Couldn't load pickup availability
Smooth Dishcloth Luffa Seeds - Grow Your Own Natural Sponges
Luffa aegyptica syn l. cylindrica
Listing is for 1 packet of 10 seeds
Watch my how to grow luffa from seeds YouTube video tutorial here: https://youtu.be/UveaM3vyA54
This is a great variety of luffa to grow if you want to harvest sponges. Luffa aka Loofah aka dish rag gourd, is a tropical plant and thrives during the hot and rainy summers of Florida and the Southern United States. It is sensitive to cold weather and frost can kill the entire vine. The vines are vigorous, grow quickly, and get very big. Some gardeners like to grow it up a large tree for support. I grow mine on metal trellises because each luffa gets heavy. This is so much fun to grow. The bees and pollinators love the bright yellow flowers. I like to hand pollinate each flower to ensure they will produce a luffa gourd. It is easier to peel the luffa's to get the sponges inside just before it is completely dried out and brown, still at the end of the green stage. I recommend you watch some YouTube videos to see how it is done (video on my YouTube channel coming soon). This does require a long warm growing season to be able to harvest luffa gourds at the right stage for making into sponges, at least 90-120 days.
Follow me on social media because I talk a lot about the same seed varieties I sell here in my shop and gardening tips. IG, YT, and TikTok: jerrasgarden.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Sun: Full Sun
Water: Allow the soil to dry out a little bit in-between watering
Fertilizer: Not necessary, but is good to fertilize it every few months with some organic granular fertilizer, like Espoma Garden-Tone.
When & How To Sow Seeds: Soak seeds for 24 hours, and nick the seed shell with a nail clipper to let water in. They need warm soil (around 70°F). Direct sow when temps stay above 70°F or start indoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. If sowing indoors, use large containers (like solo cups) because they grow fast. A heat mat boosts germination. Place containers inside of another container with a lid to trap heat and humidity. Then uncover and move seedlings under grow lights once they sprout.
Germination: 14-21 days
Days To Maturity: 90-120 days
How & When To Harvest: Harvest when the outter skin has dried out and turned brown.
Common Diseases: Luffa can get some powdery mildew in very wet conditions. Improve airflow by growing it up a vertical trellis. Spray with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to clean and disinfect.
Common Pests: Luffa is susceptible to chewing insect damage by the same kinds of caterpillars/worms that chew squash. Spray with BT or spinosad if you notice chewed up leaves.
Do I have a YouTube video tutorial on how to grow this? YES
How to sow luffa seeds: https://youtu.be/UveaM3vyA54
How to harvest & peel luffa: https://youtu.be/tc0p7JrPhlI
Additional Tips/Information: N/A
Orders are shipped in 1-3 business days excluding holidays or delays due to natural disasters like hurricanes.
Seeds are shipped in bubble mailers so they will not be pushed through USPS roller machines which can damage the seeds. I will not ship seeds in an envelope for this reason.
Seeds will be shipped with no planting instructions to keep seed costs low to the buyer. Germination and plant care information is included in the description. I encourage each gardener to research specifics on how to be successful growing them. I also have lots of information on my TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channel all under the account name jerrasgarden. I started this shop to share my love of certain seed varieties and spread the knowledge of gardening. Please contact me if you can't find information or have additional questions.
Orders with live plants are packed on Mondays and Thursdays (excluding holidays or delays because of natural disasters. Plants are shipped in boxes with packaging material to protect them while they are in transit.
No returns or refunds once shipped. I am not responsible for lost or damaged packages caused by USPS. Since there are so many factors that affect germination and growing success, no refunds or exchanges are allowed once seeds have shipped. These are the same seeds I use in my personal garden so I can attest to their viability. Seeds are fresh season to season.
The seeds arrived in great shape.
Expedited delivery and intact great quality.
I'm so excited to watch these grow. They went directly from the mailbox to the seed trays!
This review has no content.
I love the card with the QR code which leads to great information on how and when to plant my seeds. Very informative. I will be ordering again AND they came quickly. I can't wait to see everything grow.
