Rare Find! 2/10/20 APPLE LUFFA F1 Seeds; very sweet can be eaten raw; mini Taiwan loofah; high yield(2 Seeds)

2/10/20 Taiwan APPLE LUFFA Hybrid Seeds; sponge gourd; muop huong; non-GMOGermination rate 96%, test date 8/2/2022- also known as Watermelon Luffa- trendy luffa very popular in Taiwan since 2010's.- cylinder shape, about 7 long, 4 wide- average weight 16-22 oz- harvest fruits in just 50 days after transplant, expect 3-4 fruits per vine- very cute, as a novelty gift in Taiwan- very sweet can be eaten raw- a rare find in USA- since this is hybrid seeds; the seeds saved wont produce the same exact apple luffa fruits next year :-(You will receive exactly five seeds in ziplock poly bag.For gardeners growing luffa purely for sponge arts crafts, please look at the pic of the sponge compared to the typical 26-oz salt tin. Note apple luffa sponge has pretty dense fiber fabric.General Luffa Growing tips: 1) Do not transplant too early, as young plants could be stunned when overnight temperature below 40F. Here in Chicago Zone 5B, better growth is observed when transplanted after Memorial Day 2) Let the vines climb to chain link fence, cattle panel, arbor, trellis...etc. Best fruit yielding when maximum sun exposure is provided. Allow at least 50-100 sqft aerial space per vine. 3) Once a female flower is found, you can pinch off the rest of the branch, to achieve best fruit size, as well as provide bushy growth to the main vine. Manual pollination using fine brush, if local bees are not visiting your luffa vines.4) Harvest edible fruits about two weeks after flowering.5) Apply additional organic fertilizer every 2-3 weeks once in fruiting stage. 6) Add more dirt to the root area to promote root growth; or heavy mulching will do.7) Many Taiwanese farmers remove all secondary vines to keep fruits on the main vine, and prefer horizontal trellis over vertical.8) For harvesting sponge, leave fruits on the vine as long as possible (but must harvest before first frost). If necessary, hang the fruits in the garage or a dry ventilated area to allow fruits to dry up over time. A dried luffa fruit weighs only 3-5 oz, just rub the skin like dough roller pin, then the dried skin will come off fairly easily.