How to Grow Loofahs
Loofah sponges are gourds that are members of the cucumber plant family. Used for centuries as both a sponge and food, they are easy to grow and harvest for personal use. Once you have your space prepared, growing loofahs takes very little effort and time. A single loofah vine can produce 20 or more fruits, each weighing about 5 pounds. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Loofah seeds Peat pots or other growing containers Potting soil Garden space with full sun Wooden or wire trellis
Instructions
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Start your seeds in the early spring indoors or in a greenhouse. Use peat pots or other growing containers and a good grade potting soil.
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Prepare the garden space by mixing in compost or fertilizer. Allow a space of 4 feet for every loofah vine you plan to plant.
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Build a trellis in the garden space for the vines to grow on. Loofahs, like all gourds, like to climb toward the sun. If you cannot build a trellis, collect a number of large flat rocks for the fruit to grow on so they are off the dirt.
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Transplant the loofah seedlings after all danger of frost has passed. There should be 4 feet of space between seedlings in all directions.
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Train the vines to the trellis as the plants grow by weaving the vines through the trellis slats. If no trellis is available, place a rock beneath the growing fruits to prevent rotting on the vine.
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Prune the first flowers off the plants to encourage growth. Also prune away any fruit that is misshapen. A loofah should resemble a cucumber as it grows.
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Harvest the loofahs when the vines have browned and dried in the early fall.
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Tips & Warnings
When small, loofahs can be harvested and eaten like cucumbers or used in stir-fry. Loofah can be spelled a variety of ways; loufah, luffa and luffah are all acceptable alternative spellings. Loofahs are also known as sponge or towel gourds.
