Grow-your-own loofahs
Ditch non-recyclable pan scourers and back scratchers by growing your own loofah sponge. Hannah Stephenson finds out how.
They’re best known as back scrubbers, for use in the bath or shower, but loofahs are also tipped to be among the must-have plants to grow this year, in an effort to help ditch unnecessary plastic. “When you mention ‘loofah’ to people, 90% of people think they’re a sponge that grows in the sea,” says Rob Smith, product development manager for Suttons and a keen grower himself.
Suttons launched Luffa (that’s the botanical spelling) cylindrica seeds in September. They should be sown between January and March, but the company will also be selling plug plants in April and May for people who missed the sowing period and want to have a go.
“There are so many newcomers to gardening and a lot of them are looking for something different to grow,” observes Rob. “They need warmth, so you’ll need a heated greenhouse or suitable windowsill on which to sow the seeds or grow the young plants. They can take two or three weeks to germinate.”
Ideally the seeds should be sown in a heated propagator, or a warm spot on a windowsill. Pot them on, adding pea sticks or canes for the tendrils to grab on to, until you can transfer them to an unheated greenhouse when all
danger of frost has passed. If they seem to be growing too quickly before you can transfer them, you can slow them down by leaving them in their pots, so their roots are restricted.
If you want to eat them,
harvest them small. Leave, say, three to grow on each plant to become the big luffa. Once they reach more than 6in long you wouldn’t want to eat them because the inside starts to form the fibrous skeleton.