How to Make a Luffa Sponge with Handle

Well it is the end of December and other than tomatoes and strawberries there is not a lot going on around my garden right now....or is there?

There is this project I have been pretty excited about. Growing my own sponges!
In the Perez household sponges have become something like absorbent gold.  In between car washes, showers and dishes there is no doubt that sponges are one of those commodities that I buy as often as toilet paper.

Luffa is a plant that is used as a sponge, I mentioned it on a previous entry. Click on this link to check that out.

So how long does it take?
Here in South Florida about 2 months!

Here are my seedlings which I planted on Sept 24.

Aren't all newborns cute?

By October 13 I had my first fruit!!!

 





So then I waited:

November 4th

December 6th

So today I judged that they were ready. You will notice the skin starting to turn yellow and stem drying off:

You can then just peel the skin off:

 

And shake the seeds out:

I just bumped it against this table until all the seeds came out.

Now you can cut into whatever shape you want:

The cone shaped end piece makes a great sponge to clean your bong with...err I mean tobacco pipe..

Notice on the pics above that one of the pieces is white.  You can bleach your luffa for that effect, or just let it keep its natural color. If you do bleach it, only do it for a short time of your luffa will become very saggy:

Ok so to make the handle I took a bamboo stem and cut it into three even pieces. Then I guided the sticks through the three hollow cavities that all luffas have inside.:

Ok so I got the luffa part down, now my handle is another story. I still need to get a handle on that, lol pun obviously intended...

I taped the sticks with water resistant tape, and tied a knot on the top end with a piece of polyester rope to keep the sponge from sliding out. 

Finally I hang the sponge in our bathroom and hope the wife doesn't throw it out.

So I don't make the most attractive sponge handles, but I do hope I have inspired some of you to grow your own sponges!

As always, keep on learning!

Wind Damaged Your Corn? Get Creative!

So my dent corn has really taken off and I couldn't be more proud. It grows so fast that I can come home each day after work and there is always new growth for me to see:

This is my corn on September 3rd:

You can see my beans also starting in the background, they are huge now!

September 17th:

Knight/Scarecrow only tricked the birds for about 2 weeks

September 24th:

All this fast growth sounds great but there is a downside...

Most plants can be placed in either of two categories: Slow growing but vigorous(for example a Mango tree) or fast growing but fragile ( for example CORN!!!)

So when I got home yesterday I found my beautiful corn plants looking like this:

NOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOooOOOOO!!!  =(

Turns out we had a lot of rain and wind that day, The rain water collected on the corn plants makes them heavy. It only took a few minutes of a moderately strong wind to topple my beautiful plants.

But eventually I had to dry my manly tears and get to work!

I couldn't find much information online on protecting corn from wind. At least none that was useful to me. Since most corn is grown commercially the methods used by that industry don't really translate to my small backyard operation.

So I got creative:

Yes that is weed-eater line

A string tied from one fence to the opposite fence now holds my corn in place.

Notice that I have to rows of corn. Each row was fitted with two strings. One string to support the base of the plant and one to support the top portion:

In each row, the upper string travels behind the plants while the lower string runs through the front. This method gives the plants added stability.

I suppose support stakes could be used too. I didn't have any stakes that were tall enough so I went with my string method instead. If you do use stakes make sure to bury them on the ground early; corn doesn't respond well to root disturbance. 

The point is to be creative and use what we already have whenever possible.

I have some cool projects to show you very soon, but until then...

Keep on learning!

Want To Save Some Dough? Non Edible Money Savers!

Alright, so we all grow for different reasons. Some for survival, and some for sport. Some people grow plants strictly for profit. Other people grow their food for its nutritional value in their specific diet.

However, how come edibles take all the glory when it comes to backyard growing? What about non edible cash crops?

Here are three plants you can grow right NOW right HERE in South Florida to save that cash:

The first one on my list is technically an edible plant, however its non dietary use is what I'm mostly interested in. I am talking about Luffa plants:

I'm sure you've seen these before. They are usually sold in stores with some sort of handle:

The best part is that they are easy to grow and produce plenty of fruit.

My newborn Luffas

My biggest fruit right now

Luffas are vines so you can get creative twining them (Luffa can grow to 30')

Luffa growing on pergola

Luffa growing on chain-link fence

Luffa will be ready in about 150-200 days from time of planting. That is really fast!

 Young gourds are edible and some people love them ( I don't). To create sponges let the gourds mature until they feel lighter and the skin looks brown or dark yellow.

Making a sponge out of the gourd is a matter  of peeling off the skin and shaking the seeds out (don't throw them, save some for future sowing). Cut your Luffa into more manageable slices and use it to shower with, scrub dishes,wash your car, you get the idea.

Random fact:  Luffas are part of the cucumber family.


My next non edible cash hero is perhaps the most popular item on the list. I speak of Aloe Vera (yes technically you can also eat Aloe):

Part of the succulent family, Aloe Vera has been attributed with many uses. While many of the so said benefits are controversial, as a South Floridian I can attest for its effectiveness  treating sunburns. It also works great as a makeup remover, or a moisturizer.

My Own Slimy Resident

And finally, on to the last plant on my catalog. You might not like this one. It takes 10 years for the tree to mature from seed. It is still however, my favorite plan on the list. Allow me to introduce you to Soapberry( Sapindus Saponaria):

As the name implies Soapberry is used to make soap. It is still used daily in some countries like India and southern China. In our own country it is mostly used by penny-pinchers like myself or fans of all-that-which-is-organic.

The more I read about this magnificent tree, the more I fall in love with it, I am now growing more Soapberry trees than I know what to do with:

Whatever your reason is for joining the backyard grower movement, I can almost guarantee that you will feel that awesome "holy s%#t, I just harvested my own food" feeling. It will never get old. But why? Could it be in our very own DNA to enjoy a bountiful harvest? After all, we've evolved from folks who relied on agriculture for survival. Do we maybe enjoy a good harvest because we all run our crops through imaginary cash registers? I love to picture my own savings as I shop in my backyard supermarket.

Keep on learning!