Luffa
Sponges and Seeds
Luffa sponge is a plant from the cucumber family.
I always thought it was something found in the ocean!
But we can grow them in our very own gardens.
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Using an all natural Luffa sponge for daily cleansing is far preferable than synthetic or plastic materials, luffa is an all natural, biodegradable plant, one that won't add pollution to our water and has no synthetic dyes or chemicals.
It gently exfoliates dead skin cells and can last a year if cared for properly but is recommended to be replaced every 3 months.
Shower Luffa $8
Kitchen Luffa $3
Luffah Seeds $8/pkg
30 seeds/ package
Seeds ready January 2023
How to Maintain your Luffa
- Rinse your sponge after every use.
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- Let it dry between uses, stand up on its end.
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- Disinfect every month.
Soak in diluted bleach for 5 minutes.
or
Microwave while wet for 2 minutes.
or
Wash on delicate cycle, cold setting, stand up to dry. DO NOT PLACE IN DRYER.
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You can also add essential oils to your luffa by soaking it in warm water with a few drops of your prefered oil.
Luffa are challenging plants to grow, but that just makes sucess so much more rewarding.
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Luffa should be started in the house, where we live in Ontario, Canada, zone 5b, we start them in April.
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They benefit from using a heat pad to germinate, if you dont have a heat pad, we use the instant pot with great success.
Place the seeds in a damp paper towel and put inside a ziplock baggie. Place in the instant pot with only a regular pot lid on it and set to the yogurt setting. Within a week you should see spouts.
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Plant the germinated seeds in 4" containers and keep inside under growlights until a few weeks before planting outside, for us that is May.
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Make sure you harden the plants off before putting them into the ground, we move them to the greenhouse for this.
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Luffa do not like to be disturbed too much and are susceptible to ransplant shock so take care when finally planting in the ground.
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Be sure to add bone and blood meal when planting and provide a sturdy structure for them to grow up.
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They require regular watering every day and lots of sun.
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The last month before harvesting, pinch off any flowers and small fruit that won't have time to mature as this allows extra energy for the ones who will.
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They can stay outside until there is a threat of frost, you can pick them even if they are still green and yellow, remove the outer rind and remove seeds and pulp.
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Best of luck!