Brown little luffas

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Comment by Addy on December 3, 2009 at 3:04pm

I had mine under shade, thought maybe too shady! So will see if open sun will help! I've sprinkled on some dolomite as well...

Comment by Donna on December 3, 2009 at 10:38am

I had 2 saving, then ages and nothing - then 3 more appeared, ate 2 leaving 3 on vine. Ages then nothing and now might be getting more again... maybe shade as it seemed to come to live after overcast days? Alyhough of course it rained too which might have helped.

I picked the oldest to check for seeds (impatient) but wasted it as seeds are still white. I had cut top off looking for seeds but am trying for loofah anyway... just in case lol

Comment by Addy on December 3, 2009 at 9:43am

My loofah plants are doing exactly the same, Donna, after the first lovely big ones, the rest have gone brown like this. Interesting thought about picking the first fruits, instead of leaving it to seed. I've actually taken off the shade cloths, to see if that helps with flowering.

Comment by Elaine de Saxe on November 9, 2009 at 4:20pm

Looks like not pollinated. Perhaps too early in the season ... are they tropical? If so then that could be the reason. That there were fruit growing later on suggests the plant needs more warmth to produce fruit. As well, leaving one fruit on so early in the season means less fruit later on. I understand why that choice was made, would have done the same myself but the plant exists to keep its own species going so if it can set seed then it has little reason to produce more fruit. So perhaps this season, once you see some more coming along, pick the earlier ones to persuade the plant to produce more.

Comment by Vanessa Thompson (pomare) on November 9, 2009 at 3:48pm

are they spose to look like that? or not.
or is that blossom end rot or something?
Im going to try and give these ago for eaten but i purely planted for sponge for the bath room....going to die them and use for decoration for bath room also. (hope i get lots, planted four plants in and going to rasie four more for shade on window) so hopefully i get heaps and can share the sponge with everyone.

Comment by Florence on November 9, 2009 at 10:49am

Maybe it's still early in the season? For a long time last summer I only had one smooth luffa on the vine .. so I left it for seed saving, but I managed to get half a dozen for eating, and two more for sponge later on...