Seeds (Luffa aegyptiaca)

The Egyptian Luffa is a dual-purpose treasure of the home garden: pick the fruits young and tender, under about 15 cm, and they cook just like zucchini with a mild, fresh flavour; leave them on the vine to mature and the same gourds dry into the famous fibrous loofah sponge prized for bathing and scrubbing. Long ribbed fruits hang from a fast, leafy climber crowned with bright yellow flowers, making it as ornamental on a trellis as it is useful in the kitchen and bathroom.

Planting

This is a frost-tender, warm-season crop, so sow from March through July once frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 18 C. Soak seed in warm water for 24 hours before sowing to speed germination, then sow about 2.5 cm deep. It germinates best around 30 C, emerging in roughly 5 to 14 days. You can also start seedlings indoors 4 to 6 weeks ahead at 18 to 21 C; sow 2 to 3 seeds per cell and thin to the strongest. Space plants 30 to 45 cm apart in full sun.

Fertilizing

When the first true leaves appear, begin feeding a half-strength liquid organic fertilizer, then feed every two to three weeks through the season; a balanced slow-release feed also works well to keep the vigorous vines productive.

Care

Grow on a sturdy vertical trellis at least 1.8 m tall, as vines reach up to 9 m and fruits must hang freely to dry and avoid ground rot. Keep soil moist with good drainage, watering deeply when it dries and avoiding wet foliage. Watch for cucumber beetles, spider mites, and mildews. Harvest young fruits small for eating, or wait until the skin turns brown and seeds rattle for sponges, finishing before frost.