Wild Luffa

I’ve tried to start these seeds 3 different times, they have been very difficult to grow. I’ve started them outside and indoors for transplant. They either never germinate or don’t thrive after transplant. Maybe more detailed instructions for scoring the seed would help?

The Wild Luffa has been one of my favorite plants. The leaves and flowers are a beautiful addition to my garden. It seems to be a hearty plant. The only drawback (if you want to call it that) I have is that I've only bought seeds once about three years ago and luffa pop up all over my garden every spring/summer without replanting. The luffa I couldn't get to before they fall off the plant always seed themselves.

The Wild Luffa is one of the more challenging plants for me due to how tasty it is to the critters, the slow germination rate and long maturation time. I scarified and soaked the seeds for five days. They sometimes dried out (during the soaking process) but still they all sprouted in a planter after a week or two in the soil. The soil was above 75 degrees when I put them in. The one (of the five) that didn't get eaten by the critters is tiny and gathering strength still. We get quite a lot of rain up here. Fewer sunny days could account for the slow growth I am seeing with this desert adapted plant. Next year, I will start a bunch in-doors (I am in Michigan) February rather than May and see if we can do better.

I love the Wild Luffa plant and grow them for years now. Green very long vine and full of yellow sweet flowers. The grow themselves year after year. I don't even sow them anymore they just love my garden.

I grew the long luffa last year and it took all season to grow a dozen or so but man they go a long way. I am still using the same quarter I cut close to a year ago to scrub dishes before putting in the dishwasher. Bought these seeds earlier this year and have 3 wild luffa and 2 long luffa that have grown up a trellis and into our mature mesquite here in Tucson. The vines are about 25' in the air and still trying to go higher. I'd say they are about a 1' above the tree canopy. I noticed flowers in Sept but just looked up here in October and there are hundreds of small wild luffa and a few long. Beautiful plant, beautiful flowers, and the bees are in heaven every morning. These are a great addition to any garden even just to bring the bees. Just make sure you have a very tall vertical space and that you plant on the north side of your garden or it will block all sunshine and take over. I guess if you had plants that needed protection from the sun you could build a tall arch system over your garden and train during the year. Oh, FYI, The plant is a huge water hog.