Mrs Green has set herself a new challenge this spring – she’s aiming to grow her own luffa (or loofah) to use as zero waste pan scrubbers. Never one to shy away from new plant experiences, I’m going to join her!

Luffas grow in a similar manner to cucumbers, and are more successful in the UK with a bit of heat and protection. The young fruits are edible, probably tasting more like courgettes, and it’s the skeletonised interior of mature fruits that are cleaned up and used for bath and kitchen scrubbers.

For more information about growing your own luffa (Luffa aegyptica or L. cylindrica) check out Luffa.info or Sally Cunningham’s book Asian Vegetables.

Seeds aren’t too hard to come by here in the UK. It looks like Mrs Green got hers from Nicky’s Nursery, and mine came from Victoriana Nursery. Chiltern Seeds have three different luffa species and Jungle Seeds have one, as do Suffolk Herbs.

Sally Cunningham also sites tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk as a source, but I have no experience of them.

I sowed my seeds yesterday and I’m going to put them on the bedroom windowsill where they’ll warm up nicely. If you decide to join in the fun, then do let me and Mrs Green know how you get on!