How to Grow Your Own Loofah
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09. 1.07
Photo credit: lauracchia80
Also spelled luffa, loufa, or loofa, the cylindrical sponge many of us use to slough off dead skin cells in the shower or bath doesn't come from the ocean, as some might assume, but can actually be grown in your own backyard.
The luffa is a member of the gourd family, grown not for eating, but for its dense and fibrous internal skeleton. When the fruit has matured and dried in about 6 months, you peel off the skin and remove the seeds, leaving behind the familiar sponge-like fibers.
Personal hygiene isn't the luffa's sole domain; you can also use it for scrubbing dishes, household chores, and washing your car. For more information, visit Luffa.info. You can also check out how Groovy Green harvested his homegrown shower sponge. ::World Ark (May/June 2007)
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Loufa, in it's younger, less tough, less fibrous form is commonly eaten in many parts of the world.
This is so cool. Thanks for posting. I always thought lufas came from the sea....
caveat emptor:
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3894/
I'm growing loofah this summer. So far, a bunch of yellow flowers, a snakeyfication of vines, and one small green gourd. We'll see how it goes. It's September, after all.
i love loofa.
I'm going to give this a go - thanks!
Silly me, i never thought that the loofah is from a plant substance.
My mum used to grow them in Malaysia. I got her to mail me some seeds, I had no idea they were available in the USA (as one of the commentators above said, apparently a lot of people don't know it's a plant product!)
Anyway I'm going to have a go at growing them in a large bucket since I'm an apartment dweller.
I planted loofa for the 1st time this year. Bought some seeds on eBay and planted them among my cucumbers since they are trellised. Got nothing but vines vines vines for about 10 weeks then the large yellow flowers started popping up. Now I have loofa hanging everywhere! Cant wait to see the end result!