Here Come the Luffas
As we progressed in our soap-making skills and product offerings, we began to investigate other forms of produce for our farm that will add diversity and interest to our soap products. Growing luffa gourds is a significant part of this product diversification.
As we discussed in an earlier blog post, growing luffas in our western Tennessee climate can be challenging depending upon the date of the last frost, how quickly the soil warms in the spring, the average summer heat, and the first frost date in the fall. Tennessee is located in the northern tier of the luffa-growing climate for the United States.
This year it seems we have a bumper crop of maturing luffa gourds earlier than usual.
Luffa gourds are part of the Curcurbits family of vegetables, which includes pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. In some cultures, luffa gourds provide vegetables for stir-fries and soups if they are picked when green. It takes approximately 200 frost-free days to produce a mature luffa gourd. The husk turns from green, to pale green, to brown as the luffa inside dries into the sponge we associate with bath and beauty products.
How do we know when it’s ready to pick? When the gourd feels light and airy in our hands. Until then, we leave them on the vine as summer progresses and we disturb them as little as possible.
The large, bright yellow flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators who play an important role in setting the fruit.
Luffa vines can extend fifteen feet or longer and must be grown on a trellis in order to keep the gourds hanging in the air rather than lying on the ground (which encourages early rot). For this reason, we often have no idea how many luffas are growing within the tangled greenery until the vines dry in autumn months and we begin harvesting.
This photo reveals the extent to which luffa vines will spread throughout an entire growing season. The problem is that if we allow this expansion and continued blooming, then the plant is expending too much energy on vine growth and flowering and too little on gourd production. The better approach is to begin trimming the vines mid to late summer, depending upon the growing season, to encourage the plants to produce fully-mature gourds.
This year we returned our luffa vines to the pool bed directly behind the house as we believe the plants get more direct sun for more hours in this location. As you can see, it’s time to begin trimming!
Dr. Kathryn Bush owns and operates Dry Hollow Farm, a working goat and sheep farm in Huntingdon, Tennessee. Together with her husband, Russell, she creates skincare products from their fresh goat milk, grows organic herbs, welcomes visitors to their two cabins on the farm (available for stays through Airbnb), keeps the farm’s on-site soap shop stocked with their handcrafted products, and enjoys working the farm in company with their Great Pyrenees dogs (who work hard guarding the animals). Check out their natural products featuring farm-grown ingredients here, and sign up for the Dry Hollow Farm newsletter to stay in touch and be the first to hear about farm news, events, and new products.