Luffa

Product: Luffa

Product type: SEED (15)

Botanical name: Luffa aegyptiaca

Syn.: syn. Loofah, Vegetable Sponge

Luffa is a hardy, fast growing, vigorous vine for warm areas. Use luffa sponges in the bathroom as body scrubbers and in the kitchen to scrub vegetables and wash pots. After harvesting, dry the luffas for 2 weeks until the skin hardens, then open the large end and shake out the seeds. Soak the sponges overnight before peeling off the outer skin & standing in the sun to dry. Tender, immature fruits can also be peeled and cooked, resembling zucchinis in taste.

Plant type: Frost tender annual vine

Plant height: 2m, needs a trellis

Sow when: Germinate best at 18 - 25°C soil temp.

Temperate: Early spring, needs a long growing season, start indoors

Subtropical: Spring to early autumn

Tropical: Dry season

Germination: 14 days; slow and erratic

Depth: 2 cm deep

Position: Full sun

Sow where: Direct into soil at the base of the trellis

Soil type: Fertile, well drained, pH 6.5 - 7

Details: Soak seeds overnight before sowing to soften the hard seed coat

Harvest: 110 days: to use as a sponge, allow the luffa to ripen on the vine until the stem yellows and the skin begins to turn brown

Suitable for hot and humid: Suitable for hot and humid growing conditions