Luffatök (Heartworm) Rocalba 3 g

Characteristics of loofahs:

Luffatök, sponge seed from which annual herbaceous runner plants can be grown. The young, tender fruit is edible and can be prepared in the same way as other squashes. The ripe fruit can be dried and used as a sponge. This is due to the dense, fibrous, sponge-like network of the fruit. When the skin is removed, the dense fibrous network is rough when dry, but softens when placed in water and can be used as a sponge. A perfect zero-waste alternative to plastic sponges, which can be used for cleaning, washing, drying, drying and drying.for cleaning, washing, bathing, massage, as it gently massages the skin while removing dead skin cells. It can also be used for decorative purposes in dry dressing. At the end of its life it can be composted.

Cultivation

To grow seedlings, plant the seeds in pots from late March to late April in good quality potting soil, about 1 cm deep.

Germination:

Luffatök seeds require a minimum temperature of 20°C and moist soil for germination, which can take up to 2-3 weeks. Grow the seedlings in a sunny place at a minimum temperature of 20 °C and keep the soil slightly moist.

Planting:

Plant the seedlings in a sunny, warm place in the second half of May at a distance of 1.5 to 2 metres and water regularly.

Growing:

The vines should be grown on some kind of support system, because if the fruits are left on the ground and get wet, they will rot easily. A suitable place to run the plants can be a fence, a trellis or any kind of growing medium.A good place to grow a plant is a trellis or any other system for running plants, on which you can run the vines at least one metre high.

Making a sponge

Ripe pumpkins are suitable for making sponges. Unripe pumpkins have green skin, ripe ones are yellowish-brown and dry. The pumpkins ripen in the autumn, when they should be harvested. To make sponges, you simply remove the skin, the outer epidermis layer. Beneath this is the fibrous part that will act as a sponge. Removing the skin is easy: cut a small piece of the bottom of the pumpkin, and knock out the seeds. Use a pair of scissors to reach in between the skin and the spongy part and slice lengthwise, then peel off easily by hand, almost turning the spongy part inside out. Then soak in plenty of water, rinse thoroughly and dry the sponge. Finally, it can be cut to any size using scissors.