Luffa aegyptiaca! Nancy Christopherson, CCMGA member and Garden Co-chair Growing gourds can be fun and exciting for gardeners of all ages as vines climb, flower, and produce fruit in a variety of shapes and sizes. Once harvested, gourds can be used for food, toys, musical instruments, decoration, and kitchen utensils. These qualities are why several gourd varieties were planted along the fence of Crossville’s Kinder Garden. The luffa gourd was chosen not only because it provides an excellent summer screen behind the pergola, but also because of the tactile stimulation the tissue skeleton will provide once harvested and dried. Luffa aegyptiaca has many common names including luffa (also spelled “loofah” or “loofa”), sponge gourd, Chinese okra, Egyptian cucumber, elephant okra, and dishrag gourd. Leaves and vines resemble cucumber foliage, a clue that luffas are from the cucurbitaceae family along with squash and other gourds. It is edible only when immature. Young fruits, less than 7 inches long and still green, can be substituted for vegetables in a curry, chutney, salad, soup, or stir fry. Mature fruits look a bit like overgrown zucchini reaching a length of 2 feet. Once ripened, the outer skin is removed to reveal the “luffa” inside, a product commonly used as a bath, sauna, or kitchen sponge. Growing~ When growing luffa gourds, it is important to know your growing season. Luffa gourds require a minimum of 160 days from seed to harvest. For those of us on the Plateau with an average growing season of 153 days, seeds must be started indoors several weeks before transplanting to ensure maturity before a killing frost hits. Luffa seeds resemble watermelon seeds. Mature seeds are typically dark and hard, whereas immature seeds are a light color and softer. Healthy seeds should be planted 3/4 inch deep. After the risk of frost has passed, place three to four plants in a hill, with hills at least 6 feet apart in full sun. Because this vigorous vine can climb 15-30 feet, be sure to provide a sturdy trellis or fence to keep the vines from overtaking the garden. Slender cucumber-like vegetables will appear after pollination. The luffa fruit will remain soft until its skin thickens. As the skin thickens, the fiber and seeds will begin to form. As the fruit ripens, the gourd will turn a yellow/brown color and become lighter in weight. The riper the gourd can become on the vine, the better fiber quality of the sponge. Luffa plants will flower and set fruit all season. Mulch mid-summer with compost or grass clippings to help conserve moisture and control weeds. Harvesting~ Luffa gourds are ready to be harvested when they lose the dark green color (becoming yellow/brown), their skin begins to shrivel, and they begin to dry (losing their heavy weight). When this occurs, remove the gourd from its vine. Peel or scrub its skin away, revealing the porous, dense, tan-colored matter within. This will be full of seeds. Cut the gourd to its desired sponge size and shake the seeds free. Wash luffa’s well, squeeze out excess water, and lay out in the sun to dry. (Save healthy seeds for next years garden. Let the seeds dry and then refrigerate or freeze dry seeds in a sealed, airtight container.) .