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How to Grow Luffa Welcome to the luffa.info loofah sponge growing page! Here are photos with step by step descriptions of luffa sponge gourds being planted and grown in the home garden. Growing luffa requires a certain amount of patience. It grows slower than most gourds. The seeds sometimes take weeks to germinate. The plants remain small for a long time while the roots are developing. Luffa is a hot weather plant and growth slows in cool weather. The flowers appear over an extended period of time, blooming as the vine progresses. Once the fruits form it may take a long time to develop fiber and dry out for harvest. Then the work of harvesting, peeling, and cleaning happens late in the year. Luffa requires about 140 to 180 or more frost free days, lots of sunshine, warmth, water, good root nutrients, and a large strong trellis. |
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| The first step is to select seeds for planting. Good mature seeds are typically dark and hard. Immature seeds are a light color and are softer. Luffa seeds look similar to watermelon seeds. Save the seeds from your best loofahs in the fall for the next year. Seeds can be obtained from the suppliers on our sources page. Luffa can be grown by directly planting into the ground in warmer climates, USDA zones 7 and higher. Zone 6 is borderline for direct to earth seed planting but can work. Some of the later sponges might be lost to frost. Plant 3 to 4 seeds per location about 1/2 inch deep in small hills of soil. Space hills a minimum of 3 feet(1m) apart. 6 feet(2m) is much better. Average soil temperature must be around 70 degrees F (21C) or warmer for seeds and plants to grow. |  |
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| For areas where the growing season time is marginal, starting the seeds in pots well ahead of the last frost date is a better choice. The plants develop large roots and should be planted in containers that are big enough for the time needed. Plant 3 or 4 seeds about 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep in some potting soil. Germination speed and growth is very dependent on soil temperature so place pots in a warm place. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. Germination time can vary widely. It could take three weeks or longer. Usually it is less than 10 days. Typically a week for warm soil. Luffa seed germination rates can vary widely, about 50 to 60% for ideal planting conditions. Some seeds may take much longer than others from the same batch. |  |
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| Thin plants to one per pot or planting location. The seedlings grow slowly while the roots develop. Provide lots of sun and don't let the soil get too dry. Small pots may need water every day, just don't over water. The plants can't survive muddy waterlogged soil. These plants were started in 4 inch(10cm) pots which is good for about a one month early start. If the luffa plants will be in pots for longer than a month a 5 or 6 inch(13-15cm) pot would be better.We reuse our plastic pots but peat pots are another environmentally friendly way to start plants. Plantable peat pots minimize root damage and transplant shock. Tearing the bottom and side when planting will help the roots grow out. |  |
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| Once the plants send out the first normal leaf or two, the luffa are big enough to transplant. The roots by this time may be 6 inches (15 cm) long or longer. Wait until all danger of frost is passed and the soil is warm. Cool overnight air temperatures don't seem to hurt them but an extended cold spell can stop their growth. The average soil temperature needs to be warm enough. Luffa are somewhat sensitive to transplant shock so be careful when planting. Leaving the plants outside a couple days before planting helps them to adapt. Luffa plants prefer good well drained soil but seem to tolerate a fairly wide range of soil types. Working some organic compost into the ground a few months before planting can help feed the roots. |  |
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| While the luffa are small they are vulnerable to weeds and pests. It is important to keep the weeds off them. Shade from weeds will stunt the plants at this point. Slugs can damage the small stems. Birds may snip off pieces. Too much rain can drown them. Black plastic or dark mulch around the small luffa plants will help warm the soil and reduce weeds. Once the vines begin to bolt and grow larger, the luffa are tough enough to mostly fend for themselves. The vines will climb over most obstacles. |  |
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| The luffa vines must have a strong trellis system to climb. We grow most of ours on chain link fence because it is already there. The vines prefer to grow much taller and will do better on a 6 to 10 foot(2-3 m) high trellis. The vine length can exceed 30 feet(9m). Typically ours reach about 15 ft(4-5m). The loofah sponges can get heavy, so the more places the vine tendrils can hold on to the better. They won't grow as well on a single cable as they do growing into lattice or fence links with many support points. Luffa will circle and climb wooden poles if the surface is rough enough. They can also climb on walls with a rough surface. |  |
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| After the vines bloom, pollination has to occur before a fruit forms. Bees of all types are attracted to the big yellow flowers and perform much of the work. Ants also spend a lot of time on Luffa vines. There are small triangular leaf-like structures at the base of the flowers that attract ants. The blooms will fall off and the pollinated ones will form the start of a loofah sponge at the base of the former flower. If pollinating insects are in short supply, the flowers can be hand pollinated. Pull off a male flower and rub it on the females or else use a cotton swab to move pollen between flowers. |  |
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| Ready to pick your luffa? Visit the luffa harvest page. | |||
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