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mrsgreenthumbs
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 pm
- Location: Santa Maria, California
luffa - I need all the help I can get!
I have been gardening my entire life and NEVER did I know that you could GROW your own luffa. So I have a corner of my house all picked out, it's sunny, warm, well draining, and the stucco wall should give the vine plenty to climb on, if not it won't be that hard to install a lattice. What else should I know? I am going to put a bunch of manure and garden soil (fresh from the store) into the bed to beef up the dirt and create mounds. How many should one plant yield? What should I feed it? And any other helpful info would be much appreciated. Thanks
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mrsgreenthumbs
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 pm
- Location: Santa Maria, California
It's actually (as far as I could see) the ONLY other topic here about luffa and really not too much help. That OP has problems with premature bloom dropping. I on the other hand am simply new to this plant and was hoping to find some advice from an experienced gardener. 
I'm wondering about soil type, high or low acidity?, full sun all day long or partial shade?, signs of disease to look out for?, any tips or tricks? when to harvest? ect.
I'm wondering about soil type, high or low acidity?, full sun all day long or partial shade?, signs of disease to look out for?, any tips or tricks? when to harvest? ect.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Location: TN/GA 7b
Well you saw my comment on the other thread... I hadn't known either that you could grow loofah. So I'm no help. But there is one other loofah thread from a few years ago with more information:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=22903&highlight=loofah#22903
And here's a website about them:
https://www.luffa.info/luffagrowing.htm
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=22903&highlight=loofah#22903
And here's a website about them:
https://www.luffa.info/luffagrowing.htm
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mrsgreenthumbs
- Senior Member
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 pm
- Location: Santa Maria, California
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applestar
- Mod
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I thank you too rainbowgardener. I'm planning to grow luffa as well. I was planning to start the seeds ahead but didn't realize it was a slow germinator, so I've moved up the planting schedule. 
Let's compare notes mrsgreenthumbs, though I suspect you'll be ahead of me in the game since I won't be able to plant mine out until at least mid-May.
Let's compare notes mrsgreenthumbs, though I suspect you'll be ahead of me in the game since I won't be able to plant mine out until at least mid-May.
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mrsgreenthumbs
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 pm
- Location: Santa Maria, California
Yep I'm late as it is as far as I have read today. I'm planting TODAY! streight outdoors let's see I have notes here somewhere.... oh yes here they are ehh hem:
I went ahead and bought Burpee seeds because well.. I trust the brand and ...they were the only brand selling them lol
for me they need to have been planted a week ago so today will have to do and I doubt it's all that big of a deal since we have a extra long summer here.
plant seeds directly in ground. They don't tolerate transplant well
they are a hill loving plant so for me I'll be giving these guy's an entire corner of my bed where I have never even really planted anything there before so COOL! lol
3/4 inch deep and I'm sensing the possibility for failure so I plan on planting them like this
. .
. .
and putting 2 seeds in each hole on the hill then culling the weaker one's. I will CUT my culled one's rather than pull to minimize root damage.
Keep moist - I plan on useing a old milk jug washed out with a small hose and a flow regulator to have a drip "system" for my seedling's and if it works I might just keep doing that through the growing process because WHEW that corner is blazing hot!
Harvesting :
I have read a few different theory's and I think I'll play with it when the time comes. I have read of people waiting till the vine dies off then harvesting and bleaching for uniform color and I have read about people taking the consistency of the skin of the luffa into consideration to tell them when to harvest. I'm going to be growing around 2 at my house and most likely 4 at my other garden so I think I'll be trying at least 1 meal with these when they are young.
I went ahead and bought Burpee seeds because well.. I trust the brand and ...they were the only brand selling them lol
for me they need to have been planted a week ago so today will have to do and I doubt it's all that big of a deal since we have a extra long summer here.
plant seeds directly in ground. They don't tolerate transplant well
they are a hill loving plant so for me I'll be giving these guy's an entire corner of my bed where I have never even really planted anything there before so COOL! lol
3/4 inch deep and I'm sensing the possibility for failure so I plan on planting them like this
. .
. .
and putting 2 seeds in each hole on the hill then culling the weaker one's. I will CUT my culled one's rather than pull to minimize root damage.
Keep moist - I plan on useing a old milk jug washed out with a small hose and a flow regulator to have a drip "system" for my seedling's and if it works I might just keep doing that through the growing process because WHEW that corner is blazing hot!
Harvesting :
I have read a few different theory's and I think I'll play with it when the time comes. I have read of people waiting till the vine dies off then harvesting and bleaching for uniform color and I have read about people taking the consistency of the skin of the luffa into consideration to tell them when to harvest. I'm going to be growing around 2 at my house and most likely 4 at my other garden so I think I'll be trying at least 1 meal with these when they are young.
For me, the Luffa was no more difficult to grow than cucumber. If remember correctly, the seed was almost black and resembled water melon seed. I chose to plant the seed in raised planter boxes around large trees. I think I made little mounds of dirt and stuck three or four seeds in each, spaced a few inches apart. When the vines sprouted, I would give them time to grow a little and then pull the weakest plants leaving the strongest in each little mound. I always planted them fairly close to the tree trunks because the moment they started vining, they also started looking for something to climb. I didn't pay much attention to soil ph with the belief that if the soil was good for the tree, it would be good for the luffa. It always seemed to work well.
If you grow the luffa for food, it should be harvested when only 12" to 16" long and still has fairly smooth skin. As the fruit grows, the skin develops ridges. I didn't like luffa much as food. It always had a mushy, watery texture to me when cooked as squash. It did have a unique sweet taste. If you grow them for the sponge, simply leave them on the vine until the skin starts turning brown. I always pulled them and propped them against the wall in the garage. In mid winter when they were totally dry, they would rattle like a gourd full of seeds when shaken. The skin is still pretty thin and can be pulled off the sponge like paper. The fun begins at that point. You have to shake, and shake, and shake them in order to get the seeds to fall out of the sponge. You then cut the sponge to the sizes you want and submerge them in a little bleach water.
I don't remember them ever having an insect or fungal problem. They simply seemed determined to grow and produce until the first freeze.
Remember that since they grow so fast and so large, they need lots of water and fertilizer.
Ted
If you grow the luffa for food, it should be harvested when only 12" to 16" long and still has fairly smooth skin. As the fruit grows, the skin develops ridges. I didn't like luffa much as food. It always had a mushy, watery texture to me when cooked as squash. It did have a unique sweet taste. If you grow them for the sponge, simply leave them on the vine until the skin starts turning brown. I always pulled them and propped them against the wall in the garage. In mid winter when they were totally dry, they would rattle like a gourd full of seeds when shaken. The skin is still pretty thin and can be pulled off the sponge like paper. The fun begins at that point. You have to shake, and shake, and shake them in order to get the seeds to fall out of the sponge. You then cut the sponge to the sizes you want and submerge them in a little bleach water.
I don't remember them ever having an insect or fungal problem. They simply seemed determined to grow and produce until the first freeze.
Remember that since they grow so fast and so large, they need lots of water and fertilizer.
Ted
. 
), on how your lufas do (lufa does 
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mrsgreenthumbs
- Senior Member
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:26 pm
- Location: Santa Maria, California
Well They have officially been in the ground for (check's invisible watch) 2 whole day's lol. And YEP I am checking for ground breakage every day lol. I'm hoping they just stick to the stucco of the house. My plan this year is to cut down on electricity usage this year by using the vine's to help shade the hottest side of our house. Maybe it will work . I also got some other rather late veggies planted and the second garden is tilled and beginning it's new life. This summer is beginning to look rather plentiful!
. I also got some other rather late veggies planted and the second garden is tilled and beginning it's new life. This summer is beginning to look rather plentiful!