Luffa: How to Grow Your Own Natural Bath Sponge

Luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca) is a climbing gourd whose mature fruit reveals a fibrous skeleton — your natural bath sponge. Start seeds indoors in early April, plant outside on a sturdy trellis in late May. Harvest when the skin turns brown and the gourd feels light (September–October). Peel, shake out seeds, rinse thoroughly, dry in the sun. One plant produces dozens of sponges. Perfect for Sakarya's long, hot summers.