Posted on February 7, 2008 in latest news
A loofah is as essential an accessory for bath as a soap is. It helps exfoliate dead skin and you finish your shower feeling cleaner. These are facts we all know. But there might still many who do not know what material a loofah is actually. This rough sponge that you use to scrub your body is nothing but a vegetable which looks a lot like tender cucumber. This is a welcome piece of information to those of you who thought your loofahs came from the sea.
To harvest them
The loofah requires a perennially frost-free climate for its growth. The planting season is ideally started in Spring. For those who stay in colder weathers and yet want to grow their loofas, it will be a good idea to start seedlings indoors and then transplant them outside allowing you to grow your own sponges.
The loofah plant is a creeper in nature. This vine can grow to great lengths producing beautiful yellow flowers all summer. Pick the fruit when the first frost attacks the vine. Next, peel off the outer skin. Once you have done this, ‘milk’ the sponge by squeezing it repeatedly from the middle towards the ends in an attempt to remove the fleshy substance inside. Plenty of seeds will come out as well. You could save some seeds for the next spring. If a sponge is discolored soak it for 5 minutes in warm water with a little bleach. Add a length of hemp rope if you like to hang up your shower sponge. And voila! Your own grown loofah is ready.. Why wait? Go ahead and have that shower of pride!
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