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patti_zone7a

The attack of the Luffahs

Patti_zone7a
19 years ago

I swear my luffah's have come from outer space. It is an alien invasion. They are insane! I love them, ROFL.

I have two 20 foot trellises in my garden made of six foot tell hardware wire fencing. I planted the luffa down at one end. They took a while to get started but grew all the way down the fence. I trained them back. They went back and forth at least three times. The side shoots have gone everywhere. They've gone out over the back garden fence and some have gone another 30 feet that way. Some of these stems must be 50-60 feet or MORE in length, all totaled. THey have grown all over the chicken yard fence a few feet away and are making their way up across the roof.

I have had many blossoms and was beginning to despair about having them set any sponges. They finally set the first sponge a couple of weeks ago--it's now at least 18" or more long and a good three inches in diameter. All of a sudden they are setting a lot more fruit -- I counted at least 20 today, though I could not stay in the garden long as I've been very ill and just went to see my plants for a few minutes. There are likely more up under the leaves.

Are luffah always this way? I only planted about six seeds. It's the attack of the invading luffahs. I definitely am saving seeds from these babies and planting them next year. It's been a lot of work to keep them from strangling everything else I'm growing but it's been oh so fun to watch them grow sometimes two and three feet a DAY.

Comments (8)

  • sharonInAustin
    19 years ago

    Yep they are. I'm growing luffas also this year. They've taken over a 20' x 20' area, and over an arbor. I've already picked 2 dozen dried ones and have about 60 more on the vines. People ask me what I'm going to do with the sponges, well they make great gifts and I make my own soap. So, Christmas presents anybody? I have over a quart of seeds already.

    Luffas are just plain fun to grow.

  • gourdaddict
    19 years ago

    I work at Whole Foods and they have soap with luffa ground up and added to the soap to make it a good scrubbing soap.
    This soap sells really well. Just a thought.

  • jay_c
    19 years ago

    mine grew about 30 ft.in both directions,and halfway up 2 telephone poles..luckily,the weight of the gourds,sends them crashing back down..

  • Gourdlvr
    18 years ago

    I Have a friend who eats baby luffas. she doesn't seem to suffer from it either. She's 79 and says she's been eating them all her life.

    I just wish I could get mine to grow!

  • Jeanie65
    18 years ago

    How does your friend prepare the luffas for eating , Gourdlvr? I would think maybe as though they were cucumbers, but would like to see it in print,:)

  • spider
    18 years ago

    Hi' I would like to know how and when she picks them to eat, someone else has said something about eatting them. About 6 or 7 years ago' I gave some birdhouse seeds to a friend and she planted them in her back yard and they grew all over her yard and I know you won't belive me, but her boyfriend had a car in the the back yard' they hooked on the bumber and pulled the car back about 12". I wish I had taken pictures of them, I don't know what she did' but they were all over the place - mine didn't even do nothing like what hers did.

  • Gourdlvr
    18 years ago

    She' had been on a trip to her sisters, but she got home last night and I asced her. She eats the very small ones , under six inches, raw but says some people get stomach aches that way. She cooks those that are 6-9 inches like squash.

    I would like to try them but I can't get anything gouedlike to grow. I would also like to try the Snake Gourds but I don't have any seads ond can't find any. If someone wants to trade either for castor bean seads let me know.

    Sorry it took so long to get back to this, been fixing fences and planting an herb garden.

  • Nonnie_GA
    18 years ago

    I made a batch of Luffa Soap last weekend and plan to sell it and more at a fair being held Memorial day. Some people put a slice of the luffa in their soap but I cut mine up so that there would be loofa pieces all through the soap. I used olive oil soap so that should leave a exfoliating and moisturing soap. Hope it sells well.

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