Whether you're going on a cleaning binge or just making lunch, growing luffa gets you what you need. This vine is easy to grow and harvest. Rachel Garcia shares our top growing tips.Back in 2019, Epic Gardening created the Luffa Challenge and saw amazing results from our followers all over the world! So many people grew this intriguing vine with great success that we thought we’d share some tips and tricks with gardeners everywhere. So, if you haven’t grown one already, let’s take a shot at growing luffa, the homegrown shower sponge!
Many people think all shower sponges come from the ocean, but most commercially-produced sponges are actually dried fruit. The luffa is a climbing vine that produces cucumber-like gourds. As the gourds mature, their endocarp transforms into a fibrous network that’s mostly made of cellulose. This network forms the soft and absorbent exfoliator we’re all familiar with.
Though they’re most commonly used in the shower, luffa sponges are great for scrubbing pots, cleaning shoes, making mats, and painting textures. They’re even used as shock and sound absorbers as well as for filtering water. There isn’t much this vegetable can’t be used for!
The same goes for immature fruit. When still green, luffa gourds are just as tasty as the sponges are useful. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They highly resemble cucumbers, zucchini, and winter squash and are often cooked the same.
Whether you want to try a new veggie on your plate or a sponge in your shower, luffa is an excellent choice for your garden. It is a bit tricky to grow, so we’ll go into detail on how to succeed with this nifty vine.