Cucumber-like fruits that can be used for cooking or dried to produce a luffa sponge. Start indoors in January or February, allowing 12-14 weeks for growth before the last frost. Only transplant out in the garden after all risk of frost has passed, and handle with care as they can be prone to transplant shock. Requires hot, long growing conditions. The use of a heat mat while starting indoors will help with germination and plant production. 

Ensure plants have been hardened off properly before planting out. If risk of cold weather exists, protect with a cloche. Reaching 2m tall, Luffas will need a supportive trellis to grow up . Great for use as a sponge in the kitchen or a body scrub in the shower, the young fruit is also edible and similar to zucchini. For home-grown sponges, harvest fruits when they are 30cm long and have turned brown, prior to frost in the fall.