If you’re anything like me, you know very little about luffa (or loofah as it is sometimes spelled). I recently attended a talk at our local garden club given by Cindy Lou Oulton, founder and passionate hardworking grower of Annapolis Valley Luffa. I was pleasantly surprised.
I was under the misconception that luffa comes from the sea not the soil, but luffa grow on vines of the gourd family, widely found in tropical and subtropical climates, having grown for millennia in the warm regions of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and thrives in the wilds of South America. The plant is a food source but also its fibrous interior becomes a “sponge” when fully mature and dried. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, luffa was widely used for bathing, cleaning, padding and stuffing and even in early engine filters. With the production of plastics, the luffa market shrunk until the 2000’s when environmental concerns re microplastics was brought to the foreground.
Luffa comes in basically two species – smooth variety for bath sponges and gentle scrubbing, and angled variety for heavy duty cleaning. The luffa was first observed and written about by a German botanist in Egypt in the late 1620’s but had been grown in Egypt since the late medieval era (approximately 1300 to 1500 AD) and was commonly used for cleaning and bathing at that time. Luffa require a long growing season of 200 days in well-drained soil with ample organic matter and full sun. The seeds are tough and require soaking to aid and speed up germination. Starting seeds indoor 4-6 weeks before planting is essential in the shorter growing season in Canada. Luffa grows like a climbing cucumber and requires a sturdy trellis to climb to keep the fruit clean and with adequate space to grow straight. As with all gardens, healthy pollinators are an absolute must. Luffa became a product that was easily exported to markets around the world because of their lightweight nature, are durable and naturally anti-microbial and easy to ship.
Cindy Lou Oulton’s ambition is to spread the word of the luffa’s significant uses. She hopes that one day every home garden will have a couple of luffa plants. She is a vast source of information and is passionate about what she does. She starts her seeds indoors and moves them to a hoop house in early May. She provides a seven-foot trellis for them to climb and to maximize her growing space. Green-house gardening would allow most parts of Canada to cultivate luffa. Luffa can grow three feet/day in ideal conditions. Cindy’s luffas sell from St John’s to Victoria.
Cindy shared her wisdom regarding cultivating luffa. Luffa hates root disturbance so start them in a large pot of at least four inches after having soaked the seeds overnight. Provide strong light in a south window or use grow lights. Seedlings should be sturdy and six to twelve inches before transplanting time. Don’t overcrowd, giving each plant three to four feet of space. The garden soil must be warm and do not transplant until night temperature doesn’t drop below 10° C. Dark compost helps to warm the soil quicker. Create the warmest microclimate you can with a south facing wall, beside a fence or near stone or brick that radiates heat. Plant bee-attracting plants nearby. Hand-pollinating on chilly mornings can help the process. Water the plants adequately and deeply but avoid creating soggy soil. Feed with compost or balanced fertilizer every three to four weeks. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers as they tend to make more leaves than gourds. Pinch off late-season flowers in August so the plant can dedicate its nutrients to maturing the fruit. Two to four mature gourds per plant is a good goal for our cooler climate, but Cindy has been able to achieve nine gourds on a single plant. Harvest time requires patience and watching for ideal signs of skin that is turning orange or brown, fruit that feels light, and a rattling sound can be heard inside the fruit. If there is the threat of frost, pick the fruit and cure them indoors in a warm dry place. Peel the gourd once the skin has loosened.
The reliance on products using microplastics could be dramatically reduced if we could return once again to using luffa wherever possible. Luffa requires no petroleum, minimal processing and if we use the luffa instead of synthetic and plastic sponges, we will realize significant carbon savings. Luffa crops do well in warm climates and can support small-scale farms and are processed with simple tools. We know luffa cannot replace all plastic applications, but it certainly can replace some. As Cindy explained, “before there was plastic, there was luffa.”
wendistewart@live.ca
