Loofahs and Gourds

[GaryD]

Hi,

I've planted some loofahs and gourds into one of our grow beds.

Photo 1 - a loofah or gourd plant - we mixed them up and they all look the same to me.
Photo 2 - a dried loofah - about 300mm (12 inches) long
Photo 3 - dried giant gourds
Photo 4 - loofah and gourd plants growing in soil

Giant gourds are often used as decorations and even adapted for use as small birdhouses.

Loofahs are very useful plants - beauticians use them to exfoliate dead skin on their clients, the US navy used them as filter media in ships during WW2 and they can be used as eco-friendly pot scrubbers.

Loofahs can be eaten if picked when quite small. If you leave them to grow out, they eventually start to yellow and then they begin to dry out. The leathery outer skin is peeled off to reveal the loofah sponge.

Loofahs and gourds are good examples of useful non-food plants that can be grown in aquaponics systems (I hope).

Gary

[Tsaphah]

Hi Gary,

I would like some of those loofah seeds, will send a PM or give you a call.
Wonder if you could use loofahs in a biofilter? Will help with solids removal for sure. Just need to see if it would affect pH.

Andrew

[Dufflight]

loofah is on my list of plants to try. Be interesting to see how they go in AP. And as a filter. Be good to be able to grow a filter material. Also to see if the loofah ends up finer if picked while younger.

[SunCoaster]

In the book "Living the Simple Life" they put fragments of Sunlight Soap into the loofah cavity. Thus creating a self soaping washing pad that is eco friendly in every sense.

[GaryD]

Hi,

That sounds like a great idea. Since loofahs are used to exfoliate skin in beauty salons, you wouldn't need to rub too hard to achieve a rosy glow.

I have yet to trial them as filter media......we only grew a handful last last year.....but they are tough things, so it's possible that they would stand up OK.

Gary

[julie]

That's a great idea - using them as a filter system.


Has anybody tried it yet?