Sponge gourd (luffa, loofah, vegetable sponge)

Wash-rag sponge (dish-cloth gourd) - Luffa cylindrica.
"Vegetable sponge", which combines not only decorative but also useful qualities: a delicious side dish with medicinal properties + bath accessories.
Plant height up to 200 cm. Climbing stems, powerful, with intensive growth and large lobed leaves. The fruits are cylindrical, smooth and up to 50 cm or more.
The flowers are yellow-orange. Used for vertical landscaping of the garden and to obtain a "plant sponge".
Agricultural technology.
The plant prefers deeply cultivated fertile soils. Grows well in open sunny places. Propagated by sowing seeds in March. The depth of seed placement is 0.5-1 cm. Landing in greenhouses: in May-June after 70 cm. In plants, side shoots are pinched and growth is limited. To obtain a sponge, ripened fruits are cut, dried, peeled and washed from mucus, seeds are removed and the skeleton is boiled, blued and dried in the sun on twine.

Eng.: Sponge gourd, common loofah, dish-cloth gourd, dishrag gourd, gourd towel, luffa, vegetable sponge, wash-rag sponge. Suom.: Pesusienikurkku. Sven.: Vegetarisk tvättsvamp, luffa. Bot. syn.: Luffa cylindrica (L.), Luffa pentandra Roxb., Luffa petola Ser., Momordica cylindrica L., Momordica luffa L.