Sponge gourd, Luffa cylindrica, large annual vine

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Sponge gourd, Luffa cylindrica

Grow your own Luffa sponge

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Grow your own Luffa sponge

Luffa cylindrica or sponge gourd is a large annual vine that grows 30 ' or more in one season. It has it's origin in Southern Asia.

The plant is diecious, having both male and female flowers. The rather large male flowers are bright yellow and occur in clusters. The female flowers are solitary and have the tiny slender ovary attached.
The fruit is gourd, soft and edible when young, a tough mass when mature

It is a large vine useful on an arbor to provide shade interesting gourd with many uses

Requires full sun, regular water, average soil
The use of a strong trellis, a chain link fence or an arbor is recommended.

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Sowing instructions

Sow February to May. Soak seed in warm water for 2 hours before sowing. Germinate singly in pots, at 68-86F on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Apply a sprinkling of compost or vermiculite, ¼in thick. Place in a propagator or seal container inside a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 7-21 days. Do not exclude light at any stage as this is beneficial to germination.