2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Despite the development of the chemical industry and technological progress, many of us prefer to use natural products. It is safer and healthier for humans. For example, instead of synthetic washcloths, organic loofah washcloths can bring much greater benefit - a plant that can be grown on your own site
Not edible when ripe
For some time, Lufa was considered a relative of cucumbers, but then it was attributed to the family of pumpkin annuals. She came to Russia from South Asia, where to this day it is grown on an industrial scale. Luffa is quite thermophilic, therefore it grows well in the Krasnodar Territory, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Crimea. But it is quite possible to create comfortable conditions for her in central Russia.
Cylindrical or Egyptian loofah (bast gourd) and sharp ribbed loofah are distinguished. The first of them is the most common, characterized by cylindrical, slightly pointed near the stalk, large fruits. She is more thermophilic. The second species tolerates weather changes better and is not so sissy. Its fruits are somewhat smaller. Ripe fruits of both types are suitable for making bast, but they are not suitable for food. For salads and side dishes, immature, young plants, fragrant and delicate in taste, are used.
Whether a cucumber or a vegetable marrow
Having decided to acquire a loofah on the site, it is worth remembering that it belongs to vines. In the absence of a trellis or support, the plant will have to trudge along the ground, which sooner or later will lead to rotting of the fruit. The appearance of the loofah is similar to a cucumber, the leaves of which are five-seven-lobed dark green in color. White or yellow flowers of a heterosexual plant. The female flowers are single, located in the leaf axil, and the male flowers bloom in the form of a racemose inflorescence. Insects (ants or bees) are quite capable of pollinating them, however, in case of unfavorable weather conditions, you should carry out this procedure yourself.
The fruits of the loofah are cylindrical and oblong, resembling a squash. The value of the plant lies in the peculiar structure of the pulp, which, when mature, is a spongy, dense network of rigid fibrous-vascular bundles. This is what makes the loofah an excellent raw material for a strong, elastic and resilient sponge that does not change shape, despite the temperature. It can be a great tool for massage, light exfoliation and body wash. It is necessary to wait until the fruit is fully ripe. This is determined by the presence of a kind of rustling noise when shaking. After trimming both ends of the fruit, it is immersed in boiling water for 15 minutes. When the peel, pulp and seeds are separated, the future loofah must be dried.
We care like zucchini
In regions with a warm climate, the loofah is planted directly into the ground in April, but in the middle zone, unexpected frosts are highly likely. In this regard, the best option would be to sow seedlings like cucumbers in mid-spring. The seeds of the plant are white or black and resemble those of a watermelon. Before planting, they should be soaked at 25-27 degrees Celsius and wait for pecking. Luffa, like a cucumber, does not like transplants, in this regard, it is better to plant it in small, separate containers, which will not disturb the sprouts too much when planting in the ground.
Care for the sprouts in the same way as for the seedlings of pumpkin or zucchini. The loofah can be transplanted to a sunny, permanent place at the end of May, while leaving a distance of about 70 cm between the holes. If temperature drops in summer are rare in your region, then the plant can be planted in the ground without shelter. It is better, however, not to risk it and grow it in a film greenhouse, sticking a pole near each sprout and providing trellises.
Loofah is unpretentious in leaving: it is enough to water, loosen the soil, weed. When planting, it is better to apply fertilizer, and subsequently alternate organic and mineral additives. For the active growth of shoots with female flowers, it is worth pinning the main stem after the appearance of the fifth leaf. Pinching all points of growth in the second stage of the growing season and reducing watering will help speed up the ripening of fruits. There is no need to delay harvesting unnecessarily: they are harvested before the first frost, otherwise their fibers will become too coarse and lose value.
It is interesting:
• the healing properties of the plant are successfully used in Eastern medicine: loofah helps to lower high temperatures, improves digestion, increases lactation, and is used for pulmonary diseases;
• plant leaves contain 1.5 times more carotene than carrots;
• The loofah scrubbing structure is used in the manufacture of hats, mats, shoes and toys for animals, and is used for some mechanisms in the production of military vehicles.
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