First time with luffa – questions on how to finish out their growing season – Reddit Post

First year growing luffa and have had more success than anticipated. One plant climbed my cattle panel trellis and filled in the full 15’ length of the top. People told me to expect 2-4 fruit per plant, but I have 24.

I knew going in that my growing season isn’t technically long enough to get these guys to dry on the vine, and we are fast approaching our first frost date.

If a luffa is still super green but has reached full size, will it dry okay, or is there a different point of maturity that makes them okay to dry? How close to freezing is too close for luffa? Do I need to pull them off the vine now that nights are in the mid to low 40s? The trellis is getting covered in greenhouse fabric and I’ll continue growing in it through winter. If we’re expecting a light frost, is a layer of greenhouse fabric enough to protect them for one night?

I have space to dry them inside, but want to leave them out as long as possible without risking losing everything. Any advice on how you manage luffa at the end of the growing season would be great! This plant is still setting new fruit, but I am planning to cut those and let it focus on the existing ones for the last couple of weeks of the season.