Oofa, Luffa
Did you know luffas don’t actually come from the sea but your garden?! Don’t worry—you are not the only one! Surprisingly, these fibrous exfoliators are members of the pumpkin, squash, and gourd family brought over to the US by European settlers. Gaining popularity over the last few years among tiktokers and zero waste advocates, this vegetable is easy and fun to grow!
Luffa requires a long growing season, lots of sunshine and warm weather. Due to that, start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to your last average frost date. Along with loving warm weather, these veggies are a vining variety and love to grow! In the right conditions, luffa vines grow vigorously and up to 30 feet long! Due to this, they should be grown on an arbor or a trellis.
Luffa is not only helpful for their fibrous interior, but they are also beautiful to look at! Around late Summer, beautiful yellow blooms start to emerge. Once the blooms fade, this is where the fruit will begin to grow. All good things take time. You should allow the fruit to fully ripen and dry out on the vine before it is harvested. They will look brown and dried out with a hard shell when ready to be harvested. This hardened shell is separated from the interior fibers, which makes it easier to harvest the luffa sponge on the inside. Watch out for decay and mold, though, as evident by dark spots and white mold. This is caused by leaving the fruit on the vine for too long or not enough airflow.
In our Indiana climate, Jack Frost might come around earlier than expected, and the fruit might not have time to mature on the vine. This is okay! Remove all fruit before the first freeze of the season. Store the fruit in a dry area. The fruit can dry out off the vines over the Winter. Again, watch out for decay and mold. There are also other methods to dry them out in the oven or harvest the luffa sponge while still tender.
Good Luck!
FAQ
How many Luffa grow from one plant? - Last year I got on average 6-7 luffa from one plant.
Can the fruit be eaten? - Yes! When young and tender, some varieties may be eaten even though they are typically grown for their fibrous interior.