Did you know that you can grow your own loofah sponges?
It’s not that difficult and can give you bragging rights to a fun product. They could make great gifts too.
The loofah plant is a large vine, much like many squash plants. If likes a rich soil and full sun.
You need to plan ahead when growing them in our area. They’re barely hardy in USDA Zone 6 and since they need a long time to grow, you will need to start them indoors.
Allow plenty of time to get the plants started as they need 6-7 months to produce fruit. It is actually edible when young but for the “sponge” you need to let it fully mature.
The plant needs plenty of room since the vines can grow well over 20 feet in length. Plant them outdoors in mid to late May when the weather and the ground have really warmed up. You should expect to get 8-10 loofah sponges per vine. They remind me of giant cucumbers.
Once they’ve produced the loofah gourds, tend to the plants until the skin starts to change color to yellow or light brown. This is the time to pick them and bring them inside to dry.
When the skin is dry enough to crack, remove the skin and the seeds and then hang them to dry. They can be lightly bleached to lighten them up.
Enjoy them in your next shower.