Fun Growing Luffa Sponge

I just peeled open my first successfully dried Luffa Sponge. It was the first huge Luffa measuring in at 16 inches long after dried. It was shocked full of seeds too so there will be no problem growing more next spring.

 The Luffahs are a little tricky to dry properly in our hot and humid S.E. Texas, but it can be done. I can't seem to let them go as far as turning brown on the vine because they want to go mushy and moldy on me. But from what I am experiencing if you let them get totally huge like this one, I was able to cut it off the vine and bring it indoors.

I have a room on the north side of the house where I leave the ceiling fan on 24/7. It stays fairly dry in there and gets warm, but not hot. I layed the freshly harvested Luffa out on a paper sack on a table under the fan. It took nearly a month to dry, but as I picked it up and felt how light it had become I could also hear the seeds rattling inside as I shook it. The skin on the outside had turned totally brown and crispy.

Out of the first 4 I picked, I had success with one drying beautifully. That's okay though because the vines are still totally loaded with huge luffahs. Sometimes it is simply a matter of trial and error in our climate and hopefully I'm getting the hang of it.

I do believe that the three vines I've grown will be more than enough natural and organic sponges to enjoy in my bath and share with friends too. I'm already planning on some pretty gift baskets to share this year for Christmas. I've also been thinking about experimenting with some homemade herbal bath salts to add to the fun.

Happy Gardening!

Pammy