10 Seeds organic White Smooth LUFFA Seeds; early ripening by late July in 5B; 白絲瓜; Culinary loofah; good eating size 24-oz

Description

10 Seeds organic Giant Smooth Luffa Seeds, good for eating or sponge craft. Seeds are collected from my autumn 2021 crop; Fruits can reach 24″ Long / 18″ Girth / 6-lb possible; sponge gourd; muop huong; non-GMO heirloom This variety of Fujian Luffa seeds 福建白絲瓜籽 has unique whitish color, ditto for the light green fruit skin. Beyond the large size as culinary luffa, the early ripening trait is most rewarding. During 2021 growing season here in SW Chicago zone 5B, I planted seven varieties of smooth luffa, with this Fujian White Luffa variety harvest begun by late July (see pic with ruler taken on July 31 2021), Taiwan Apple Luffa by mid August, while other varieties such as Extra Long, Smooth, Tri-Leaf, DOK F1, Emerald F1, and traditional Taiwan variety did not have harvestable fruit size until early to mid September. This meant few fruits to harvest as early frost could arrive by first week of October. I am in SW Chicago ‘burb zone 5B, I start the seeds indoor around early May, using heat mat & grow light, then transplant them around Memorial Day weekend (late May), and first harvest starts around late July, continuous harvest on weekly basis until hard frost hit. The luffa fruits are best eating at 18″ 24-oz size, or roughly 2 weeks after flowering. These luffa gourds are grown organically, powered by my homestead poultry manure and compost. Expect about 8 to 12 fruits per vine. I would pinch off the rest of the branch once a female bud finishes flowering. Build trellis, arbor, arch or meshed wire fence to let the vines roam, maximum sun exposure would be ideal for utmost fruit production. 100 sqft aerial space per vine is highly recommended. Each vine should be planted at least two feet apart. Prepare each hill with well drained fertile soil with lots of organic matters; each hill should be at least 12″ deep and 18″ wide. To save the luffa sponge, leave the desired fruits on the vine as long as possible (without frost damage), then hang it dry in a ventilated place until fully dried, you can then shake the luffa gourd and hear the seeds tumbling downward. The luffa gourd skin will then come off very easily simply by rubbing & peeling off the exterior, less than a minute for the 2-ft/5-lb specimen shown (once fully dried, the sponge weighs just several ounces). If the not-fully-dried fruit start showing signs of molding, then peel off the skin right away to salvage the sponge and the seeds. Any black moldy areas could be whitened using bleach or vinegar. My favorite recipe is stir fried luffa shrimp: cut peeled luffa into 2″x1″ chunks, warm up the pan with a touch of shredded ginger, stir-fried the luffa for several minute, add deviled shrimp and let it cook just one minute max, and sprinkle some Thai basil as the finishing touch. Add a bit of corn starch water to make the sauce less watery if you prefer. FYI: smooth luffa sometimes are called Thai Okra or Chinese Okra at local Asian supermarkets, but typically the fruit weighs less than half pound. Angular/ridged luffa may be found at more supermarkets and weigh closer to one pound, but may loose 1/3 of its weight after peeling. This jumbo Fujian white smooth luffa variety I am offering is indeed a RARE FIND!!! Limited seeds available. Do try it out, save the seeds, and share luffa joy (as food, sponge, candle arts & crafts) with kins & gardening pals. Trivia: Fact or fiction! Luffa water has facial cleansing benefits. It is believed to smooth out wrinkles, fade sun/age spots, and ease acne/pimple troubles. To capture luffa water, about 2 weeks before the predicted first frost date, cut the vine two feet above the ground, insert the bottom vine into a clean container (48-oz or larger), seal the container opening to prevent rain water, insects or debris from entering. After 5-7 days, each vine may produce 16-48oz luffa water, depending on the size of the vine & vigorous root system. You can rebottle the gathered water into smaller containers (e.g. 4-16 oz emptied bottled water containers) and store in fridge for long lasting use. Share some with friends who are convinced with this ancient oriental secret! Bonus: During culinary luffa cooking prep, chop off both ends of the fruit about 1” thick, then rub the ends on the face for a quick 30-sec facial cleansing! Ping us for questions regarding luffa germination, transplanting, aerial structure, fruit harvesting, cooking recipes, sponge processing, luffa water…etc. We might be the most successful culinary luffa grower in the greater chicago area!