flowers that can be identified by the miniature luffa fruits at their base that will develop into full-sized fruits if pollinated . Luffa flowers attract a variety of pollinators and are a bee favorite .
Step Two : Harvest Luffas After They Have Dried on the Vines
As the fruits mature , the xylem ( which transports water from the roots upward to the rest of the plant ) becomes fibrous and more rigid . Collect the luffa fruits after they have turned from green to yellow or black , have lost most of their weight , and rattle when shaken ( or before an impending frost ). Some fruits with green remaining may have developed enough fiber to be useful , but it is safest to wait until they have started to dry on the vine to be sure . Fun fact : Immature luffas are edible , but those intended for the cooking pot should be harvested when they are small and before the fruit turns fibrous .
Step Three : Prepare the Luffas for Drying
Peel away the outer skin from the fiber beneath . Collect the seeds and keep those from the best luffas for replanting . Luffas produce many seeds per fruit , but select only the black , mature seeds for saving . Rinse away any remaining pulp from the fiber in fresh water . Soak a few minutes in a dilute bleach solution to whiten the fibers if desired , and rinse a final time before setting out to dry .
Step Four : Drying and Storage
Once the luffa sponges have dried , they can be kept whole for storage or cut into chunks to use for either sprouting seeds or starting cuttings . Dried luffa sponges can be kept almost indefinitely if kept free from moisture and dust .
Step Five : Use as Starter Rounds
Fill the natural voids in the cross section of a cut luffa with cut pieces of luffa fiber or with a potting mix or other grow medium . Place the prepared luffa sponges in trays , and plant the seeds or cuttings into the luffa rounds .
What to do with Leftovers
If there are leftover luffa sponges after planting needs are budgeted , they can either be kept for the following year or used in other ways . Two other common uses for luffa sponges include using them to wash dishes with ( which is how they earned the name “ dishrag gourds ”) or to wash and exfoliate skin in the shower . Sponges used on dishes or skin should be allowed to dry between uses , so rotating between multiple sponges may be helpful . Thankfully , a successful harvest should produce a plethora of homegrown sponges , allowing the frequent replacement of sponges . If there are still luffa sponges left over , they can be woven into mats , be used to line pith helmets , or to filter diesel fuel .
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Once the luffa sponges have dried , they can be kept whole for storage or cut into chunks to use for either sprouting seeds or starting cuttings .”
Luffas can be fun to grow , are bee friendly , and produce a useful sponge that can be used in a variety of ways . Growing luffas at home tends to be very cost effective compared to purchasing them . An individual luffa sponge from a specialty beauty shop may well cost more than an entire packet of luffa seeds , and it wouldn ’ t take many to offset the other gardening expenses such as the cost of water and a little fertilizer . While their need for a long growing season puts them out of reach for some gardeners , they grow in a much wider range than the peat moss and coconut tree alternatives for homegrown starter round material . grow cycle 63