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Luffa? Loofah?
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chickenlady



Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset
PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 15 1:59 pm    Post subject: Luffa? Loofah? Reply with quote
    

I thought I might have a go at growing these this year....anyone tried them?

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 15 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

many years ago i saw some grown outdoors in west yorks,iirc it produced a couple of small ones off a big plant .

ps i think you can eat baby ones

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 15 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Similar experience here. Might have another in the greenhouse this year. Would make brilliant Christmas presents! Easy enough to germinate and grow, just not much fruit outdoors.

OtleyLad



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 15 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You've got me interested - where are you getting seeds from? - I see them on ebay here for £2.19 (inc postage) for 15 seeds.
Wish I hadn't looked now, there's loads of tempting exotic things to choose from (Yum Berry anyone?).

12Bore



Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey
PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 15 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Well, there's edukashunal, for some reason I always thought that they were some kind of sea creature/plant!

Puts on pointy hat and sits in the corner...

OtleyLad



Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire
PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 15 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

12Bore wrote:
Well, there's edukashunal, for some reason I always thought that they were some kind of sea creature/plant!

Puts on pointy hat and sits in the corner...


You're not alone.

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 15 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We grow them here and they are used as a veg dish when the fruits are still green and soft with a taste similar to squash. When dried the veg turns into the bath scrub we know as a loofa.
I will take pictures of young plants tomorrow and hopefully post later.

NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4584
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Wed Mar 11, 15 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have seeds of these as well. From the packaging it looks like they were from ebay? IIRC I got a germinated plant, but then had to move house and leave it behind. Might chuck one in the greenhouse this year now you've reminded me.

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 1:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Loofas and a couple of other plants ready for harvest, sweet potato, pechoy and papaya.











Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The picture of the papaya shows the front of our guest house. It's only a single room with kitchenette and an attached bathroom/toilet.
It's not used often, but if anyone in the group should want to its here for free. Remote part of the Philippines, two hours from a regional airport which is forty minutes by air from Manila. Manila to here by road is about nine to ten hours. Now direct flights from UK to Philippines.
Fairly remote but safe bathing on sandy beach in the pacific and jungle across the road where monkeys are frequently caught.
Warm from late Feb to April, hot from April to October, warm from then. Wet and windy Dec and Jan.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 7:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

What's the papaya like Graham? I've seen them grown under glass in the UK and they seem to fruit well when the plant is fairly small. Always been tempted by one myself.

As for Luffah, we did grown them a few years ago and managed to produce our own mini luffah. It was grown in a greenhouse, if you have success with cucumbers I'd guess you'll have success with them, although they can be rampant when they get going.

Another plant to try is the spaghetti tree...

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The papaya tree in the photo is about six months old and producing large fruit which are very juicy and sweet. The tree will keep on growing and producing fruit until it gets too top heavy for the trunk and eventually fall. We have two types of papaya, the commercial strain you see in the photo and the native type. The native type has a smaller fruit but is identical in all other aspects.
Both types very easy to grow from seeds from the fruit. Many on our land are self seeded.
No feed or fertilizer used just nets when near ripe to prevent attacks from rooks.
Not tried the spaghetti tree. We do have a type of green bean though that's longer than any spaghetti at about 36 inches.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The offer of the room is very kind.

I'm slightly envious of your back garden, too.

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The guest house was built at the same time as the main house, never for paying guests but for visitors.
Unfortunately my father died suddenly and my mother can no longer travel so my parents never used the guest house which was one of the reasons for the build.
It has been used less than ten nights in seven years, a shame really.
It is not costing me anything so if any members of the group are in the area they are welcome to use it for however long they wish.
Expensive to travel from the UK but when here difficult to find anything to spend money on.
Today, 28 degrees in the shade, soft on shore breeze, harvesting coconuts.

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Fri Mar 13, 15 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The husks from one coconut tree. In the photo is the tool I made out of lorry suspension springs for opening the nuts. Harvest every 45 days.



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