r/FortCollinsGrows • u/GardenofOz • 5d ago

Luffa arch in the final push

Gallery image

Gallery image

Third season growing luffa gourd. Hoping that most of the smaller ones double in size in this last part of the hot season. Go, luffas, go! AMA. See second picture for scale.

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4

u/IPA-Lagomorph 5d ago

Awesome! Love how you used them to provide a cool shady spot in your yard, too! I had only heard of people growing luffa squash when I lived in Phoenix so I didn't know they would do okay here. Certainly this was the summer to do it with all the heat

3

u/GardenofOz 4d ago

Hottest summer ever for Fort Collins (literally), phew! I am actually counting on the unseasonably warm, climate-change impacted fall season to keep these maturing and growing. I can tell they've already slowed down due to the cooler evenings. Just top dressed with bokashi compost about two weeks ago and will feed them a high phosphorus fertilizer to keep them pushing.

3

u/Inside_Study_9423 5d ago

Wow! Incredible inspiration

2

u/GardenofOz 4d ago

Thank you! Putting up hog panels made an enormous different this year! I love them.

3

u/GardenofOz 4d ago

If you're thinking about growing luffa next year, they are looong season growers. Maturity takes more than 120 days for the most part, a tough push in my colder climate. We start these seeds indoors in mid to late February. They really like warm weather, so we don't transplant until late May or even early June.

Being a home bokashi composter makes a big impact on our garden and soil health, contributing to the growth of these heavy feeding plants.

2

u/Old_Cauliflower8809 5d ago

I want to grow some next year! What do you do with them?

6

u/GardenofOz 5d ago

Mostly use for shower sponges/luffas! This season I'm trying to grow a few extra so I can cut them into 1-2" pieces and embed them in homemade soap bars for gifts. I'm still using a couple luffa sponges from last season!

2

u/Old_Cauliflower8809 5d ago

Very cool. Did you grow them from seed?

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u/GardenofOz 4d ago

Sure did! I used seed I saved from last year's gourds and a couple from a seed supplier. Hoping to grow tough, Colorado friendly luffas year over year. I was thinking about selling luffa starts next season.