Luffa

Would love to try and grow luffa next year. Does anyone have a few seeds they can spare for an sase?

Spacegowgirl...email me your address...would be happy to send you seeds. Jo

Roadrunner...would it be possible to get a couple of seeds for SASE?

Iowanovice, I would be happy to share my Luffa seeds with you....just send me your address.

Too many people here have been so wonderful to me...sending me seeds and plants...never asking for SASE or anything else. Consider it my pleasure.

By the way...Welcome to the Family! Jo

Roadrunner, received the seeds! Thanks a bunch! Can't wait to try these!

You will love them...Good luck! Jo

Received the seeds, and my nephew started a hanging basket with them. They germinated in 4 days, wow! Thanks.

Now I would never have thought of that....are you going to grow them in the house this winter?? Keep me posted...with pictures too. Thanks///Jo

Roadrunner what is Luffa? I have thirty some hanging baskets with a lot of different things but none of that.

I think I saw that word once and it was squash? Ernie

Louffa/luffa is of the gourd family...but is also known as the "sponge of the vegetable world". I'm sure you've seen the things that you use in your bath to take dead skin from your elbows and heels...plus other parts...well....those are Louffas/luffas.

I have never heard of them being grown in hanging baskets but hope they make it for Spacecowgirl. I will be glad to ssend you seeds...Just email me your address...or do I have it...heck..mail it again. LOL Jo

Jo Well I thought it was squash because someone was talking about eating it. I must be having a senior momement because who would eat a sponge.

Thats the problem when you read as fast as I do sometimes you don't get the story straight. Ernie

Ernie,

in the orient, young luffa fruit are edible... mostly use in making soup and noodle dishes. http://www.rain.org/greennet/docs/exoticveggies/html/luffa.htm

MaVierose Thanks so much the link was most imformative. It looks like this won't grow to well in my area but it would probably be fun to try just for fun and giggles. Ernie

Ernie...I think you could grow it...It does fine in NC and Ky and AZ...so give it a try....send address! Jo

Ernie,

from the looks of it, we are in the same zone 8a. if i can grow them here. am sure u can grow luffa in ur area. in fact, it was a prolific grower where i am... during the summer time.

u do not have to plant a lot, cuz each vine do produce lots of fruits. i had harvested a lot for food consumption... when young, they are very sweet.

each fruit u allow to mature, would contain at least 100 seeds. matured fruits i dry to use when taking showers.... they are good in taking off dry skin.

growing luffa is well worth for me for several reasons. u should try growing some next summer. i still have some seeds, if u are interest. lmk ;). ma vie

I tried luffa this year. I only planted two and I harvested 10 of them. some are kinda small because of the frost but they did pretty well. Im going to plant them again next year but I think I will start them inside a little sooner than I did this year to hopefully allow them to mature more fruit. I had a blast growing these.
Im in zone 7a

Here are my Luffa's I grew last year....before the Javalinas discovered them and took a bite out of some...so I had to harvest them a little early....didn't get as big as I would have liked...but still nice. Jo

Jo, i harvest them, when the are the size of regular cucumber, roughly about 8" long. peel the skin off, stir fry in garlic and onions. they are yummy sautéed. sometimes, when they are the size of zucchini, i love eating them in salads too. they are very sweet!

i grew them in straight sun, along the 6' chain link fence.

yes Davencat, do start them 2 weeks early before the last frost. that is how i start the seeds. good luck!

My goodness MaVia I didn't know you could eat them. I love stir fry, since RR sent me some seeds earlier this season I'm gonna try it next year....thanks for the tip......wow they are sweet huh.......
:O) Dee

MaVie...I had read that they were good when eaten young....and any think I grow has to be grown in full sun...LOL The reason I planted mine in an old tire is because I am slightly down hill from my neighbors. When we have monsoon it can wash away the top layers of soil. I'm always calling my neighbor and telling her to "come get your top soil off my porch" after a stiff wind storm. LOL

Jo

Roadrunner you are missing a capatalist opportunity . Don't call the neighbor just bag her topsoil or save it for later use.Ernie

MavieRoseWe are both in 8A but I am on the Cadnadian border on the coast. We have very few 80 degree days. I can grow Squash and Cucumbers well here so do you still think The Luffa will grow here?And do you tie them up to the fence you mention or just let them roam? If so I am game to give them a try.Ernie

yes Ernie, i am in 8a... where our winter goes down to 10°F. whereas summer soars up to 110°F.

i do not see any reason why u can not grow squash and cukes in ur area. the luffa has tendrils that allow to cling on the wire fence. they are sort of self supportive LOL! no need to tie them. the vine clings on the wire fence on their own.

u won't be sorry if u try growing luffa. in fact, u will wonder why u have not grown them before... hehehe. it is ur choice, Jo and I can send u seeds for SASE.

the luffa fruit is quiete pricey on farmer's market stalls, even in the Asian groceries. people from the orient grab them when they see fresh picked luffa being sold. i myself, love them in soup, stir fried, or in noodles. sometimes, when i am cooking cup of noodles in the microwave, i slice some fresh luffa in the noodles. yummmmm!

AllrightYou two you have convinced me. But I said I do grow Squash and cucumbers well. could you send me the planting instructions .I have a chain link fence Ernie

I checked out the Asian seed company, www.evergreenseeds.com.
They have 8 different varieties for sale. I bought some of their seeds this past spring and was happy with them.
Bernie

Ernie...if you're lucky your seeds will go out tomorrow!! (If I don't forget to mail them) LOL Jo

Roadrunner the Eagle has landed thank you so much for the seeds I shall treat them to a fair amount of composted cow stuff and try to grow giants.

No little wild pigs here but we do get rabbits. I want to shoot them but Linda would cry so I just try to sic the dogs on them. Even so when she catches that action I have to tell the kids what a bunch of bullies they are.

And thank you as well for the thoughtful card that was most plesant to recieve.

Mavierose the zone is the same but the only 110 degree day I have ever seen around here was in my dreams. Tis is telling me they like heat so I will have to help that a bit if I can.

Regards to both of you have a happy turkey week end. Ernie

Ernie...I will look forward to pictures next fall. Jo

Ernie,

temperature does need to get to 110ºF, regular summer temp will be fine.

i soak the seeds in hot tap water, changing soaking water each night for 3 nights in a row. then i plant the seed in potting soil with bottom heat, 3 weeks after the last frost. use ur better judgment when to prepare ur seedlings... as i am not too familiar with ur area.

we are getting super early frost these time of the year. normally, we do not get frosty weather till mid of Dec. this year we sure got an early one in Nov. yesterday i had to wake up to 26ºF temperature which is very strange for my area.

the soil around here does not normally get warm till July of next year. i do start my seeds late in June for planting mid part of July on the ground.

enjoy ur Turkey day, do not over endulge LOL!!! eat moderately.

oops sorry I looked it wasn't there then redid it and then both were there what am I doing wrong? This is not the first time. Ernie

This message was edited Nov 25, 2003 6:59 PM

This message was edited Nov 25, 2003 7:00 PM

OK on the pictures but I don't know how to do the computer thing but can probably get son Ernie to do it.

probably will plant seeds first part of May and grow on in four inch pots planting under a plastic house . Seldom get frost after middle may.

Jo tried to get you on the chatline but aol kept kicking me off.

Where do I find a good provider? Maybe I should ask aol who the would do a good job ha ha. Ernie

Ernie...I'm glad you finally got on Chat. As to AOL...NEVER for me!! Since a use a local server I don't know any to recommed to you....Jo

CountryGardens, what varieties did you grow from Evergreen Seeds? I ordered some Smooth Boy, but never got to plant them.

Agrinerd,

Do you have any Smooth boy seeds left to trade? I just ordered some luffa seeds from Evergreen today - Extra long smooth and white seeded Smooth beauty. Would be interested in a swap if possible.

TIA,
Elizabeth
pinkangel420

Sure, Pinkangel. You've got mail!

Thanks Agrinerd!