Sponge Gourd Seeds

Official Name: Luffa aegyptiaca

General description: The Sponge gourd is a cylindrical fruit that grows on a climbing, herbaceous vine. It has a smooth, green skin when young, and may feature ridges or ridge lines that run across the skin of the fruit. The Sponge gourd grows up to 60 centimeters long, but is harvested as a vegetable when it is young and tender, at around 12 centimeters in length. The Sponge gourd contains many seeds, which can be around 1.5 centimeters in length. The seeds are also edible but are usually removed before the flesh is eaten. The interior flesh of the Sponge gourd is smooth and creamy-white. Sponge gourd has a mild, zucchini-like sweet taste and a silky texture. Mature fruits are not tasty, being fibrous, bitter and brown. 

How to grow: 

1. If you’re in a cooler zone, start your Luffa seeds early, indoors, 6 weeks before the last frost date.
2. Use new Luffa seeds and soak them in water for 24 hours prior to planting. Seeds that have been hanging around for years probably won’t germinate.
3. Increase your success at germination by starting your seeds on a seed heat pad.
4. Transplant into biodegradable pots once the first “true” set of leaves have formed. Using pots that decompose reduces the risk of transplant shock which Luffa plants are prone to.
5. When the weather is right (warm soil and air) start hardening off your seedlings.  This is more important than with most other plants because Luffa are so prone to transplant shock.
6. After a week or so of hardening off, plant your seedlings in an area that gets FULL sun.  As much sun as possible.  Anything less and you won’t get any Luffas.
7. Plant your seedlings at the base of a really strong structure that its vines can climb on and cling to.  Chain link fence or something similar is perfect.
8. If after planting out, a cold snap threatens, cover the seedlings with a vented cloche. A plastic pop bottle cut in half with a lot of air holes punched into it would work fine.  A few days of cold weather will STOP a luffa from growing and it could take a month before they get over the shock.
9. Keep the Luffa watered.  No water equals no growing!  Now you wait. And wait.  And wait.
10. By October you should have big, green Luffas.  Pick your Luffa sponges BEFORE they’re hit by frost even if they’re still green. Technically you aren’t supposed to pick them until they’re dried out and brown, but in Zone 6 it’s rare for them to get to that stage.  You can still pick them when they’re green and get perfectly acceptable Luffas.  They’re just a bit harder to peel.

Benefits: Sponge gourd is loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, riboflavin, zinc, thiamine, iron and magnesium. The Sponge gourd fruit has been found to have antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties.