# Homegrown Luffas!



## RockinRodeoChick (Sep 1, 2010)

So, I finally got to harvest a couple of my luffas today. Should have some more in about a week. Have lots of little babies on the vines still too. Is it silly that I'm this excited?

Before we pulled the dry skin off:




DH decided to help me:




After:




I think the one on the left is going to use a little more cleaning. The one on the right was perfect. And they're soo soft! I can't wait to use one of my own in the shower!


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## Hazel (Sep 1, 2010)

How great! You'll have to post back and let us know how they feel after using one. Every year I say I'm going to grow some luffas and then I never plant any seeds. Maybe next year.


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## sygrid (Sep 1, 2010)

Wow, that's awesome..I have never even seen loofah seeds.
What kind of growing conditions do they need and where did you get the seeds?  I would love to try to grow them.  I'm on the west coast, I wonder if they would grow here.


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## krissy (Sep 1, 2010)

i always thought that loofas were from the ocean!! 
my mom told us that they were the skeletons of dead sea cucumbers so that we wouldnt play with her loofa cuz that was "so gross" 
lol, 20 years later and i still believed her! she is in big trouble now!!!


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## Deda (Sep 1, 2010)

Those are too cool!

You should sell them...  I'd buy.


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## Sincerely Natural (Sep 1, 2010)

I love loofas/luffas!  I'm patiently waiting for next year to plant my seeds, I was too late this year.


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## RockinRodeoChick (Sep 1, 2010)

krissy said:
			
		

> i always thought that loofas were from the ocean!!
> my mom told us that they were the skeletons of dead sea cucumbers so that we wouldnt play with her loofa cuz that was "so gross"
> lol, 20 years later and i still believed her! she is in big trouble now!!!




Haha! That's great! My mom told me something similar. There are some that do come from the ocean, but they have a different texture/look to them. You can tell the difference just by looking after you figure out what the difference is.  Hehe

Deda, that was part of my plan. When I start selling my soap and things in the spring, I'd planned on taking these and offering them for sale alongside my other products. I've also considered selling them to others on the board, but I'm not sure how much to sell them for.  Hehe. We'll see. 

Sygrid, I got mine from a small local farm. There are lots of places online that sell them.  http://theluffafarm.com/ Eventually, I'd like a setup like theirs. They generally need lots of sun, water and a good bit of heat, but not too much. They're technically a gourd.


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## Martin (Sep 1, 2010)

Well I'm lucky I work for a seed company. But we have to amend our soil since we have good ol Carolina red clay. So I will have to wait till next year to plant. I do love growing gourds. Can't wait to do the luffas.


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## soapbuddy (Sep 1, 2010)

Cool!
I don't think they would grow here.


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## Sauron (Sep 1, 2010)

USE FOR BATHING?

i have used it in bathroom for more than 25 years.
it was growing near my home, and which was sold very cheap.
anyone of you guys comes to China tianjin and visit me, i will give it to him/her as a present for free. 


you mean this one?


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## Hazel (Sep 1, 2010)

Sauron, 

Are those really luffas? If so, they're huge!


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## Tabitha (Sep 1, 2010)

Deda said:
			
		

> Those are too cool!
> 
> You should sell them...  I'd buy.



Ditto! Bet you could sell the heck out of them on etsy & bring extra attention to your soap that way. It would be a great gimmick to make you 'stand-out.'


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## soapbuddy (Sep 1, 2010)

Wow! Those green luffas are huge!


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## dubnica (Sep 1, 2010)

Wow I never knew luffas grow like this...amazing


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## Sauron (Sep 2, 2010)

Hazel said:
			
		

> Sauron,
> 
> Are those really luffas? If so, they're huge!



YEP~there were many kinds of luffas in china, most of them were plant for eating, i like eating it ,it is quite delicious. if it was not be eaten when they was tender, they will grow big enough for bathing.
once anyone of you came to china, i would give a piece of it to you as a gift if you want.


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## soapbuddy (Sep 2, 2010)

I had no idea you could eat them. Interesting!


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## Sauron (Sep 2, 2010)

there is special luffas for eating, of course, when they were young and tender. it's quite delicious, i cook them with eggs.


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## Hazel (Sep 2, 2010)

Sauron,

I didn't know you could eat them, either. That is an amazing picture. Thanks for posting it.


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## RockinRodeoChick (Sep 2, 2010)

Sauron said:
			
		

> USE FOR BATHING?
> 
> i have used it in bathroom for more than 25 years.
> it was growing near my home, and which was sold very cheap.
> ...



And I was happy with my little tiny things. XD


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## agriffin (Sep 2, 2010)

krissy said:
			
		

> i always thought that loofas were from the ocean!!



I did also!


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## jess_adams24 (Sep 15, 2010)

That is so cool, i am totally going to grow some next year!!


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## madpiano (Sep 16, 2010)

oh wow, so many Loofas!!

hmm - not sure if they would grow here though. We have the "not too much heat part", but Sunshine is a bit on the low side. Do they grow well in cool, rainy weather? At work there is a guy who moved here from San Diego in April and he is still waiting for summer to start, he doesn't believe me that that 1 week in May is what we call a great summer!


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## pixybratt (Oct 29, 2010)

after seeing how cool they look I may have to get my mom some seeds so she can grow her own


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## Jezzy (Oct 30, 2010)

Those are cool! For some reason I always thought that they grew in the sea too! Lol


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## Bubbly Buddha (Oct 30, 2010)

I always thought they were some sort of sponge and grew in the ocean.  
 

Thanks for posting this!


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## IanT (Oct 30, 2010)

that is such an awesome pic!!


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