EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Luffa (Loofah)
Here is something that adds to a ZERO WASTE system. Luffa! And YOU CAN GROW IT!! Growing Luffa is totally a regenerative process....a full circle of life. You naturally work the soil, feed the bees, grow a sustainable product, save its seeds, turn the used product back into compost, and do it all over again. No running to the store to buy dish sponges that get stinky and harbor nasty bacteria. No synthetic fibers going to the landfill. Save your money and add to a regenerative system by growing your own dish and bath and body sponges!
This video is long, but I hope you agree that it will be so worth your time! If you ever contemplated growing luffa (loofah) this video goes over all the details about growing, harvesting, the benefits, etc. Someone on our FB page asked a question that I didn't cover in the video so I'll add it here. We had ZERO pest issues with this plant. Here in our zone, 7b/8a, we plant mid-spring. Not too early because they like warmth, but not too late because they need a long growing season to get a nice big and full crop. And don't forget to rinse them well and set them to dry after you peel them. This helps prevent the oxidation/browning effect from happening. I soak them in a deep sink of water and squeeze and squeeze under water then I ring them out and set them to dry.
If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below. The link to our shop is down below.
Thanks for watching (and listening ;) )
p.s. Thank you Elder @Riverflows for your help last night! You inspired me! I'll be posting more content and using @Naturalmedicine tag. ;)
And sorry for the 'false' ending. There is some great info after I said bye so hang in there and watch til the very end!
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I just finished peeling the ones from today. The yellow ones are harder to peel but worth it IMO. Do both and see what works for you..... some brown and dried and some yellow (make sure they are light in weight and has some give to them). The brown ones peel super easy. But again, I like to have both for the varying textures.
I cut out the middle of a luffa and along with a dish turned it into a pot for my orchid
I'd love to see a picture of that! Sounds like a good idea. I'm envisioning it in my head....not sure if I am fully understanding. If you get a moment, can you post a pic?
This set up allows for lots of air flow yet requires more frequent watering
Interesting. Thank you for sharing.
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Awesome!! Thanks! :)
You've been visited by @minismallholding from Homesteaders Co-op.
One day I WILL get around to growing these! :D I’ve featured your post in the Homesteaders – Living Naturally newsletter.
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Awesome!! Thank you!! And I hope you do grow them. It's such a fun plant to grow plus it feeds the pollinators. :)
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Yaay! :) Thanks!
Awesome to put a face to a voice!! You have reminded me to pick up some luffah from whole foods today. And it was fun to help out!!
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Awesome. Thanks. :)
And omg your video... i am now busy looking up to see if I can grow it here!!!
Awesome! Glad to help inspire! :)
I have never grown these, but have always wanted to. How well do they work in practice? (I may watch it later, but the machine I'm on right now isn't doing sound... )
I'm not sure I understand your question....
I've never used a luffa sponge - do they work as well as conventional/manufactured sponges? Do they hold up well?
They are far superior. They are super super tough (you can put them through the washing machine or dishwasher on sanitary cycle and they won't even be phased). They last a really long time and can be composted after they are all used up. They dry so fast so they don't get stinky and hold bacteria like a sponge would. And it's a natural material.
I'm already sold then! I hope we'll be able to have a garden next year - and that will definitely be something we grow. Thanks!
Awesome!! Glad I was able to help inspire! :)
We love lufah and they grow like weeds here in Thailand. So cheap to buy!! And such a great alternative to synthetic sponges and scrubbers. You DO need to boil them occasionally, as the lufah traps dead skin cells which invites bacteria, but it takes only a moment to boil them with a bit of lime or lemon skin to freshen them up and clean them.
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I just throw our bath ones in a washer. The kitchen ones I put in the dishwasher on the sanitary cycle when needed but we have soooo many so when they get even a bit of use we compost them and get a new one.
We only have cold water for washing, and def NO dishwasher. LOL you're clearly NOT living in south east Asia. 🤣 Boiling is super resource & time efficient. Whenever I miss having a dishwasher, I remind myself of how much water & energy they guzzle - we simply cant keep having appliances like that if we care about climate change & Mother Earth.
Thank you for your opinion. No, I do not live in Asia. I live in the USA. From my research, the dishwasher uses far less water/energy than washing by sink. It has a filter in there that recycles the water to reuse before it flushes it out for the final cycle. Dishwashers aren't made the same....there are plenty of energy-efficient varieties, one of which I have. It uses less water and less electricity then say running the hot water tank and wasting water to wash a sink full. Especially because I pack the dishwasher full and we don't pre-wash....just scrape them clean. I understand the lifestyle is quite different here from there. I'm sure you have ways of doing things that are quite different than here. I am also a single mom who works full time, homeschools my child, runs a homestead, several blogs, holds workshops, etc. So every bit of help I can get I do. If using a dishwasher helps me keep balance in my life, I'm okay with that especially given we collect rain for other use, don't water our gardens, use regenerative practices for growing soil, plant many trees and plants, we use as many eco friendly products as possible, grow what we can (to include are even researching growing soapwort to make our own natural soap with), and I can go on and on to speak for what I do to try to do my part. In fact, our energy provider sends an assessment of use each month and my house use has rated far below the most efficient houses in my neighborhood and even farther below the 'average household' in our city. I do appreciate your passion and concern as I share them too. Here is an article, (just one of many) I read when I made the decision on my purchase. Hopefully, this helps to ease some concern. https://www.sciencealert.com/is-it-better-to-wash-dishes-by-hand-or-dishwasher-environment-science
It IS a passion & a concern. Unapologetically. We wash dishes in one basin of cold water. 😊 Was watching Greta Thunberg last night & made me think how much the west TALKS about climate concern but has lifestyles it simply doesnt want to give up. I HAD a dishwasher for many years when I lived in Australia & am well versed in the industry funded science..
Love the lufah.
Sad you feel that way....not everyone just talks it. I'm working hard to make changes and inspire others to do the same. Here in the USA I'm considered an extremist....a minimalist....and I try to inspire others to make even small and simple changes because every single change in the right direction counts. Sad you can't appreciate that but instead choose to judge, point fingers, mock...whatever it is you are choosing to do. I can say a whole lot about the pollution in Asia....but I'm not going to lump every single household and person in that category, nor am I going to judge someone for it either. I did my research, made the best decision I could with the knowledge I have and I certainly do a ton on my part. You can feel how you feel. I will unapologetically continue to do the best I can with the knowledge and means I have and I will continue to try to inspire others, be grateful for every single change they make, uplift them, and whatever else I can because Lord knows we are all doing our best and are in it together. I might not make the same choices you do but that doesn't mean I'm not taking action or doing my part. Glad you like the luffa. Have a good night. Godspeed to you.