Growing Luffas

Also known as loofahs, these edible gourds are where organic bath sponges come from. Several years ago, as our farm was growing, my wife asked me to look into growing luffas. So I did. And it turns out, I can grow them here in my garden in Northeast Kansas. But there is some work involved. For one thing, luffas need room, a lot of room. And they need time, plenty of that as well.

But what are luffas? Well, luffas are a type of edible gourd. Yes, when they are young they can be eaten. The flavor is comparable to okra or zucchini, depending on your own taste. They are also the source for organic bath sponges. The inner seed compartment of the luffa gourd, when dried and the seeds removed, is a spongy fiber which holds its shape in scrubbing.

Types of Luffas

There are 2 main species grown by gardeners: ridged and smooth. Ridged luffas (Luffa acutangula) grows 14 to 24 inches long, and has stiff ridges on the dried fruits. However, despite the ridges, the young fruit it sweeter in taste than smooth luffa. Smooth luffas (Luffa aegyptiaca) lacks the ridges, but is more bitter in taste. However, it is the smooth luffa I prefer to grow for the sponges, as the ridges make it harder to peel, even when dried.

luffas

Planting and Growing

When you are planting luffa gourds it is important to think about timing. I start my seeds indoors in mid to late February. Seeds can be sown into any seedling soil-less or compost media, in any container of your choice. I usually take advantage of the growing area at Grimm’s Gardens, and plant a tray (32) of luffa gourds. If possible, I reuse trays I have used in the past.

Plant the seeds indoors 60 days before your average final frost date. By planting this early indoors, you will have vining plants by the time they are ready to go outside. If the weather is warm for spring, you might even have blooms already. After the danger of frost has passed, you can plant your luffas outside.

Where to Plant

Luffas can be planted in any spot receiving at least 6 hours of sun per day, though 8 to 10 hours of summer sunlight would be best for fruit production. Like other gourds, they need a trellis or similar structure to grow on. While they can be grown on the ground like pumpkins, you will have less animal or insect damage if grown upwards. I have tried 3 different types of trellises, and so far the best has been a dome-shaped trellis in full sun. There was room for the fruit to hang or lay on the sides of the trellis.

trellis for loofahs
The Author’s dome trellis

Pests and Problems

So far, my luffa gourds have been mostly pest free. True, they are susceptible to squash bugs, cucumber beetles, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles, and other insect pests. But I think growing on the trellis limits the damage from some pests because they have nowhere to hide if discovered. Plus, I plant companion plants nearby which attract insect predators like birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and others.

Diseases which could affect your luffas include powdery mildew, bacterial wilt, and anthracnose. Again, most of these can be prevented by planting on a trellis, where air and light can get to the leaves and stems of the plants better. If you concerned, you can spray plants with neem oil to prevent outbreaks of disease.

pests of luffas

Harvesting Luffas

Now, my main purpose for growing luffas is for the sponges. You can typically harvest young fruit for eating, when they are 6 to 12 inches long, and around an inch in diameter. For the sponges, you wait until the mature fruits dry on the vine, or you can harvest them early at a mature size (2 to 4 inches in diameter and 8 to 20 inches long) and dry them in an oven on low heat or in a large food dehydrator.

If your plants are still producing fruits in October, but you have not had a freeze, I recommend cutting the vines to dry out on the trellis. It is easier to remove the peel and seeds from an air dried fruit rather than in done in the oven. Plus, the drying fruits in the over have an unpleasant odor.

Cleaning the Sponges

To get your sponges from the dried luffa gourds, simply peel the other skin with your hands by squeezing and stripping. They peel off easily. The seeds shake out from the gourd when it is dry through the end which pops right off. Once you get your sponge you can hand wash it and cut it to the sizes you want to use. My wife likes to sew the edges together and sell them with her homemade goat milk soaps.

Companion Plants for Luffas

Now that you know what you need for growing luffas, we can talk about plants to grow around them. I am sure that if you wanted to grow them for commercial or retail sales, you would not need to add any companion plants except maybe a cover crop between rows. But as a small gardener, I like to proved my plants with companions which help reduce or eliminate pest burdens.

Use the following plants near your trellises to attract beneficial insects to the garden.

companion plants for luffa gourds

Conclusion

Luffa gourds can be a fun and even lucrative plant to grow in the garden, as long as you have the space for them. For these plants can grow 16 feet a season! The flowers are very pretty and seeing those long green then brown gourds is rewarding for the home gardener.

Happy planting!

author of growing luffas

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