GOURD – LUFFA ANGLED (SIN QUA)

GOURD – LUFFA ANGLED (SIN QUA)

Lagenaria siceraria

Angled luffa is a running annual vine with rounded leaves & yellow flowers, also called Chinese okra or ridged gourd. The plant has both male & female flowers. The rather large male flowers are bright yellow & occur in clusters. The female flowers are solitary & have the tiny slender ovary attached. The vigorous plant has a heavy fruit set of ridged, dark green, club-shaped fruits that are about 45cm long, 5cm in diametre. The leaves are covered with short hairs & the fruits are ribbed and cylindrical shaped. The young fruit can be used as a cooked vegetable or grown for the fibrous interior.

Soak seed in warm water for 2 hours before sowing. Germinate singly in pots, at 20-30°C on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Apply a sprinkling of compost or vermiculite, 6mm thick.  Seal container inside a polythene bag until after germination. Do not exclude light at any stage as this is beneficial to germination.