Why did my luffa plants not survive?
Too much water or cold can wipe out a healthy luffa plant. The full grown vines are fairly tough and resilient. The smaller plants are not. The roots won’t survive muddy water saturated soil. A drop in temperature will stop growth of luffa. A large vine may survive and grow if it warms up again but a seedling can die. Frost is fatal to all luffa vines. A cloth cover can save a vine from a light frost, but not a hard freeze. The small plants are easily wiped out by pests like slugs. Weeds will overpower the seedlings until they start to vine. Animals like deer have been known to eat luffa. Salt or sodium in the soil or water will have a negative effect on the plants.
Too much water or cold can wipe out a healthy luffa plant. The full grown vines are fairly tough and resilient. The smaller plants are not. The roots won’t survive muddy water saturated soil. A drop in temperature will stop growth of luffa. A large vine may survive and grow if it warms up again but a seedling can die. Frost is fatal to all luffa vines. A cloth cover can save a vine from a light frost, but not a hard freeze. The small plants are easily wiped out by pests like slugs. Weeds will overpower the seedlings until they start to vine. Animals like deer have been known to eat luffa. Salt or sodium in the soil or water will have a negative effect on the plants. Most insects don’t seem to like the taste of luffa leaves but a few may attack and cause leaf curling. This may happen when parts of a vegetable garden die off and hungry bugs move on to nearby green luffa vines. In some cases insecticide may be needed. Whether using chemicals or organic methods like insecticidal soap or ne
