The grasshoppers did a number on my loofah. Loofah takes quite a while to grow and mature, up to about 200 days of warm weather with no frost, which isn’t a problem here. I had started the seeds inside in cups so they could have a good start on a healthy and productive life but, as soon as I put them out, the grasshoppers chomped them right down to the ground. At that time, it was a bit late to be starting new seeds. There were no longer 200 frost free, warm days remaining but I planted a few more seeds in the ground and hoped for the best. Those seeds sprouted and I believe the grasshoppers left two of the plants and ate the remaining ones.
Loofah
I will end up with a few loofah sponges, but not nearly as many as I had hoped to get. Even one loofah sponge will provide me with enough seeds to plant next year so I am not totally disappointed.
When we lived in Kentucky, there was an old guy who lived not far from us and he grew loofah. Along the side of his carport, he had a trellis and it was covered in loofah. I didn’t know what they were . . they looked like some kind of overgrown cucumber. I couldn’t figure out why he was leaving all his cucumbers on the vine and being the nosy girl that I am, one day he was outside and I stopped and asked him about them. He explained to me that they were loofah and told me all about growing, harvesting and using them.
I had seen loofah sponges in bath shops but, admitting my ignorance, I never thought of them as being something that was grown. The man asked me to come back in about a month so I did. At that time, it was harvest time and he showed me how they feel when ready to harvest and showed me how to peel and clean them. He had a huge tub in the corner of his shop and it was full of loofah.
He gave them all away and he said people loved getting and using them. He gave me a few, along with some seeds but I never had much luck growing them there. In Kentucky and Missouri, the seeds had to be started indoors and the plants had to be half grown before they could be set out. We had a much shorter growing season there.
Here, we have the longer growing season and they should do well but with the grasshoppers . . you know how that story ends.
My favorite uses for loofah are for a kitchen scrubby and a bath scrubby. The few loofahs that I have will hopefully dry on the vine before rotting and they will be enough to get me through the year but I was hoping to have more so I could share them with friends. Maybe next year . .
Terri says
oh my word the things I learn from your blog!! Guess I just never gave it much thought where loofahs come from, but I woulda never guessed you grown them like this!! Can they be totally grown indoors in a pot? Thanks!
JudyL says
Maybe but the plants are vines and get huge.
Laura says
How interesting! I never knew where loofah came from either. Wonder if it would grow in California’s Central Valley?
Katie z. says
We love our loofah too! Since we moved last year, I couldn’t grow it, and this year I was worried the seed was too old, but two plants made it. I’m looking forward to harvest this year.
Helen Koenig1 says
When I lived on the farm, I was intrigued by Luffa sponges too! AND by the fact that when the fruits were small – you could EAT them!
I tried growing them – but I lived in IL and there are grasshoppers there too! AND locusts! and they ALL love luffa! So – no luck on growing sponges for me! Am interested in seeing how yours turn out!
Gwen says
I’ve never tried to grow loofah. There was an article in the paper here a couple of years ago about someone who grows it on their fence. They had to watch to keep it from spreading too far. Had a lot of interest from passers by. Think it would be fun to try. Maybe next year.
Ruth says
Neat! I always thought that loofah was something harvested from the ocean. This is so fascinating. Will you show pics of how you harvest it and treat it?
JudyL says
I will but it will be a month or more before I harvest it.
Diann says
Totally interesting and something new to me. I never stopped to think where loofah came from. That’s probably not spelled correctly. Anyway if any make it I would like to see how they look at harvest.
Does Boots like his climbing tower? Need Boots stories too. I don’t knit and avoid cooking HA.
JudyL says
The climbing tower arrived today and I’m not fixing dinner for Vince til he puts it together!
Sherrill says
Yep, just looks like some kind of squash hangin’ there. Never would’ve guess loofah. Too funny. I know my niece has grown the gourds that some folks use to make birdhouses. Are they anything like that?
JudyL says
They grow similarly to gourds and I suppose in some way they’re like gourds but the inside isn’t like a gourd. There are fibers and “strips” with seeds. When I harvest one, I’ll show a cross section of it.
Marsha says
I had never heard of loofah. I had to google it.learn something everyday. Keeps my mind active. Keep it up Judy. Looking forward to when you harvest it.
Tricia says
Freaky! Why did I think loofahs were actual sponges from the ocean? Now you have gone and made me smarter–and I was just dropping in on you for ENTERTAINMENT! Ha!
Will you post a picture when they are all off the vine and ready for use?
Tricia
Linda says
I had no idea they were a plant! I guess if someone had asked me….well I don’t know what I would have said. The things I learn….
Sharon in Michigan says
I sure learned something new today. I also thought loofahs came from the ocean. Is there anything you don’t grow!
JudyL says
I cannot grow a cucumber! I couldn’t grow them in Kentucky. I couldn’t grow them in Missouri and I cannot grow them in Texas!
Helen Koenig1 says
Judy – I can grow cucumbers. But I can’t grow beets – which REALLY saddens me, particularly since I’m VERY fond of beets!
JudyL says
Isn’t that weird! I don’t have any problems growing beets. Every year I come up with a “new and improved” plan for growing cukes but it never works. This year, I planted storebought plants as well as seeds. I got a few blooms . . that’s progress . . but not one cucumber.
Helen Koenig1 says
LOL – I planted 6 pots of cucumbers, which considering our weather – most did NOT do well. I had also bought in cukes and planted them and had them to give away (to son and dil), to dry (for salads, a cucumber-yogurt soup, for a lot of fresh crock pickles (my “ulcer-gulch” pickles – hotter than blazes and enough garlic to alert the neighbours when I walk down the street) and could easily have canned up a bunch of dills – which I wanted to do but couldn’t get the canning lids!!! at least not in time (hint to self – BUY the derned things this winter so I will have them for next year!)
Judy says
I also have learnt something, had never heard of loofah before. Thanks for the education.
Nancy Angerer says
That is so interesting! I have heard of the plant before. Just goes to show that you’re never too old to learn something new:)
Mel Meister says
I don’t know how you stay so calm about the grasshoppers. We have some every year and they have been decimating the very few plants I’ve tried to grow for the last 10 years. Between the burning sun, the ants and the grasshoppers, I’m giving up on gardening anymore.
JudyL says
I’m not quite sure what losing my cool would do to improve the situation. It’s one of those times when I try to find humor in the situation and when I catch as many as I can and give them to the chickens for snacks. Oh . . the ants! I had to stop wearing sandals last week when I leave the house because my feet look so horrible from all the ant bites. I love gardening, I love fresh veggies so I’ll just work that much harder to stay a step ahead of the pests.
Rebecca in SoCal says
I love how I keep learning from you!
Janice says
Growing up in England we always had a loofah in the bathtub. I never gave it any thought, then we came to Canada and you don’t see them here. When I started reading several Australian blogs I learnt that you grow them!!! They seem to grow like weeds over there.