Luffa gourds are an unbelievable veggie that redefine multi - utilisation ! Not only can you eat these gourds , but they double as a useful tool in the shower as well . A mature luffa gourd can be dry out and used as an exfoliating exhibitor sponge — as you could see , the luffa is not your average gourd !
Just like every other kingdom , trends in the gardening world seem to come and go . Every year , there ’s at least one voguish veg that everyone rushes to grow ( retrieve thecucamelon ? ) . This year ’s movement is one that I can get fully on board with – luffa gourd vine !
Great Read: Veggie Garden Remix
The dishcloth gourd gourd has a fate to extend in terms of usefulness . It ’s also fairly easy to grow ! Luffa gourd are one of many unusual veggie highlighted in my protagonist Niki Jabbour ’s wonderful bookVeggie Garden Remix : 224 New Plants to agitate Up Your Garden and Add Variety , Flavor , and Fun .
The Christian Bible is full of different vegetable that most people have n’t grown in their home garden ( or even heard of , in some cases ) along with tips on how to grow , harvest home , and use each of them .
record on for Niki ’s luffa gourd profile , andgrab a transcript of the bookto learn about 223 other exciting veggie to grow at home .
Photo by Carleen Madigan
Note : this post was originally a guest post from Niki , and was updated in March of 2020 to tally more information about growing luffa gourds . quote used throughout are take out fromNiki Jabbour ’s Veggie Garden Remix © by Niki Jabbour . Used with permission from Storey Publishing .
Luffa Plant Growing Details
wonder how to grow this awesome plant ? Here ’s everything you ask to know .
A.K.A.:Loofa , dishcloth gourd , Chinese okra , vegetable sponge , Luffa cylindrica , L. acutangula
Days to Maturity:80–90 days for edible fruit , 110–50 days for sponge
Hails From : South Asia
assortment to Try : Smooth luffa : ‘ Dok ’ , ‘ Edible Ace ’ ; Ridged loofa ( a.k.a . Chinese okra ): ‘ Bonzana ’
The Two Types of Luffa Plant
There are two principal character of luffa : ridge ( Luffa acutangula ) and fluid , or coarse ( L. cylindrica ) .
“ Both can be eaten young or allowed to mature for their strange sponge , ” Jabbour sound out . “ If you ca n’t resolve which character to mature for feeding , opt for the ridged luffa , which is generally remember to have superior flavour . ”
How to Grow Luffa Gourds
grant to Niki , “ These are very ornamental plants , producing clusters of magnanimous yellow male and distaff blossom all summer long . If you give pollination a helping handwriting ( see page 43 ofVeggie Garden Remixfor more details ) , these will be followed by elongate fruits .
Like most gourds , the vine are vigorous ( translation : absolutely ridiculously rampant plant that are trying to take over the world ) . You have been forewarned . Give them a fence or something very sturdy to climb . ”
How to Use a Luffa Gourd
To use the strainer vine gourd as a exhibitioner Luffa cylindrica , you need to wait until it ’s fledged when it becomes quite sinewy . When it ’s untested and affectionate , however , you’re able to eat this veggie .
What Does a Luffa Gourd Taste Like?
Niki sound out : “ The flavour of the immature fruit is similar to summertime squash , and they can be cooked in the same way : ridicule , stir - fry , stuffed , added to curry , or layer with tall mallow and tomato sauce in a spicy parmigiana . you could even eat very new fruit raw ! ”
If you have n’t tried a dishcloth gourd calabash before , there arethree luffa recipes herethat looked pretty tasty !
When to Harvest Luffa Gourds
Niki recommends clean baby luffa gourds when they are about 2 to 3 inches long if you want to eat them . “ Be sure to harvest them before they make 6 inches in length , at which full stop they become fibrous and unpalatable , ” she pronounce .
If you want to develop your loofa gourd vine into a sponger , you ’ll want to allow them to mature . This may mean they can get up to two feet in length ! If you live in a warm area , the yield will ripen and also dry on the vine . However , if you live in a cool climate like Niki does , she recommend dry out indoors .
“ In my garden , I harvest the sponge gourd when they are mature and the green pelt has turned yellowish and get them indoors to polish off dry out ( a process that pick out 2 to 3 weeks ) .
Once the skin is brown and heavy , use a hammering to crack one end of the yield and throw off out the seeds for future harvests . Then soak the gourds in a pan of water system overnight to soften the skin for easy shedding , which reveals the unique spongy Interior Department .
The fruits of the luffa gourd are a tasty treat when picked youthful , but once they arise longer than 6 inches , eating quality declension and they ’re well saved for dry sponges . ”
The Loofah Plant
If you have ever heard of someone talking about the loofah plant , you may be a bit at sea as to what they are referring to . Surely loofahs do n’t just grow on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , ripe ? They do n’t . Loofah plant life arise on vine .
Of course , I ’m talk about the luffa gourd . It ’s normally advert to as the luffa flora — and for good reason !
Where Does the Word Loofah Come From?
It ’s no concurrence that the names “ loofa ” and “ loofah ” are so interchangeable . The intelligence “ loofah ” is an Arabic intelligence that comes from … you guessed it , the loofah works !
Making Luffa Soap
Luffa sponge can be sliced and added to soap recipes to total some exfoliation and aesthetics . I ’ve made it myself and love it ! If you want to prove to make your own luffa soap , here ’s how you canmake your own luffa soap bar .
So , there you have it . A enchanting , useful vegetable . If you have ample way for climbing vine in your garden , give luffa gourd vine a endeavour !
More Posts to Read:
About Niki
Niki Jabbour is the honour - winning writer ofThe Year - Round Vegetable Gardener(American Horticultural Society record award),Groundbreaking Food Gardens , andNiki Jabbour ’s Veggie Garden Remix . She also writes for magazines across North America , includingFine Gardening , Birds & Blooms , Horticulture , andGarden Making . Niki is a popular speaker at shows , garden clubs , conservatory , and events . She regularly appears at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle , Canada Blooms in Toronto , the Boston Flower Show , the Mother Earth News Fairs , and more .
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