by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Did you know you can easily grow your own luffa sponge (or some spell it loofah) in your own garden? They’re easy to grow, eco friendly and fully compostable. And so many uses too! Use them in the shower, in the kitchen, in an exfoliating soap and more! 

(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)

Growing and Using Luffa (or Loofah)

Did you know you could grow your own luffa sponges? Below I’m sharing helpful information about:

Growing Luffa

Different ways To Use Luffa

and even where to *Buy Your Luffa Seeds!

What Is Loofah Made Of?

Several years ago I became aware that you could actually grow your own luffa (or loofah) sponge in the garden.

Whaaaaa…..??

You mean those little scrubby things you use in the shower? Who knew??!!

OK I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I’d always thought luffas were some sort of product from the sea. But they’re grown on a fast-growing and productive vine.

Homegrown Luffa Benefits

There are several benefits I’ve found to growing my own luffa. (I’ll discuss each one in more detail below) 

• Luffa is easy to grow and produces heavily.
• Luffa sponges are fully compostable at the end of their useful life.
• Young luffa can actually be eaten like squash.
• Mature luffa can be used to exfoliate your skin.
• Luffa pieces can be used to scrub your shower.
• Use luffa to scrub & clean your dishes.
• Save soap and soapy mess by turning luffa into a soap holder.
• Interesting Christmas gift idea – homemade luffa soap

How Long Do Luffa Take To Grow & Produce?

Luffa has a long maturation timeframe, they need about 4 months of warm weather to produce properly.

So if you have a short growing season you may want to start them inside to give them a jump-start. Then plant the seedlings in the garden when the danger of frost has passed.

Do Luffa Require A Trellis?

Yes, luffa definitely need a trellis. It’s a tenaciously-growing vine that gets very heavy with the luffa gourds. So you’ll need something very heavy. I use reinforced field fence held by t-posts.

Luffa Flowers

Luffa flowers are pretty and yellow. Our honeybees love them and visit them every day. 

Young Luffa Are Edible

If you harvest luffas while they’re young and small you can actually eat them. But you’ll want to harvest them when they’re only about 5″ long or so.

Although the flavor is slightly different it’s still very similar to zucchini to me. I like to slice them and sauté them in a little butter with onions and garlic.

What Pests Bother Luffa?

There have been no pests I’ve experienced with luffa. Even squash bugs don’t seem to bother it. So I often use luffa as a zucchini substitute if my summer squash are decimated by squash bugs.

Maturing Luffa For Sponges

If you want to grow luffa into sponges just let them go wild! Soon each of those luffas will grow to 1-2 feet long or more. This makes the vine very heavy, so make sure you have a sturdy support to hold them.

When To Harvest Mature Luffa Gourd?

How do you know when to harvest your luffa? Look for these changes:

• Luffa feels lighter as the once-dense inside becomes dry & fibrous.
• The skin feels thinner and yields slightly when pressed with your thumb.
• Luffa skin turns yellow. 

How To Peel A Luffa Gourd?

Peeling a luffa varies based on how you’ve harvested it. 

Drying Luffa On The Vine

If you allow the luffa to dry completely on the vine the skin will turn brown & crunchy.

To peel just squeeze it gently all the way around to crack the outer shell. Then pull the hardened pieces of skin from the luffa.

Peeling Luffa When Yellow

It’s significantly easier to peel the luffa if you harvest when the skin is yellow and thin. By harvesting at this point you can peel a whole luffa in seconds:

With a knife and score along the thin yellowed skin. Then work fingertips beneath the skin and peel the luffa skin away. You’ll be left with a wet green fibrous luffa. After they’re peeled, set the luffas in the sun and allow them to air dry completely until they’re very dry and lightweight.

NOTE: Don’t harvest the luffa too early when the skin is still thick and firmly attached. You’ll pull the thick skin off in very wet chunks which tends to mar the still-tender luffa beneath. Instead peel when the skin is thin & yields slightly when pressed with your thumb. 

How To Use Homegrown Dried Luffa

• Shower Luffa Sponge

Most people are familiar with the benefits of using a luffa in the shower to exfoliate their skin. You can buy luffa sponges for the shower, but they’re often made of plastic. 

NOTE: I feel the very first use of a new homegrown luffa feels a little harsh to my skin. So I’ll wet it first and allow the fibers to soften for a few seconds until I can easily squeeze it. After that first use the luffa is more pliable.

• Cleaning Shower Walls

I like to Make A Flat Luffa Sponge to keep on the windowsill in my shower.

After I’ve taken my shower I’ll often use this all-natural ‘scrubby sponge’ to clean the shower walls and glass door. It keeps the soap scum at bay. 

• Scrubbing Kitchen Dishes

Dried luffa can be used as a kitchen scrubby sponge too. After the first use you’re easily able to wet & squeeze the luffa.

I use my homegrown compostable luffa for washing dishes the same as you would use a sponge or even one of those green plastic scrubby things.

No plastic! The luffa can simply be composted after it’s done heavy duty for weeks.

• Luffa Soap Saver

We use bar soap to eliminate the plastic container liquid soap is sold in. (Why yes I hate plastic, why do you ask? LOL)

RancherMan & I have made our own homemade bar soaps for over a decade now.

Lavender/Rosemary Soap,

Morning Motivation Mint Soap

Shampoo Bars

But you know how it is with bar soap. You use it to lather you hands and then return the soap to the edge of the sink where it sits in a puddle of water, dries slowly and makes a goopy mess. 

So I just cut a thick slice of luffa and place it on the edge of my sink to hold my bar soap. 

There’s plenty of airflow through the luffa sponge to allow the soap to dry properly. No messy soap sludge on the sink & my soap lasts longer!

Luffa Scrub Soap

This is RancherMan’s favorite soap. We cut dried luffa into thick circles and wedged them into a *Silicone Muffin Pan. Then we poured melt-n-pour soap on top.

We let the soaps cool before popping them out of the muffin molds. 

This is wonderful whether exfoliating your skin or using it to Eliminate Chigger Bites.

Where To Find Luffa (Loofah) Seeds

My first luffa seeds were gifted to me from a gardener friend. But if you’re looking to get seeds now the easiest way I’ve found is to *Buy Luffa Seeds On Amazon. After your first harvest you’ll have plenty of luffa seeds for each year’s garden!

~TxH~

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