Interesting Ideas: Growing Loofahs
Loofah in Bloom!
As I continue to try and get my small online boutique off the ground, I’m always thinking about and looking for interesting products to include in my store that relate to what I’m trying to focus on which is how one lives a joyous and balanced life. So, when I happened to catch an episode on Gardener’s World where a woman was growing her own loofah sponges I took notice. First because I had no idea that those loofahs that we see in the grocery stores, in the bathroom section of World Market or Bed Bath and Beyond were gourds as I always thought they were sponges from the Ocean! Who knew? And then to learn that you could grow your own? I thought that was pretty darn cool and decided to give it a go!
The vines of a loofah are robust and can grow up to thirty feet long and depending on the length of your growing season can produce up to 20 gourds! A shorter season can produce up to a half dozen. In Colorado, we have a short growing season! There are two types of loofah gourds, the Luffa acutangular which is known as the ridged or angler loofah and the Luffa aegyptianca which is the smooth more commonly known loofah. It is the later that I’ve attempted to grow and the one I will focus on in this post. The smooth loofah has a smoother skin with less sharp ridges. These fruits (are they fruits or vegetables seeing as they are gourds?) are wider and grow up to two feet long. There are several cultivars of smooth loofahs which include the extra-long cultivar that has fruit that matures to approximately three feet in length – this variety needs a longer growing season, and then there are the varieties that mature in shorter time – I am focusing on this type. I re-watched the episode and then started research on my own on how to grow a loofah and here is what I discovered.
Loofah gourds can be grown from seeds! A loofah sponge is the fibrous interior of a loofah gourd, which are produced on vining plant like that of the cucumber and squash. Its shape and color remind me of a very larger zucchini. From my research, it states that it is not hard to grow loofahs (I might have to disagree there as my first attempt after I got the seedlings going failed, but more on that later). The biggest challenge is the loofah needs a long growing season. They also need a lot of light (those two points could explain why I wasn’t successful).
If you have a short growing season, which we do in Colorado, you need to start your seeds indoors in mid-spring (when I came upon the episode it was already late spring). The first step to success is to buy fresh seeds, this means that each year you will want to buy a new packet of seeds (I ordered mine off amazon). The next thing you will need is a heating mat, this too I purchased off amazon. If you do the same thing, make sure you read the reviews as I noticed some of them said their heating mat caught fire… not a good thing if you are getting your seeds started indoors in your house, so read those reviews! So, once you have both your seeds and your mat here is the step by step guide that I used to grow my loofah (or attempted to grow my loofah) from seed ( I should add a disclaimer here, I was very successful in getting my seedlings started so much so that I shared my Loofa sprouts with friends and family who were successful in the later part of the growing process, where I was not):
Sow seeds five to six weeks before you intend to transplant them outdoors. Don’t start them too early as over-mature seedlings won’t transplant well.
Soak seeds for 24 hours prior to seeding. Begin this process with hot water. Prior to soaking them you will want to scarify the seeds by running the sides of the seeds along a medium-grit sandpaper (scratch them up a bit with sandpaper or a metal file). This will thin the seed coat and help speed up the germination process.
Next plant the seed in four-inch pots filled with pre-moistened seed starting mix. When I started my seeds, I used a starter pellet that Andy picked up at Home Depot that were designed specifically for starting seeds. These worked perfectly with the heating mat as every one of the seeds sprouted!
Cover the trays with plastic wrap or a seeding dome to increase humidity – this is a key point. Along with the starter pellets, Andy also picked up a black plastic seed tray with clear plastic dome which fit the heat mat perfectly!
Gourds are heat-loving plants so placing your planted seeds on a heating mat is another key point to ensure success. Seeds germinate best when the temperature is about 85F (30C). I’ve no idea what temperature my heating mat was but it worked so there you go. I had my seeds sprouting within a week with the heating mat.
Once the seeds have germinated and you have sprouts coming up, remove the plastic wrap or dome to promote good air flow.
Keep an eye on the moisture of the soil with a goal having it always lightly most but not too wet.
Begin feeding when the seedlings when they have developed their first set of leaves (I think I might have forgotten this step which might be way they did not advance as quickly as I would have liked… but then again, I also might have been a little impatient!) For plant food I use the Miracle Grow blue crystals that you mix with water and are noted for vegetables. It is also good to fertilize right before you transplant your seedlings.
Transplanting Loofah Seedlings to the Garden
Once the risk of frost has passed and the spring weather has warmed, it is time to first harden off the loofah seedlings and then transplant them into your garden
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of ‘hardening off’ it is the process of acclimatizing plants that have grown in doors to outdoor conditions. First bring your plants outside and set them in indirect sunlight, perhaps along the side of the house or fence. Because the plants are sensitive to cold temperatures, don’t rush them and transplant too early. I waited until about a week after our last frost. For extra insurance you could place a mini hoop tunnel covered in clear plastic or a row cover overtop the bed for the first week or two if you have the room in your garden. My garden is a very small urban garden so that wasn’t an option for me.
Finding the Right Site for Growing Loofah
This section is where I think I need work as the site I choice didn’t end up having enough sun. I’ve identified two other possible locations in my urban garden that I will try next year. As noted, earlier loofah gourds are vigorous plants and can grow up to 30 feet long! With that in mind you will want to find both a sunny spot and strong support on which to grow your loofah. You will want to water and feed your plant regularly. For extra love-in you can start your transplanted seedling in several inches of compost or aged manure. You want a strong support because the loofah gourd is a robust climber and will grow the best along a support such as a chain link fence, trellis, arbor, garden arch. You can also let your plant roam freely along the ground but be forewarned they grow like regular pumpkins or squash and can easily take over your yard! You can also ensure that your fruit grows straight if you use a trellis like support. This next section is about how to grow loofahs in containers.
What I find interesting is that this summer I grew my loofah in a container, and it was not nearly (not even close) as successful as my two friends, whom I shared my extra seedlings with, who grew their starter plants directly in the grown. Next year the two locations I have scouted out are in-ground locations. I’m sharing this so that you have a heads up if your loofah in a container does not do as well… of course my issue might have also been because I just didn’t have enough sunlight for them either so that too could be a factor.
Growing Loofahs in Containers
You can grow loofahs in a container but choose one that is large enough to accommodate the root ball size of this substantial plant. You should select a pot or grow bag that is around 20 gallons. Fill your container with 2/3 potting mix and 1/3 compost or aged manure. Adding some slow-release organic fertilizer also won’t hurt. Just as a loofah in the ground, a potted plant grows very large so keep in mind where you locate said pot and make sure you give it strong support, I find a support that is more vertical than horizontal works well in small spaces.
Summer Care for your Growing Loofah + Hand pollinating loofah flowers
Loofah plants appreciate consistent moisture so make sure you water regularly. I recommend checking the soil a couple of times a week during the summer months. You also do not want your plant sitting in water or saturated soil (that also might have been my problem). Feeding your plant with a liquid plant food or organic fertilize every two to three weeks also helps with the growth and care of your plant.
Interestingly hand pollinating is something you will want to do, especially if you have a shorter growing season. Hand pollinating helps to ensure the first flowers produced are pollinated and can develop into gourds. Another reason to hand pollinate is that local bees and pollinators aren’t keen on loofah gourd plants, even the ones that usually like cucumbers, squash and pumpkins! As I’ve not actually gotten to this stage yet, I wouldn’t know for sure, but I trust the “Savvy Gardening” people who are the folks that I’ve gleaned this information from, so my advice is to remember to hand pollinate your flowers!
To hand pollinate, you do need to know the difference between male and female flowers (the girl flowers will have a baby fruit beneath the bloom). The male flower has no fruit just a straight stem. To pollinate use a dry small paintbrush, or cotton swab to transfer pollen from a male flower to a female flower. Or… you can pick the male flower, remove the petals and press the pollen against the female flower. Try to do this when the flowers are freshly opened. Once the flowers are produced in abundance in early to mid-summer, hand pollinate a couple of times a week.
Harvesting your Loofah gourds
For your sponges, you will want to harvest your loofah when they are a mature gourd. Loofah gourds grown for sponges need a long growing season so you will want your plant to be as mature as possible. At about six weeks before the first fall frost, you will want to cut the plants back to the last gourd you think still has time to mature into a sponge by the end of summer. Going forward, snip off new flowers that develop. This will direct all the energy of the plant into maturing the existing gourds. This is an essential step when growing loofah sponges in a short season climate.
The loofahs are ready to pick when the skin has turned from green to brown or a yellowish-brown and the gourd itself feels light when lifted in your hand. In short growing season climate sometimes, a hard frost comes before the gourds have completely browned. If this is the case for you, pick all the gourds and bring them inside to be processed (frost can damage the fruit and reduce their quality).
How to peel and process loofah sponges
Again, I’ve not yet gotten to this stage but according to “Savvy Gardening” the four steps to cleaning and drying your loofah sponge are:
Start by removing the skin. The skin of gourds that have browned and dried on the vine is relatively easy to crack and peel away. If the fruits are mature but still green, you may find it easier to hang them for a few days in a warm space to dry a bit more before you remove the skin.
Remove the seeds. Mature sponges have dark brown or black seeds in the interior cavities. Shake them out, saving fully mature seeds for planting the following season. To save the seeds, spread them out on a piece of paper towel or paper plate to dry for a week. Once they’re completely dry, store the seeds in labelled envelopes.
Once the sponge is freed from the outer skin and the seeds have been removed, use a hose or strong jet of water to rinse it clean. If the sponges are discolored, you can soak them in a 10% bleach solution for a half hour. Rinse with clean water after soaking
Hang clean loofah sponges to dry in the sun or place them in a warm site, turning often so they dry quickly and evenly.
Pests and Disease Problems of Loofah Gourds
As with all garden plants, loofah’s have their fair share of them as well! In general gourds are low-maintenance plants, however three potential issues you might encounter when growing your loofah gourds are:
Powdery Mildew – This common fungus appears as a greyish-white dusting on the tops and bottoms of leaves. It doesn’t outright kill the plant but looks messy and reduces the plants’ ability to photosynthesize. That can reduce overall yield. To reduce the occurrence of powdery mildew, water the soil, not the plant when irrigating. Also, try to water early in the day so if water does splash on the leaves, it has time to dry before nightfall. It’s also important to space plants properly so air can flow well. Growing loofah gourds up a trellis is a great way to promote good air circulation.
Downy Mildew – This disease affects crops like gourds, cucumbers, and squash and is caused by a fungus-like water mold. It mainly affects the foliage of the plants and first appears as small yellowish spots on the top of the leaves. It’s most common during periods of humid weather and can spread quickly. Eventually the leaves are covered in yellow lesions, turning brown and crispy. Production is declined. As with powdery mildew, avoid watering the foliage of the plant and instead irrigate the soil. Space plants to ensure good air circulation and grow vertically if possible.
Cucumber Beetles – since loofah gourds are closely related to cucumbers, these beetles can also be a problem. Not only can they damage plants, but they can also spread diseases. Striped and spotted cucumber beetles are the two common species in North America and both chew holes in leaves and eat blossoms.
One way to avoid these little beasties is to place plant netting or row covers over your loofah. I used netting over my lettuce this summer and it kept the cabbage worm out, but some pest made it in and was clearly having breakfast, lunch or dinner on my tab so know that even the barriers can have challenges in protecting your loofah plant!
All that aside, if you’ve made it to harvest and are now a proud owner of your very own home-grown loofah sponge the last step is to tie a cord to the sponge for easy hanging in between showers. Loofah sponges are also useful in the kitchen for scrubbing pots and pans or even those dirty garden hands once you’ve come in from a glorious day in the garden!
All the above information is a combination of personal gardening experimentation, info I gleaned from watching Gardener’s World, or came from the Savvy Gardener. I’ve included their website here as I found it very helpful, https://savvygardening.com.
Loofah on the Vine
