squeakyfrogfarm on Nostr: Loofah vines coming on strong this year. If you've got space for them to climb ...
Loofah vines coming on strong this year. If you've got space for them to climb somewhere, they're a fun crop to grow every few years. They last a pretty long time in use, so a couple vines will provide a few years' worth of sponges, which store indefinitely once dried.
We just let them dry on the vine (not a problem in our hot summers), but they do take a fairly long season to grow from seed, fully ripen and dry, 120 days or longer. Once dried, you simply peel them, slice them to the desired size (a serrated bread knife works great), and shake out the seeds. On first use, you'll want to rinse them out thoroughly, as they can retain some residue from their former life as a gourd.
I've been told some people give slices of the dried sponges to rabbits as chew toys, as well. We don't raise rabbits, so I can't verify that.
They're also just an attractive vine in their own right, with lots of bright yellow flowers. It wouldn't be a half bad ornamental even if you didn't collect the gourds.
#garden #homesteading #plantstr #flowers
We just let them dry on the vine (not a problem in our hot summers), but they do take a fairly long season to grow from seed, fully ripen and dry, 120 days or longer. Once dried, you simply peel them, slice them to the desired size (a serrated bread knife works great), and shake out the seeds. On first use, you'll want to rinse them out thoroughly, as they can retain some residue from their former life as a gourd.
I've been told some people give slices of the dried sponges to rabbits as chew toys, as well. We don't raise rabbits, so I can't verify that.
They're also just an attractive vine in their own right, with lots of bright yellow flowers. It wouldn't be a half bad ornamental even if you didn't collect the gourds.
#garden #homesteading #plantstr #flowers