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If being grown for food, the fruits can be picked anytime until they start to grow fiber. Edible size luffa has a thin tight skin. Once the the skin thickens and becomes tougher they are beginning to develop into fiber. The flowers and buds are sometimes eaten also. If luffa is very bitter it may not be good to eat.

If being grown for a fibrous loofah sponge, the seed pods must be allowed to mature on the vine. When the cellulose fiber of the loofah finishes developing, the skin loosens and often turns brown. Loss of weight is a good indicator the sponge is ready as it loses water. If the skin is a papery dry brown, the loofah is probably beyond ready. It's often better to pick them earlier, as soon as the skin feels like it will come off. The fibers tend to get darker and develop more dark spots the longer they hang past maturity.

If the vines get killed by frost or freeze, the pods should be peeled soon, even if they aren't fully mature. They won't develop any more. They can be allowed to hang on the vine for a few days but once any black areas appear they should be peeled immediately before the whole thing rots.

The most likely cause is a lack of pollination. Bees and other pollinating insects are needed to produce a good crop. Even with an abundance of insects only a fraction of the flowers will pollinate. Bees are diverse and abundant here in the southern Appalachians, yet we only have about a 20% to 30% rate of successful flower pollination. Bees are having survival issues in some parts of the world. Insecticides used near the vines will reduce the pollinating insects.

Hand pollination is an option. Use a cotton swab to move pollen or gently rub the yellow hair-like structures of a male flower against the middle parts of a female flower.

Another possible cause is a lack of female or male flowers. Typically a larger single female flower grows on it's own stalk while clusters of male flowers bloom in sequence on another stalk. Normally the ratio of female to male flowers ensures a reasonable amount of pollination. Some plants may not produce enough males or females. The ratios of fertilizer elements in the soil can affect flower ratios for luffa and other similar flowering plants. High nitrogen can increase the number of males while high phosphorous may encourage more females. So if you are lacking female flowers some additional phosphorous may help.

Seed germination is equally dependent on moisture and temperature. If the seeds are moist but not sprouting then it may be too cold. The soil needs to be warm, near 70 degrees F (21 C) or warmer. If the seeds have been stored in a hot dry place, they may become hard. Hard seeds will take longer to sprout and may not germinate at all. To speed up germination of any seeds, wrap them in a wet towel in a warm place for a day or two before planting. You want just enough water to keep the seeds moist and humid, but still allow air in.

Even under ideal conditions some stubborn luffa seeds may take a long time to germinate. Over three weeks is not unusual. Normally it takes about a week, sometimes less. One batch of seeds we tested took 24 days to germinate.

Too much water or cold can wipe out a healthy luffa plant. The full grown vines are fairly tough and resilient. The smaller plants are not. The roots won't survive muddy water saturated soil. A drop in temperature will stop growth of luffa. A large vine may survive and grow if it warms up again but a seedling can die. Frost is fatal to all luffa vines. A cloth cover can save a vine from a light frost, but not a hard freeze. The small plants are easily wiped out by pests like slugs. Weeds will overpower the seedlings until they start to vine. Animals like deer have been known to eat luffa. Salt or sodium in the soil or water will have a negative effect on the plants.

Why are buds turning brown and falling off?

This is most likely a fungus. A brown circle forms at the base of a flower bud where it meets the stem. Before long the entire bud turns brown and falls off. This tends to be a larger problem in wet weather. Losing a few buds in a normal year is common and not a big deal. A long wet growing season can cause significant loss. Fungicides can help prevent further infection but won't reverse existing brown damage. The best defense is a good offense. The vines should be uncrowded so air can can flow through. More sun exposure is better. Avoid getting the leaves wet if watering. Giving the vines a good balance of fertilizer elements to grow strong blooms will help too.

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