up information here. I thought I’d explain a bit more about the plant and the process of growing it. Luffa aegyptiaca or as it is commonly called, the Loofah, is a vegetable native to South America. It can be eaten when it is smaller. [...]
Mark Rodighiero said,
How deep to plant the seeds, what kind of soil, how much water, how much sun?
Thanks,
Mark
ramya said,
hi!
how long can u use one loofah sponge? it will last u for how many showers approximately? and wont the sponge collect bacteria or fungus?
aaron said,
i use each luffa sponge for about a year. if you hang them up after each shower in a place where they can dry they don’t collect bacteria or fungi. if they do start to get dirty you can throw them in the washing machine with a load of clothes.
Mikki said,
Wow.. I never knew. I wish I knew a few months ago, but being in Wisconsin I doubt I will get it started this season. Hopefully you can repost it again in the early spring. Are there any other plants or vegetables that have a dual purpose as well??
aaron newton said,
Yes next year sounds like your best bet. You’ll want to start your seeds indoors and early in Wisconsin. The Luffa has a long growing season. I can’t think of another plant you can eat and/or use as a bath sponge. The Luffa is quite unique.
Dennis Robson said,
I have grown loofah’s this year—What do you have to do to them besides peeling and deseeding ??? how long do the last??? do they desolve in the shower water??? etc
maggie said,
we had no trouble growing luffas in dutchess county,ny we have several hanging on the fence around the garden. thanks for telling us how to dry them.
Ric said,
When do you harvest them? I have several large (16-18 inches long) ones now but are totally green. Will the small ones still produce a sponge?
aaron said,
i always let mine go until the frost kills the vine, then i harvest. the smaller ones will not produce a sponge as they have not developed an inner “skeleton” yet.
Jody said,
I goofed this year and didn’t plant my loofas until very late in July. The crop will be small — only 4 of harvestable size, the biggest about 15″ at this point — but the harvest will exist. So even if you don’t start just after your last frost, give loofas a try. I live in Maryland, near DC, and the plants are on the south side, and we haven’t had frost yet. Once I needed a Girl Scout project, and we used dyed loofas as a stand in for tree foliage — they take dye really well, and made a great forest.
Mehlika Akkaya said,
Hi, I live in Istanbul, Turkey, I read your articles (both) and got pretty convinced about growing my own bathing treatment. Ordered seeds, and I’m so excited to see how they will grow and become loofahs of my own, cannot imagine how many gift opportunities it will give… Thank you for the great information you supply for the interested gardener
Fay HImes said,
Hi.
I just peeled a loofah that we grew here in Arizona in a more or less shady area and it thrived. To peel it first snip off the end and shake all the seeds out and then stick the loofah in nice warm water for just a few minutes and the outside comes right off then you can soak it an a light bleach solution. It is great!…
Rae in NC said,
Any information on how to dye a loofah? What type of dye to use etc.
bob said,
You can use the Rit Dye found at your local grocery store.
lovelilacs said,
Would non-chlorine bleach (like Ecover) work to soak them in?
Aaron Newton said,
I think so. By the way, you don’t need to bleach them at all if you don’t mind a brownish sponge instead of a white one.
michaela said,
love the info, i can start the harvest down here in ch.ch new zealand. cool place adding to my favorites.
TJ Rogers said,
I remember as a child in Arkansas back in the 60’s, mom growing what she called the wash rag gord.
We’d fry up and eat the tender small ones, and let a few grow till the vine froze and died. They’d dry where she hung them, and we’d use them as wash cloths and dish rags.
And always save a few seeds for next year.
Well for years I looked for this plant after Dad moved us back to Texas in 1971.
At last I found a place here in Austin Texas that sold the seeds. The Natural Gardener at 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. First seeds I planted froze, so I planted some more.
And now I have two plants that are starting to vine up a trellis.
I can’t wait to use some of them in stir fries, and save a few for sponges and seeds.
Thank you. TJR Austin Tx
stang said,
Years ago I also made homemade soap and I would pour the soap into the luffas. After the soap was cured I then would give as gifts.
stang
M. Douglas said,
We have purchased a log home in Prescott, AZ. It is getting a lot of damage on the south and west facing sides. If I planted luffas there, would they do damage to the logs? Would the roots try to enter the logs?
We will have to have logs corn blasted and coated before we could plant them, but don’t want to take a chance. Besides the sun, there are terrific winds at times. Anyone with any experience with log homes?
ira said,
You can use the same loofah a years! All my family loved it! I planted in this year, but somehow it still dosen’t grow very well. Based on my childhood memory, it should grow big, at least 50 – 60 cm long. But it is not the end of the seasson yet, will see what is happened.
Laura said,
I grow Luffa here in NWPA, this is my secon yr of growing it. I let it grow on the ground with my other squash and it does fine. (however I do keep it from my zucchinin as the plants look a little similar). I just picked mine this week as we had a frost and the vones are dying off, now I need to dry em.
Scott said,
Thanks so much for this article. I also live in North Carolina and planted my first loofah, a very small 2-leaved plant that I was told to treat like a cucumber. Now, at the end of September, it has taken over a 50×50-foot area in my front yard. Lots of beautiful yellow flowers, but no pods yet. I look forward to the first cold snap so the pods will grow.
frank said,
been growing luffas for years here in southwest florida…they do really well….vines are at least 20 feet long or more with many luffas…the flowers are beautiful and vines can be trained to grow almost on anything (trellis,fencing,rope,even the sides of the house,or even on the ground)
frank
Cameron said,
Have been growing these in Baltimore MD and they grow very well. I use a roto-tiller on the ground every season for them and till in proper amounts of bone meal, a nice heaping helping of my compost pile, and also humus/manure mixture. It might help to buy a one-time use soil test kit or send a sample out for testing if you want to calculate how much of these fertilizers to use. I grow them on metal fences with plastic trellises wire-tied on for added height, but the large 18 inch luffas can outweigh the plastic trellis, needing PVC pipes to steady it. A thought I had for those just starting, or lacking a fence, etc, would be to buy a few sheets of lattice from your hardware store. They’re as large as full sheets of plywood (4′ X 8′) but offer tremendous opportunities for the luffa to cling to. Use them lengthwise, and possibly tilt them slightly to face the longest sun exposure possible. If you have Lowes Home Improvement stores in your area, go to Lowes.com and search ‘ lattice ‘. You only want the cheapest, preferrably wood lattice sheets you can get. Avoid treated or pre-painted sheets.
Though quite long and detailed, I hope this info gives you a tip or two that saves you a lot of time and headache!
autumn said,
We in Fort Worth Texas have had our first frost and some of the leaves are dead but not the entire vine. It’s still has a lot of green leaves. I’m wondering, if I leave them on the vine until a freeze, will it damage the loofa? Or should I wait until a freeze before I cut them off. Yes, I planted them late with some other gourds. The loofas range from 1′ to 3′ or more. There’s probably 15 out there. Does anyone know when to cut them? I’ve never heard of soaking them to get the skin off but its got to be easier than I did before. I cut them green and left them whole and hung them in the garage. Most of them rotted! So I’ll try anything to keep that from happening again. HELP!
Autumn
Yulanda said,
I am an official fan. I started growing mine this summer( August) after attending a Botany class at Tropical Fairchild Garden, and I have produces 4, 15 inches. I am very excited. So excieted I am sharing my loofas with my students and staff members to try and guess what they are? No ones knew!!!
robert said,
my neighbor planted this vine on chain link. it spread into my yard and i asked what vegetable is it. he said its a loofa sponge. i read that you let mature to a brown/yellow color, then soak in hot water 2 hours, cut out sides to shake out seeds and juices, peel skin, let dry and booyaa.. they are almost ready…
Books and Sponges and Gardening, Oh My! : One Money Dummy Getting Smarter said,
[...] on a really excited note–did you know that luffas actually do not come from the sea? They’re a gourd! A squash! A climbing vine that you can raise in your very own square foot [...]
john markham said,
hi everyone i live in the uk near london and grew loofas very succesfully some 15 years ago both indoors and out, indoors were better but both locations worked,i shall have another go this year, happy bathtime,
katy moore said,
hello! I`m interested in your seeds! really! I need to know your e-mail adress to get in contact so I can buy a lot LOTS of seeds so if you are interesed to let me know!
I`ll give you mi adress katymoore@yandex.ru (ONLY 4 THE OWNER OF THIS INTERESTING ARTICLE)
thanks!
I`ll be waiting.
Michelle said,
I’m from Taiwan and we had been using old and dried luffa (of course we don’t call it by that name) sponges to clean dishes and eat the young and fresh ones for generations. I’m glad that people in the States are also interested in this great product! However, it’s difficult to give a “make-over” to luffa and make it into a more hip product because people all knew it as a cheap and conventional dish-washing thingy in Taiwan. But we believe that the fresh juice of luffa, similar to cucumbers, are great elixers for rejuvenating skin. But the problem is that researchs show that it had to be FRESH, or it won’t be that powerful. Maybe there are some wonderful high tech. to preserve its magic now. Hope more people will benifit from this plant.
Matthew said,
I’m in North Carolina and am having wonderful success with my Luffa thus far. It starts off small and vulnerable but all of a sudden it shoots out into a beast! Thanks for this useful information!
Tim said,
I have never grown a luffa, but found the seeds at Canadian Tire. I will not be growing them in Canada, but will attempt this in the Philloppinos in the North mountains 4000 feet above sea level. The counttry gets 6 month of hot weather and 6 months of rain and sunshine mix. I hope these will grow there
Lelsey said,
Thanks for tips. My loofah came from my daughter-in-law’s family in Sao Paolo, and seeds fell out, so we planted them here in South Devon, UK. I have plants outside, and one behind glass, all about 2 metres in June. Frosts come in November – December, so fingers crossed that our climate will be warm enough. I’m feeding them as if marrows or squashes.
Kylie said,
Well I live in a sub tropical climate and the one luffa vine I planted this year just about took over the place! I thought what on earth am I going to do with all these sponges, then a friend told me she seen them in someones washing up water! They make the best kitchen scrubbers! We chop them into manageable chunks and chucked the chux away!
Toni said,
For those of you in warmer climates, remember, this plant is from South America. It loves the heat. I planted on in early spring in Arizona and when it began to get hot, I figured it would die out like most other plants here. NO WAY!, this plant took off and bloomed the most beautiful Yellow flowers all through the hot summer, giving me some great Luffah sponges along the way.
Corrinne said,
I planted my luffa mid-May. I am in SC, and this is my first shot at growing luffa. Today my luffa is to the top of a 5 foot chain link fence. I am hoping to see some blooms soon. I have a black thumb, and am extremely excited about the growth thus far. I hope to have a good first harvest. I will repost in the fall to let you know how I did. Thanks for all the great info on growing, and harvesting luffa. It has been very helpful so far.
Sue Shepherd said,
Hi I live in winston salem nc and I have several loofa growing on the side of my house. I have lots of flowers but no pods when does the pod come? I planted these thing inside bace in March and trensplanted in may. When will I see a pod and when can start to harvest? i did this one time before and only got one pod. This time I have a lot of flowers any advice would help you can email me at shepjc1024@aol.com thanks so much
D Coira said,
Is it an alkalin or acid loving plant?
Lolita_in_Florida said,
Howdy All!
I live in South Florida and just discovered the amazing Luffa!
I’m wondering if any of you have heard about the healing properties of the luffa?
One of my neighbors told me that the fruit contains numerous cancer-curing agents and is most benefical if it is eaten fresh.
Does any one know if there is any merit to this claim?
I’m curious if the luffa is sold in any grocery stores or harvested and sold here? It sounds like a MIRACLE fruit/ plant.
Apparently, the dried luffa sponge also releases some type of oils that are good for the skin? Wowee!
Either way, it sounds like a very positive plant that is fun to cultivate. I’m still researching the luffa, but any advice or caveats would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Sherri said,
Hey Y’all!
I am in Coastal NC, inland about 50 miles, and planted luffa for the first time this year. I have always known luffa was a plant, but haven’t been a big gardener in the past. Ours has the most Beautiful flowers and some of the fruit is over a foot long! Plus, I threw the seeds in junk dirt! I found this site when looking for harvesting info. The comments are as great as the article!
BTW, Lolita, if you have a Wal Mart in S. Florida, you can probably buy luffa.
Also, scroll through the older comments, and on the Part I section, because there are a lot of informative comments. One particularly interesting one is from Taiwan and mentions skin health.
Take care, everybody!
john said,
I have about 5 luffa plants that have completely covered my 30×50′ fall garden. It took them all summer to get this big. There must be 700 big yellow blossoms, but I see no white male blossoms. I read that higher nitrogen will induce more males…but it’s probably too late in the season to get a crop mature this season. SEPT now. The female blossoms are heavily visited by bees and moths, but there are no male flowers to cross pollinate…The yellow blossoms fall off in about a day or two. Any more suggestions for the spring crop?
I had great success with gourds this year…several types… and heavy fruiting on all vines.
What can I do to get even one male blossom next year?
john said,
I am in upstate South Carolina…God’s country …..but we keep it a secret.
john said,
It’s Oct now and boy have I got luffas! They just started popping out after my last post….Thanks for whatever you did! Some of them are over a foot long and I can’t get 2 hands around them! Hope there is enough time before frost to make good sponges inside…………
nafeesa said,
hi to all lovers of luffa!!
am xtremely fond of luffa. ive tried the cultivation at my place. ive got so many. ive tried to bleached them to make them look nice n white. but i cant do so what i need to do.PLEASE HELP ME OUT!!! i need a solution to bleach the luffa. ive tried hydrogen peroxide. it does not work.
thks
Lufa Lover said,
The luffa is the best thing I’ve found for use getting clean in the shower since soap. This is phenomenal!
Kudzu has many health benefits – the latest finds:
1 “In animal studies, kudzu root extract was found to blunt the usual rise in blood pressure that accompanies a high-salt diet. And in rodents with the equivalent of type 2 diabetes, kudzu compounds were shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
Should additional studies confirm the beneficial actions of kudzu on blood pressure and blood sugar levels in humans, there will be plenty of plants to go around.”
2 “Chinese Kudzu extract has been used for centuries in Japan and China as a dietary supplement. …Chinese Kudzu extract contains diadzin, which has been known to be beneficial for treating alcoholism. ..Not only does Chinese Kudzu extract help reduce the craving for alcohol, but it treats cold symptoms, relieves indigestion, and alleviates pain”
3 “Starch derived from Hudzu Root contains a high amount of iron, a fair portion of calcium and phosphorus, and a little sodium. ..Interestingly, it has more calories per gram than honey, but unlike honey, which is quick burning sugar, KUDZU is a long sustaining source of energy in an organism. ..A recent research made in Medical School of Harvard confirmed that KUDZU reduces craving for alcohol as much as 90%. ..Daidzin isoflavone is a compound of KUDZU that causes repression of alcohol consumption. ..Presently many other Universities are working on that issue, like Southern Illinois University Carbondale and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.”
Interesting finds that, if like any other natural medicinal plant our FDA would like discredit because, to the best of my knowledge, Monsanto hasn’t patented it (imagine the lawsuits with how it spreads!) nor is it created in a lab by one of the major drug corporations.
Apologies to anyone who feels differently about our FDA (or EPA)… I blame it on my “inner activist/advocate for a peaceful resistance” coming out.
Thanks for this wonderful idea!