The ultra - exfoliating loofa sponge might be a basic in countless bathroom , but a surprising routine of hoi polloi do n’t know where this innate scrub brush really comes from .
The most rough-cut misconception is that Luffa cylindrica are intersection of the sea . in reality , they ’re the dried , fibrous innards of the gourd speciesLuffa acutangulaandLuffa aegyptiaca . cogitate to be native to India , luffa gourds , which are member of theCucurbitaceaefamily , are relatively simple-minded crop to grow for yourself and to sell at market .
History of Luffa Gourds
Luffa gourds are n’t on the button new to the United States .
By the late 1800s , they had found their way into seed publication such as theCatalogue of Rare Florida Flowers and Fruits : For the season of 1890from Jessamine Gardens . advertize there as “ Vegetable Sponge or Poor Man ’s Dish Rag,”Luffa acutangulais described as “ one of the most unequaled and singular novelties ever introduced . ”
Selling the seeds for 5 penny per packet , the purveyor gushed : “ When right , the skin well peels off , let on the interior , a beautiful web of interlocking fiber , a veritable vegetable leech , and for scouring purposes rival the noted ‘ smoothing iron dish - cloth . ’
Large quantities of them are import from the tropics and offered for sale in the drug stores , under the name of Loofah , being conceive an essential adjunct to every well - regulate bathroom . ”
Besides their public utility company in the bathroom and kitchen , loofah sponges — particularly those from the über - fibrousLuffa aegyptiacaspecies — were once heavily used in manufacturing .
fit in to Charles B. Heiser , author ofThe Gourd Book , “ Flattened by being pressed through steam roller , it has been used to make soundproof rampart boarding . It has good insulation properties and has been used to make sunshine helmet and as a lining for steel US Army helmet . ” Loofahs were also used as tamp down stuff , stuffing for mattress and even as engine filters . Susan Brackney
Susan Brackney
As forLuffa acutangula , because it ’s relatively softer inside thanLuffa aegyptiaca , it has long been popular as an edible gourd in India , China and beyond .
Chinese immigrants frequently grewLuffa acutangula , reap rag gourd gourds when they were 4 or 5 inch long . DescribingLuffa acutangulain his 1832 work , Flora Indica , or , description of Indian Plants , writer William Roxburgh noted that the half - grown yield was one of the best native vegetables in India . “ The natives use it much in their curries , ” he wrote . “ When peeled , for the pelt is hard , boiled and dress with butter , pepper and salt . They are slight inferior to unripened peas . ”
What’s in a Name?
Whatever variety you choose to arise , when explore for luffa seed , you ’ll likely encounter a few unlike spelling , including “ loofah , ” “ loofa ” and “ strainer vine . ” While “ loofah ” is often used to trace the ruined sponge , “ luffa ” is ordinarily put on to the flora itself . Still , there is no tough - and - fast rule . To be certain you know just what you ’ll end up with , take care for open - cross-pollinate change , which explicitly state the botanical metal money name .
Producing stiff , irritable sponges that are at least 1 to 2 feet long , Luffa aegyptiacais the species most commonly useable . ( You might also recover it called Luffa cylindrica or “ foresighted strainer vine . ” )
Seeds forLuffa acutangula — featuring narrow , slightly short fruits — can be somewhat more difficult to find but are sometimes sold as “ lean luffa ” or “ Chinese gumbo . ”
Susan Brackney
A less common strainer vine plant , bed asLuffa sepium , Luffa operculataor “ ball luffa , ” is also available in the U.S.Luffa operculataproduces spiny , assail fruits that , when dried and skinned , reveal miniature , spherical sponges . TheIndiana Gourd Societysells seed for a “ Ball Luffa Cucurbita ” ornamental that ’s said to result in sponges that are about 2 column inch in diam .
Growing Your Own
With their sprawling vines , big leaves and grabby tendril , rag gourd plants postulate full sunlight and lots of room . As a result , you ’ll desire to plant them at their own conclusion of your garden or around its perimeter , so they do n’t interfere with other crop you wish to grow .
They also can require agrowing seasonof as long as four full calendar month , so , depending on your climate , you might need to commence your seeds inside , graft them once soil temperature are consistently strong . Toward the time of year ’s conclusion , you might also have to harvest your gourd before they ’ve had a chance to fully dry out on the vine . But even under these circumstances , you should be able-bodied to come away with a racy loofah harvest .
Luffa gourds grow best in fertile , well - draining and slightly acid stain .
Susan Brackney
To get a jump on the develop season , you may remove any smoke , rectify your soil with compost or worm castings and then cover the area with lightweight , water - permeable landscape painting fabric . This helps keep the weeds down and your dirt temperatures up by planting time .
As you wait for the danger of frost to fade , you’re able to also further your oral sex - starting signal by germinating luffa seedlings indoors . For best consequence , presoak your luffa seeds in water for as long as 24 hour before planting them in a uninventive growing medium . This help oneself break down their tough outer seed coat and spue sprouting . A seedling heat mat can also induce sprouting .
Provided your plant have at least their first hardening of rightful leaves , and precondition outside are gay and ardent , you’re able to very lightly transplant your seedling . Luffas can be plant in rows with private plant positioned at least 4 feet asunder from one another , or they can be place 2 to 3 plants per filth mound , with mounds place 6 to 8 foot apart .
If you used landscape cloth , just cut a small “ X ” and plant the seedling through this orifice in the material . double this process until each luffa seedling is in blank space . Next , irrigate them in , taking attention to direct moisture to plant roots while hold the plants ’ foliage dry . This practice can serve prevent the spread of certain fungous diseases .
Finally , if the weather is still a little nerveless — and you ’d like to protect your bid seedlings from birds , rodents and other athirst critter — you may make cloches from exonerated , plastic soda ash bottleful . Wash the bottles with ardent , soapy water , remove their palpebra and reduce off their bottoms . When positioned over loufah sponge seedlings , they can produce a cozy microclimate . Just verify your plant life do n’t dry out out or get overheated on very sunny days , and remove the cloches once quick weather returns .
Trellising & Trimming
Your luffa plants want regular watering to really get pass , and as fruits originate they also need physical support . Mostly made up of water , luffa gourds become astonishingly heavy .
You don’thavetotrellis your industrial plant , but doing so can maximize garden space and contribute to a harvest that ’s more consistent in size of it and frame — something that might be important if you design to sell ruined loofah sponges at a Farmer market . ( Allowed to string up freely from the trellis , gourd are less likely to become misshapen fromcontact with the ground.)Susan Brackney
Provided they are sturdy and deeply situated , luffa plant support can be as uncomplicated as a few wooden garden post strategically spaced near grouping of luffas . length of leftover fence erected alongside each words are another easy choice .
As your plants farm , they grab onto the supports you cater and climb their way up . If your trellising is unequal , however , they pull it all down in a hurry , potentially damaging vines and fruits in the operation .
If you ’d rather not trellis and if you have enough space to permit your vines cast — and you do n’t mind any result unevenness in fruit size of it and flesh — this method acting can make . In this case , though , plan to slip a heavy tabloid of composition board , scrap Mrs. Henry Wood or paving stone underneath case-by-case rag gourd gourds to assist prevent damage from territory - borne diseases and insect pests .
Once your sponge gourd plant ’ principal vines begin to take off , gently snip their ends at about the 10 - foot mark . This encourage fork and the development of distaff flowers .
When fertilized by insect pollinators , these female flush set the tiny fruit , which eventually become luffa gourds . In other word : The more female efflorescence you have , the openhanded your potential gourd crop will be .
Sidebar:Ongoing Care
inspect your luffa plants for signs of insect invader such as aphids , cucumber beetle and crush bugs is as crucial as even watering , especially as younger plants are becoming established . That means canvas the underside of leaves for bad histrion and their testis and removing them before their populations can rise .
Also watch for evidence of squash vine borer , which drill small hole into stem turn , leaving little piles of shavings behind . They dine on the insides of vines , killing intact sections of the plant as they go . See some telltale signs ? Take a clean razor blade , make a slit along the vine and remove the interloper .
Because dirt ball pollinator are critical for the success of your crop , it ’s skillful to swear on organic and unified blighter management method instead of pesticides .
apart from helping precaution plants from verbatim insect price , your vigilance should also give some protection against the indirect damage from associated viral and bacterial diseases . If you do bill section of mildewed , wilted or discolored leaves , your plant might be diseased . Cut away affected portions of the plant , remove from the garden and discard .
( Disinfect any garden putz that come into contact with the pathologic sections , too . )
Sidebar: Finishing Touches
To reap sponges for some homemade loofa , let strainer vine vines and gourdsdry completely . Ideally , this can take place outdoorsbefore fall ’s frost , but , if freezing temperature are prognosticate , you should harvest your gourds and let them dry out in a protect garage or outbuilding . ( freeze can damage gourds ’ spongy interiors . )
Dried gourds are dark chocolate-brown and lightweight . throw off them , and you ’ll hear some dried seeds rattling inside as well .
Gently force along thelength of a dried luffa will induce its cutis to loosen and snap , revealing the fibrous treasure inwardly . Vigorously shake the sponge or whop it against your open palm help reposition the luffa seeds .
After removing all traces of their outer shell , you might acknowledge some loofah are n’t uniformly emollient colored . you may set them out in lineal sunlight to naturally bleach them . Or you could soak them in a mild bleach solvent , rinse and then lease them dry completely before storing .
Whether you slice loofah extra thin and pour incolorful glycerine soaps or deal natural leech whole , loofas have all-inclusive commercial-grade appeal with beautybuffs , the green - life readiness and plenty of other folks.(Packets of luffa gourd seeds are another unusual good you may offer . ) When unused loofas are kept in a clean , wry speckle , they enjoy a much longer ledge life compared with other produce .
This story originally appeared in the March / April 2019 issuing ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
