growing/harvesting/drying luffa sponges

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Luffa Sponge Gourd

 

Background:

 

Luffa (Luffa aegyptica Mill syn. L. cylindrica), or Loofah or

vegetable sponge, is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Luffa is

closely related to and has similar cultural requirements as the

cucumber. It is an annual climbing vine, which produces a fruit

containing a fibrous vascular system. When separated from the skin,

flesh and seeds, the fiber network can be used as a bathroom sponge.

Luffa can also be used as packing material, for making crafts, and as

filters. Used as a bath sponge it produces a mild glow on the skin.

The blood circulation the sponge induces on the skin has been

credited as a relief for rheumatic and arthritic sufferers. The

versatility of the luffa goes beyond producing sponges. The young

fruit, when small, (around 6 inches) are delicious used in soup or

stew. They can also be cooked like summer squash. Older fruit have

been reported to develop purgative chemicals. Because luffa has a

compact network of close fibers, its resiliency makes it useful for

many products like filters, slipper soles, baskets. Small pieces of

luffa sponge are good for scraping vegetables like carrots without

having to remove the valuable nutrients by peeling them. You can also

wash dishes, scrub your tub, etc. with luffa. When they become soiled

throw them in the washer! Luffa is environmentally safe,

biodegradable and a renewable resource.

 

Growing:

 

Luffa requires a very long growing season in order to mature into

dried sponges. Luffa is cold sensitive. The seed should be sown

outside after the ground is thoroughly warm in the spring and all

danger of frost is past. For faster germination, scrape the seed coat

with a nail file before soaking overnight or soak for 24 hours. Seeds

may be started in peat pots about three weeks prior to moving them

outside. Be patient if seeds are slow to sprout - that is the

characteristic of luffa. Luffa's grow best in full sun in a well

prepared bed. Plant seeds 8-12 " apart along a fence, or in hills of 3

or 4 seeds 1/2 " deep with hills 4 to 6 feet apart. Luffa needs plenty

of moisture while growing. It prefers a pH of around 6.0 to 6.8.

Water deeply and cover the bed with mulch, keep the mulch away from

the stem. Excessive water can result in poor growth and root disease.

Damping off can be a problem with young seedlings if growing in cool

wet conditions, and fruit rots may cause losses if the fruit are

allowed to grow on the ground. Gourds are heavy feeders and require

fertile soil. Nutrients and water may be reduced in late summer to

slow growth rate and encourage fruits to harden off.

 

Although Luffa can be left to grow along the ground, best yields and

fruit quality are obtained by using a support structure or trellis so

the fruit rests on the ground as little as possible. The vines can

reach up to ten or twelve feet. The fruit will be preceded by lovely

yellow flowers. The fruits are green, smooth and look like cucumbers,

reaching 12 to 18 inches in length. Fruits may weigh up to 3 lbs.,

the stake or trellis must be strong enough to allow the fruit to hang

free. Any constriction will result in deformed fruit. Removing all

the first flowers, male flowers, and the first four lateral branches

helps produce better fruits later. Generally speaking, cultivation is

similar to growing cucumbers and melons.

 

If any fruit develops rotten spots or holes, remove it from the vine.

It cannot be saved.

 

Harvest:

 

It is from the luffa gourds that the organic sponges are produced.

Towards the end of the summer (or into fall) the luffa will begin to

loose weight. This is a sign that it is beginning to mature on the

vine. When harvesting the luffa, in order to get high-quality

vegetable sponges, allow to ripen on the vine and harvest when the

skin has turned yellow or brown. Leave on the vine for as long as

possible. After the first frost you must remove them from the vine

immediately to keep from rotting. You will not be able to salvage

every luffa that is on your vine. Only fruit that appear on the vine

early in summer will have the length of time required to mature.

 

Cleaning & Preparation:

 

If you don't have time to clean the dried gourds right away, they can

be stored in a dry location.

 

Gourds left to dry on the vine are ready when the shell is brown and

hard and you hear dry seed inside when shaken. Break off the bud end

and shake all the seeds out (save - see seeds, below). Submerge in

water a couple minutes until softened. The water needs to be changed

frequently to avoid staining the fibers. The skin and pulp should

remove easily. Soak the sponges in another bucket of a bleach and

water mixture (about 30:70) to whiten the fibers further if

necessary. The fibers may also be bleached with hydrogen peroxide.

Leave the sponges in the bleach and water mixture around fifteen

minutes or until you reach the desired color. Rinse in clean water to

remove bleach. When the water remains clean, the sponges can be

removed, trimmed, and dried. Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes used as a

bleach to attain the lightest color. For best results airdry the

sponges. Lay them out on a sunny day for sun bleaching and drying.

Once cleaned and dried you can store the sponges in a dry location

until you are ready to use them.

 

Fiber density, texture, and appearance are the main quality

parameters. A dense, fine- to medium-textured fiber is preferred. The

price paid for each sponge usually depends on quality and sponge

length. This sponge is machine washable.

 

Seeds:

 

Start with fresh seed from a quality seed producer, especially if you

plan to sell your sponges. Seeds saved from prior harvests may be

used if you are sure that they were only pollinated from other luffa

gourds. The Cucurbitaceae may cross pollinate and the seed when

 

saved and planted may not give rise to what you expected. If there

are no other gourds or squash growing nearby you may be able to save

your seed for the next crop.

 

Coloring Luffas:

 

To color or dye sponges, use only clean and bleached sponges. Cut the

sponges to desired lengths. Buy Rit Dye® in colors that you like.

Follow the directions on the box, when thoroughly mixed, place the

sponges into the dye. Stir gently or if in a washer, mix on the

gentle cycle, for about a minute. Then, let the sponges soak for

several minutes until color desired is achieved. Drain the colored

water, then rinse with clean water or on the gentle cycle in the

washer. Shake lightly to dry or spin dry for only a minute on the

gentle cycle to remove excess water. Place sponges in a warm dry

place or put them outside in a sunny location to air dry.

 

Other Uses:

 

Attach yarn through one end of the sponges to hang in the shower.

 

Place a cleaned natural or colored sponge in a clear freezer bag and

tie off with a ribbon for gift giving. Include a tag, or a note

inside the bag, that tells that the sponge was homegrown by you.

 

Use sponges in baskets along with soaps for gift giving.

 

You can cut thin slices off the sponges to create discs that look

like snowflakes to use for crafts. Glue small dried berries and

pinecones to the center of the disc with a hot glue gun. Then glue a

small bow, made of ribbon, and use the same style of ribbon to make a

hanger for Christmas tree omaments. Snowflake discs can also be used

as a decorative refrigerator magnet. Just glue the magnet to the back

of the disc, and stick them on your refrigerator.

 

Another idea is to save some dried, unshelled sponges to use on

wreaths or in flower arrangements. It's also fun to save a few dried,

unshelled, uncleaned sponges to impress your friends with your garden

skills and handy work!

 

References:

 

Commercial Luffa Sponge Gourd Production, Jeanine M. Davis; North

Carolina Cooperative Extension Service; Horticulture Information

Leaflet 120, 4/97; at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-

120.html