'Luffa' squash
'Luffa' squash (Luffa aegyptiaca), offered by the seed company Weston Seeds
The 'Luffa' gourd allows you to grow tasty young fruits at home for soups and stews, and also natural sponges once the fruits are mature and dried. Harvested early, the luffa provides tender baby vegetables around 3 inches long. By allowing the fruits to reach 7 inches or more, their fibrous flesh transforms into a perfect exfoliating sponge for household use. This vigorous plant produces abundant fruits throughout the warm season.
Height: 60 to 85 cm
Spacing: 240 to 330 cm
Sowing: Indoor or direct sowing
Exposure: Full sun
Quantity per packet: 20 to 30 seeds, untreated, non-GMO
Cultivation method:
Luffa squash is a heat-loving crop that requires a sunny location and rich, organic, deep, well-drained soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Before sowing, work in plenty of compost. Sow directly outdoors from late May to mid-June, 2.5 cm deep, in groups of 4 to 6 seeds in mounds spaced 2.4 m apart. Thin to 3 plants per mound. For an early start, sow indoors 3 weeks before transplanting, using biodegradable pots to minimize transplant shock, as luffa squash does not tolerate transplanting well. Protect the plants from cold temperatures and frost to ensure good fruit production.
