This past gardening season my Brother sent me some luffa seeds. I started a few seedlings in trays and I think 3 or 4 survived after planting. The vines grew super long so we had to keep them trimmed back and wound around a fence trellis. They grew and bloomed beautifully, but only one luffa grew throughout the summer until late in the season then there was several growing on the vines.
After the first hard frost the vine died quickly. We harvested a dozen luffa, but 11 of them rotted after a week or so. The very first one that grew throughout the Summer was the only one that matured.
I peeled the dry skin off and got a nice looking luffa sponge and a bunch of seeds.
We’re not going to use it as a sponge though. It’s going to be a conversation piece, just to show folks that you can grow sponges in the garden. 😉
It was a fun novelty vegetable to grow, but we’re not planning on plant any luffas next year. The main reason is wasps, yellow-jackets and bees of all sorts were so thick in the vines, by the end of the season, that it really wasn’t safe to be close to it for more than a few seconds. Also, to grow the luffa right we think that the vines need to be able to run free and not be cut back or wound up like we had them.
On the weekends, I’m going to try to post about things other than Redwork. That way, I’ll have time to embroider new blocks to post about during the week. And perhaps, folks won’t get too bored too quickly with my blog.
I reckon this is all for me at the moment.
Thanks for visiting!
Wishing you all a wonderful & safe weekend!
🙂
Joys Of Creating 
I never knew you could actually grow a luffa sponge! Thank you for mentioning the bees and wasps – I guess I won’t be trying that one at home!
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Hi Gardengirl
Welcome to my blog.
It was fun to learn that a sponge can be grown in the garden. I honestly thought all natural sponges came from the oceans. lol
I think the reason the last 11 luffas started growing on the vine was the swarm of the wasps, bees and yellow jackets pollinated them… But there was way too many of the little stinging buggers for us to appreciate their role in pollination. It was almost scary.
Thanks for visiting and leaving me a comment.
I hope you’ll visit again soon.
🙂
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I’ve learned something new today! But I don’t blame you for not wanting to have all those stinging rascals nearby.
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Thanks Dianna,
Being able to grow luffa was a fun surprise to me.
I enjoyed sharing about it.
🙂
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Hmmm….growing a loofa. I never thought one could! I admire your spirit in trying something new!
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Hi Mary
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks so much. It was fun to grow something new and out of the ordinary.
Thanks for visiting and leaving me a comment.
I hope you’ll visit again soon.
🙂
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Love the idea of growing your own luffa! I had a friend once who thought luffas were animal skeletons, absolutely refused to believe they were plants – she should read this 🙂
ukcitycrafter@live.co.uk
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Hi ufcitycrafter
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks for sharing about your friend. That’s hilarious. I physically laughed out loud on that one.
Thanks for visiting and leaving me a happy comment.
I hope you’ll visit again soon.
🙂
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Great idea! hope you like mines!
http://www.booletes.wordpress.com !
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Sponge means under the sea to me. I didn’t know you could grow them in a garden – well done!
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