The most unusual type of Luffa pumpkin: what it is and how to make a useful natural washcloth from it
The unusual luffa pumpkin (also known as the Egyptian luffa) is rarely found in garden plots. But just one bush of this plant will provide the whole family with natural hypoallergenic washcloths for the whole year.
In addition, luffa is an ornamental vine, perfect for vertical gardening. Today we will talk about this amazing plant and how to grow and make a loofah with your own hands.
Luffa gourd
Despite the fact that the culture is considered a loofah, the vegetable is widely used in Southeast Asia in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes.
Unripe fruits are tender in taste and rich in vitamins B, K, E, C, as well as micro- and macroelements. This unusual vegetable enriches the body with vitamins and adds variety to the diet.
Description and characteristics
What it is - pumpkin luffa? This herbaceous annual plant is native to tropical regions of Asia and Africa. At home, the fruits grow up to 1.5 meters in length.
During the flowering period, the vines are decorated with large flowers with a delicate aroma. The fruits (or pumpkins) are shaped like zucchini. Inside, ripe pumpkins are white, springy, pleasant to the touch, with many seeds.
Luffa is widely grown on an industrial scale as a commercial crop. It serves as a source of natural fibers. Technical oil is obtained from the seeds of the plant.
In addition, pumpkin fibers are used in the manufacture of thermal insulation materials, filters for diesel engines, various seals, and sponges for carriage wheels.
Interesting fact. In the USA, luffa fibers were used to make helmets for soldiers. Such helmets had good noise-absorbing properties.
In our country, cylindrical and sharp-ribbed luffa is mainly cultivated.
In the cylindrical variety, pumpkins grow up to 60 cm long. The sharp-ribbed varieties have small fruits - 30-35 cm in length. In temperate climates, the sharp-ribbed variety grows better.
Uses of loofah gourd
The gourd is not only a valuable technical plant, but also a wonderful decoration for any garden. A spectacular crop will decorate a gazebo, wall or fence. Luffa blooms profusely from July to September, delighting the eye with large white and yellow flowers.
In addition to decorative purposes, the culture is used to make natural washcloths, prepare unusual and healthy dishes, and even in the treatment of certain diseases.
Making washcloths
Everyone has seen luffa washcloths. But not everyone knows how and what they are made from.
Bath accessories made from artificial materials are increasingly being found in stores. Environmentally friendly, natural sponges massage and cleanse the skin well, improve blood circulation and are durable at the same time.
Loofah sponges prepared for future use last for many years.
In cooking
Young, unripe pumpkins are eaten while the fibers in them have not yet become coarse. The vegetable is used mainly for stewing and making soups. The luffa pulp is bitter, giving dishes a piquant and unusual taste.
In Thailand and China, this vegetable is especially popular. Local chefs use many pumpkin recipes. Luffa is stuffed, fried, made into a stew, made into porridge, and even added to pilaf.
In medicine
African shamans use seeds, juice and luffa pulp for medicinal purposes. The vegetable is used for conjunctivitis, and also as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent.
In folk medicine, an infusion of the fruit is used for chronic diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
However, in Russia, bast gourd is not included in the list of medicinal plants.
In cosmetology
The juice from the stems of the plant is used as a facial lotion. In Japan, it is found in cosmetics such as lip balms.
Types of luffa
The culture is represented by a wide variety of varieties and varieties.
However, only two types of this interesting plant are of interest to gardeners: cylindrical (luffa cylindrica) with black seeds and sharp-ribbed luffa with white seeds (luffa acutangula).
The remaining several dozen species produce such small fruits that growing them is pointless.
The cylindrical loofah gourd is cultivated to produce natural loofah. Cylindrical pumpkins are similar to zucchini. Ripe fruits consist entirely of hard fibers.
The fruits of the ribbed luffa are mainly consumed as food. Small unripe pumpkins are used to prepare a variety of dishes.
Growing luffa from seeds
Interest in luffa cultivation is growing along with the growing popularity of environmentally friendly materials. Luffa fibers are valued by designers and are used in the manufacture of screens and lamps.
Anyone can grow a crop from seeds. However, it should be borne in mind that this is a southern, heat-loving plant.The seedling method of growing luffa from seeds is best suited.
The agricultural technology of the plant is the same as for other types of pumpkin. Seedlings are grown in peat containers or cardboard cups. The seeds are buried 4-5 cm, the soil is well moistened. Shoots appear in a week. Seeds are sown a month before planting in open ground.
Prepared seed material shows better germination. Before planting, the seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and kept for several days in a warm place. Before sowing, the seeds are dried.
For planting, choose a sunny place protected from cold winds. Recommended predecessors are legumes. Luffa does not grow well in heavy acidic soil, in the shade and in dry places.
The area for planting loofah gourd is prepared in the fall. The bed is dug up, fertilizers, wood ash, and humus are added.
If the crop is grown to produce large sponge fruits, the number of ovaries on the bush is reduced to 3-5 pieces, the rest are removed.
Growing in open ground
Seedlings are planted in open ground after the threat of frost has passed. Luffa does not tolerate cold.
Maintain a distance of at least 1 meter between plants. Luffa lashes in open ground grow 5-6 meters long.
Plant the vine along the fence, next to the gazebo or wall. A reliable support is prepared in advance so as not to subsequently damage the root system.
Attention! When luffa vines are grown in a spread, pumpkins grow irregularly shaped and are damaged by fungal diseases.
It is not recommended to use trees as support, as the branches injure the delicate ovaries.
Growing in a greenhouse
In central Russia, the heat-loving luffa grows well in greenhouses and greenhouses.
If the structure is heated and the night temperature does not fall below 15 °C, the seeds are sown immediately in the greenhouse. The plant does not tolerate transplantation well.
If the temperature in the greenhouse is not high enough, the seedlings are grown indoors and then transplanted into the greenhouse. For seedlings, it is preferable to use peat pots.
Water the crop abundantly, especially during the period of green growth. At the end of the season, watering is reduced to speed up the ripening of fruits.
The harvest is harvested when the temperature at night drops below +10 °C. Remove all pumpkins, including unripe ones, so that they do not rot. If you shake a ripe fruit, you can hear the rustling of the seeds inside.
Unripe luffas are removed along with the stalk and ripened in a dry, warm place.
Instructions for making a luffa sponge
The beneficial effect of the luffa sponge on the body is to stimulate blood flow and exfoliate dead cells. A massage with such a washcloth relaxes and relieves tension.
Step-by-step instructions for making a washcloth at home:
- We harvest fruits before the onset of cold weather.
- Dry the pumpkins in a warm and well-ventilated place. If you can hear the rustling of the seeds when shaking, the fruit is ready.
- Soak the fruits in boiling water for several minutes and remove the peel (see photo).
- Trim the pumpkins at both ends and remove the pulp and seeds.
- We wash the sponge core several times in soapy water.
- Dry the mesh “skeleton” in the sun.
Now the washcloths are ready to use. For convenience, the sponges are given different shapes and handles are sewn on.
How to properly use and care for such a washcloth
Before each use, pour boiling water over the luffa sponge or soak it in hot water. This softens the washcloth.
Caring for a pumpkin washcloth is easy. After use, the sponge is washed and dried. If you follow these simple rules, the washcloth will last for several months.
Tips and tricks
When cultivating crops for food consumption, the timing of harvesting is strictly monitored. Overcooked pumpkins become tough and inedible.
When growing sponge fruits, special attention is paid to the application of fertilizers. Increased feeding of plants and removal of excess ovaries allows you to grow large fruits up to 60 cm in length.
Ripe fruits make hard sponges, while unripe ones make softer ones.
Important! The variety is selected depending on the purpose of the fruit. When growing luffa as a vegetable crop, choose varieties with small, tender pumpkins. For technical purposes - with large fruits.
During the period of filling and ripening, pumpkins should hang freely, without touching anything. Even minor damage causes the fruits to rot quickly.
Read also:
What are the benefits of pumpkin for type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
How to detect pumpkin diseases in time, effectively treat them and save your harvest.
Conclusion
Luffa pumpkin is a healthy vegetable, the unusual fruits of which are used for food and as a material for making washcloths. In addition, luffa vine is a beautiful ornamental plant that can decorate any garden plot. In the south of Russia, heat-loving luffa is grown in open ground, in Siberia - in greenhouses and greenhouses.