Making Luffa Sponges

[Durgan]

16 November 2010 Luffa Sponges. 16 November 2010 Luffa Sponges

Luffa require a long growing season about six months, and warm weather. The bottom of the hanging fruit were cut off to facilitate draining of liquid, hoping they will dry prior to freeze up.

About half my luffa’s are dry and sponges were made. Pictures depict the process. The skin is scaled off, and the ends are cut and the seeds shaken out. Some seeds remain and are removed when washing. The cut to the required length luffa are warm washed in soap and water in the washing machine, removed and more seeds removed. Then some bleach is added and the luffa are washed again. The luffa are dried in the electric dryer on low heat. They can also be Sun dried if the weather co-operates. The quality is excellent. Any seeds remaining will discolor the luffa in use to some degree. Seeds were saved for the 2011 planting. There area a great number of seeds in one pod.

[erinalexmom]

That is so cool! I wanted to plant loofa this year but it was too late in the year when I found out what they were. for some reason I always thought they were a sea creature lol

[Missy]

some creature came and ripped most of them off my vines. I don't know what took them, but i am going to try again next year. Yours look great

[Ceashels]

They look great! I grew some over a decade ago and if I remember correctly, peeled them first then soaked them to help remove any flesh. I would enjoy making them again.

[knitnmom]

That is so cool!! I've gotta do that someday!! When do you usually plant them? Where do you get the seeds?

[Vanilla]

That's so cool. So, this is luffa.
Thanks, I learn something new today.

[frugalfranny]

Looks great durgan.

I have always wanted to try the luffa.........but not sure our season would be long enough. Maybe on a good year........have grown lots of other gourds.

[Durgan]

That is so cool!! I've gotta do that someday!! When do you usually plant them? Where do you get the seeds?

I grew the first luffa about four years past, and got a few seeds off the internet. Once one has a crop there is no end of seeds. It appears the seeds keep a long time. I have some 2006 seeds and they were viable in 2010. The seeds are started indoors about the first of March for planting out doors at the end of May.

Great car must be taken to plant without disturbing the roots. If roots are disturbed, the plants growth is retarded by a month or more, since the vegetation dies off immediately and must restart. Luffa are very slow growing at the beginning of the season, then if the weather if agreeable, the plant explodes with growth.

[Supertiki]

I saw this on the internet a few months ago and definitely want to try it. Do you know if they would grow in Kentucky? I haven't really gotten into the gardening thing too much to know about growing seasons yet.