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Re: Luffa gourds

I've had fun with luffas. They are a pretty long season, rank growing vine.
I had best luck by growing transplants to go into soil after it warmed up in
mid-May. Have used a couple of different ways to prepare the sponge.  The
first was recommended by Nichols Garden Seeds who sell the seeds and want to
encourage more to grow them and also put out a good pamphlet about growing
them.  1190 No. Pacific Hwy, Albany, OR 97321.  Mature gourds are put in
water to rot off the covering.  This process makes the spongy tissue pretty
discolored, so you wash it well, then use a chlorine bleach to whiten it.
It may take a pretty stout concentration to do the job, but it doesn't
damage the sponge. 
The way I prefer is to let the mature gourds dry- because of their size,
that may take several weeks or more.  When the outside covering is dry and
hard, use warm water with a shot of liquid detergent, soak them briefly and
the rind peels off quite readily.  The sponge is not so discolored but will
still need some bleaching.
Either method opens up the hole opposite the stem from which the seeds are
shaken out.
After they are as white as you want, dry them and depending on the size, cut
them into pieces as big as you need.
They make very tough sponges to use for a lot of purposes, from body to pot
and pan cleaning!   
Happy Luffa Growing!
From the Hatch Patch
Duane Hatch 		hatch@efn.org	
Eugene, Oregon
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