In January I read an interesting article in the Guardian about growing Luffa sponges.
I love the idea of being able to grow a sponge, totally sustainable, with no plastic, no cost & no impact on the environment. That is why in March 2020 every order we despatch will contain a free luffa seed that our customers can plant in their own gardens. Please let us know how you get on.
Meanwhile here are your instructions:
- Sow the seeds into pots in April.
- Plant out in late April/May once the danger of frost has gone, ideally in a sunny free-draining spot
- They grow in a similar way to courgettes, but ideally, like to grow up vertically, so the luffas can hang down.
- Wait for the skin to get hard & change colour before harvesting. If you’re lucky, you might get up to 8 luffas from the one plant!
- Throw the loofah against a brick wall or concrete path. The brittle skin should split, giving you access to the sponge
- Peel off the split skin using a sharp knife & rinse to remove the seeds & the pulp. (You could also harvest the seeds for next year!)
- Hang up to dry.
- Once dry use a breadknife to slice the luffa into scourer size.
- The loofah should last several months.
- When the loofah is worn out simply add it your compost heap.
