Quantity 10 Seeds

Germination approx. 18 days at 18 °C

Lufa (loofah), Vegetable-sponge seeds (Luffa aegyptiaca)

The loofah is cultivated mainly as a sponge, but the green fruit are also edible and are reminiscent of zucchini. The plant is an annual and with climbing support can reach 15m in height. The male and female yellow flowers appear throughout the growing season and are often visited by bumblebees. The production of sponge is simple if the fruit is ripe the outer skin can be easily separated from the sponge and cleaned well and then dried in the sun. The sponges found in the market are often chemically bleached. Often our friends and neighbors were surprised commenting "we believed it was a sea sponge .."

Soil: rich in humus. Needs plenty of water which should be rich in nutrients.

Light: Full sun

Multiplication: by seed. The black seeds germinate in approx. 2 to 3 weeks. For best performance of the seeds soak for a day in warm water. In cold storage the germinable seeds keep for some years.

In winter: Annual plant.

Uses:

In the kitchen: The green fruits fried or in a wok. You can find many recipes online

In the home: As a bath sponge it gently removes dead skin. Many spas and massage places use loofahs. Also can be used in the kitchen and household for cleaning. (Particularly where steel wool can damage surfaces, quality parquet etc.) The loofah sponge lasts for a long time and can be washed in a dishwasher.

Medicinal: It is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Loofah seeds according to studies reduce the level of blood sugar. In homeopathy it is used in diseases of the respiratory tract and digestive organs.