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Rub-A-Dub Grow Your Own Scrub Luffa, Luffa aegyptiaca, like most gourds are produced on large fast growing vines that do best if trained up a trellis. The trellis helps keep the gourds off the ground to prevent insect damage, rotting and keeps the gourds from becoming oddly shaped. In my garden I used the ladder trellis system to grow the gourds. What ever you use to support the vines the trellis system needs to be fairly substantial because the Luffa gourds can grow quite large and be fairly heavy. I've started seeds in peat pots and then transplanted into the garden where the gourds get full sun and the soil is well drained. I've also planted seed directly in the garden making sure I planted several seeds to ensure germination and healthy looking plants. Once established I'll cut off the weakest looking plants to prevent too much crowding. I generally crowd my plants a bit by growing two or three together around the base of a leg of the four legs of a ladder trellis. To produce larger gourds you might want to space vines further apart so there's less competition for water and nutrients.
I train the vines up the trellis and will use plant ties if necessary to make sure the vines stay attached to the support. Once the vines are large enough I mulch the soil with straw or compost and generally use soaker hose around the vines for the watering system. During the hottest part of summer, if the gourd vines look water stressed, I'll supplement watering with a hose under the vines. My concrete block raised beds have a tendency to dry out quickly because of all the roots from nearby citrus and mesquite trees that have invaded the beds from beneath. As the plants mature bright yellow male flowers begin to develop followed by the gourd producing females. As the gourds begin to grow they generally vary in size with some being quite large while others seem a bit stunted. Insects that invade the gourds include cucumber beetles and various ants. None seem to be a big enough problem to require any pest control although I'll occasionally remove a few cucumber beetles by hand if I happen to see them.
Ideally I'd like the gourds to dry on the vines but sometimes I get a late planting start (July) and have green gourds still on the vines in the fall when I want the raised bed for my winter or fall garden. I've had some success with drying the green gourds after picking them and keeping them in a dry place. Some will develop mold and eventually rot and then get tossed in the compost bin. The dry, brown colored gourds can be stored or they can be soaked in a bucket of warm water. The thin skin then easily peels off leaving the desired sponge like core. I've read the gourds can be rinsed in a 10 percent chlorine solution as a finishing rinse to help lighten the final product. The gourds then need to be thoroughly dried and the seeds removed.
Any number of things can be done to the dried gourds to improve their final appearance whether its trimming them to a manageable shape or just flattening them so they're easier to use. Luffas are easy to grow and a useful renewable resource for any home gardener who has the room to grow a few of the vines. If you can't find the seed locally many of the seed catalog companies sell Luffa seed. Check on-line or use your favorite search engine for a source. (2005) |
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