How to Grow Loofah Seeds

Loofah (Luffa cylindrica) is a fast-growing vine that produces gourds with a fibrous interior that is dried and used as a sponge. The shiny, dark brown seeds are found in the fibrous material when the gourd is dried and peeled after harvest. Loofah gourds are grown on trellises in full sun.

Things You'll Need

• Loofah seeds
• Sterile planting medium
• Planting container with drainage holes

Instructions

1. Fill a container, seed tray or flowerpot that has drainage holes with sterile potting medium. If you can't find sterile mix, sterilize the soil by putting it in a coffee filter and pouring boiling water through it. Wait until the soil cools before adding it to the container.

2. Pour lukewarm water in another container and add the seeds. Let the seeds soak overnight or for 12 hours.

3. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in the moist, sterile planting medium, measuring from top of the seeds.

4. Keep the planting medium moist until the seeds sprout and have two sets of true leaves. That is when they are ready to plant in the garden.

5. Plant loofah gourd seedlings in full sun in average garden soil near a sturdy trellis. Gourd vines can grow 15 to 20 feet. Gourds will begin to form in about 100 days; harvest them when they turn yellow.

Tips & Warnings

• Peel the skin off the gourds when they are dried after harvest. Save the seeds from the gourds with the best texture for planting next season.

References

• Loofah
• Commercial Luffa Production
• Buy Luffa Seeds