Growing Luffa in the UK
If you’re a lazy, experimental, give it a whirl gardener, like me and are looking for an enjoyable project this year why not try growing luffa?
Firstly, allow me to break down some confusion over terminology. Luffa is a plant, it’s not from the sea like natural sponge, or coral, as many often believe. It comes from the genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), and I was as shocked as you may be to find that it is possible to grow here in temperate England! This vine-growing gourd is actually pretty easy to grow as long as you follow the planting instructions, have patience (luffa has a long growing season) and are blessed with a fair bit of sunshine in the summer. Also, luffa is the name of the plant and when the fruit dries out and is pealed, you’re left with a loofah sponge. You’re welcome :)
Why give it a whirl? Well, because these plants are just fundamentally fun to grow. If you’re adventurous by nature and are looking for something unique and interesting, luffa maybe it. Did you know that as well as being the perfect natural bath accessory, luffa can also be cooked and eaten like courgettes? If courgettes aren’t your thing or you already grow oodles of them, perhaps you’d prefer to try them out as all-natural, exfoliating shower accessories? If you love working up a lather in the shower and prefer to not have any dyes, preservatives or chemicals in there with you this might just be the project for you.
When you grow your own you will have your own reasons for choosing what you do and get to decide what plants deserve that coveted bit of growing space in the sunny patch. If you think this is the year to try Luffa - Let’s, go!
1) Source your luffa seeds. They're easily found online and your local garden centre may also stock them.
You’ll commonly come across the species Luffa cylindrica, also known as the smooth luffa or sponge gourd. Some stores may label them under their alternative scientific name Luffa aegyptiaca or simply as luffa seeds. I bought mine here but you can also get a head start and buy the plants here if you prefer.
2) Start off in late March, early April. Put a handful of seeds in a wet paper towel and lay the bag in a sunny window. (Ideal germination temp is 25-30° C) You should get some sprouts in a few days to a week.
3) Plant up the sprouted seeds in small pots with compost 1.5-2cm deep. Keep indoors on that sunny windowsill until they’ve got a few leaves on them.
4) Repot in grow bags or large pots outdoors once they’re big and strong enough and any risk of frost has passed.
5) Place the plants against a sheltered but sunny wall or trellis. As the plants grow you could use twine and canes to help support rambling branches.
Keep the compost moist but try not to overwater the plants.
On account of having beehives in our garden we found plenty of pollinators visited our plants, but if you’re worried the fruits aren’t setting, hand pollination with a soft brush can help.
Yellow flowers should soon appear, and then long green fruits will begin to grow.
6) If you’re picking luffas for eating, do so when less than 30cm long, as otherwise they will be tough and bitter. Some seeds sold for growing in the UK may taste bitter anyway, because they are for strains selected for sponge production.
7) If you’re picking luffas for back scrubbing, the conventional advice is to wait until the skin is hard and just turning colour.
Due to the UK climate, we found that although the plant leaves had started to die back, the weather became colder and wetter before the fruits had a chance to dry.
We decided to pick them once the weather changed and there would be a high risk of rot if left out (this was mid-October, but it had been a particularly warm/dry summer!) We got eleven from two plants.
8) The luffas will still have a very high percentage of water at this point, so they need to be dried. Bring them in and chop the ends off. If you wanted to save seeds for the following year, now is the time. Harvest the seeds you can visibly see from the ends and reach into the luffa and pick out anymore if at all possible.
9) Next, make an incision in the skin to let the moisture out and place in the oven at 150° C for around 25 minutes. No need to turn in between.
10) Whip them out the oven and allow to cool until they can be safely handled. The peel should come away really easily. Skin can be composted, and the sponges allowed to dry naturally for around two weeks.
11) When they’re bone dry you should be able to shake out the remaining seeds. The next step is to beach them with a diluted water mixture of 10 percent bleach just to be meticulous. Dip in the mixture for 5 minutes. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with cool water and allow to dry out completely.
12) Pair with your favourite Beekeepers bar of soap for a well-earned, sustainable shower treat!
