luffa seeds

[nylocmik]

I successfully grew luffa last year and obtained several "sponges" from them after drying. I have quite a few extre seeds that I would like to share with anyone. Don't fear you can't grow them, I live in northern Idaho where it gets cold and we have a 3 month growing season. Just start them indoors early and they grow like a weed when transplanted. The hard part is getting the seed to germinate. If interested I'll tell you how I did it, with 80% success rate. I'd like to trade seeds for whatever that is "uncommon".

[flowerpower]

I tried growing Luffa for the first time last summer. My vines grew less than 3 ft and there were no flowers or fruit. How "early" should I start them indoors? My last frost date is May 31. Thanks.

[Pharmerphil]

Flowerpower, I am in zone 4, I started luffa's twicw indoors, the first time, my results were the same.
next attempt, I started seed indoors, on ground hog's day, and used discarded plastic coffee cans, they did lots better, this allowed the root system to develop in the larger coffee cans without becoming rootbound, and gave the vines a decent headstart.
May 31 is close to the time I an safely set any pumpkin, squash, etc. out, without any elaborate protection.

[flowerpower]

Thanks, Pharmerphil. I was concerned about starting them too early. I always start my seeds on Ground Hog Day since it is Mid-Winter - 6 wks past the Winter Solstice and 6 wks until the Vernal Equinox.

I am technically in Zone 5 but so is NYC. I can't follow the same schedule as I did there. I am about 2500' up and there is ALOT of snow and weird weather.It was 61 deg 2 days ago and today we are getting at least 6 inches of snow. lol I see many plants that do well in the valley but not on the mountain top.