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!

Ten Must-Have Edibles in the South Florida Garden

Well ok, admittedly this is a list of my favorite edibles. However, every item on my list I consider a fast grower and they are edibles that I have been able to successfully grow in our unique weather. So without much small talk lets get right to it.

The list is in order with # 1 being my favorite.

# 10- Watermelon

 

So I have watermelon as my number ten but that is only because it is the most obvious one. I mean, have you ever met someone who doesn't love it?

 Give each watermelon plant enough room to crawl around. A minimum of 4' x 4' I would say. My own Sugar Baby plants seem to like partial light. Specifically the morning light. But they still get plenty of indirect light throughout the rest of the day.

Recommended varieties:
Jubilee/Florida Giant
Sugar Baby
Golden Midget
Sweet beauty

Cool Fact: Watermelon is both a vegetable and a fruit.

#9-Sunflowers

 

Sunflowers have a special spot in every garden. Yes, the seeds are edible but it's much more than that. They have the ability to make people happy. Something about their big smiling faces looking up at the sun all day is very inspiring. There are a lot of varieties to pick from. From tiny ones you can keep on a kitchen pot, to giants like the Russian Mammoth.

Recommended Varieties:
Valentine
Russian Mammoth
Lemon Queen
Teddy bear

Cool Fact: Sunflowers are native to the Americas


#8-Yuca (Cassava)
I f$*#ing love Yuca!!! If you have ever had it then you understand. If you haven't please go and try some before the rest of your life is wasted away.

It can be grown very easily from a cutting and takes about 6 months before you can harvest, although you can let it grow for an additional 6 months for even bigger roots!

The most care free crop I grow. It is extremely drought resistant. You never have to water yuca except when you first plant it.

Cool Fact: Cassava roots will last no more than 3 to 4 days unless coated in wax. Most of the yuca you buy on stores is treated this way.
You can alternatively harvest your cassava and store it in the freezer right away. It should be good for about 6 months this way.

#7- Onions


So useful in the kitchen that it definitely deserves this spot. I like using onions fresh out the garden for my sandwiches, for marinating, and making sauces. They are also useful when blended with peppers to make an organic pesticide. Everyone has a spot for onion in their own recipe. So yes..definitely grow this one.

Cool Fact: Eat parsley to get rid of onion breath.

#6-Strawberry

 

Certain strawberry varieties grow very well in South Florida. They can be grown from seed but start fruiting much earlier when grown from cuttings.

Strawberry will flower year round but only fruit once the weather is cold enough.

Recommended varieties:
Sweet Charlie
Camarosa
Festival

Cool Fact: Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.

#5- Peppers

  

My Jalapeño plant. Wait till they turn red for extra spice!

So many recipes that call for this useful plant that it has a very deserving number 5 spot.
So many peppers so pick from! Some mild, some super hot! Some peppers have no spice at all and are used strictly for flavoring. But hey, you know what to do with your peppers, I'm just here to tell you to grow them!

With such a wide range of pepper types it is best if you research the type of pepper that matches the hotness level you want.  I personally love growing Jalapeños. I use them hot things in everything!

Cool Fact: Even though peppers come in many different colors like green, red, black, and white , all the shades are produced by the same plant. The different colors on peppers are mostly due their ripeness.

#4- Sugar Cane 

 
 Sugar cane is as sweet as it gets. I mean this is where sugar comes from sweet. You can chew on the cane with no special preparation, or crush it to extract the juice known as Guarapo. You can also boil the water out of it to make homemade sugar.

To grow it just cut a piece of sugar cane at least 8 inches long and place it on the ground with a light covering of organically rich dirt. Definitely a care free crop.

Cool Fact: Sugar cane re-grows from the roots so you can collect a few harvests before replanting again.

#3- Corn

 

After an extremely successful harvest last week I can do nothing else but recommend this crop to all my friends. I absolutely love it. My friends and family also seemed to love it too as I had very little to myself..but that is ok as I am planning to grow lots more! Remember to keep the very tall stalks protected from wind damage and to manually pollinate the ears

Recommended varieties:
Dent Corn( Field Corn)
Sweet Corn

 

The male flower at the top of each plant must pollinate each hair at the top of every ear. Second picture is of male flower on top of plant.

Cool Fact: Corn will always have an even number or rows on each cob.


#2-Tomato

 Mmmm I love tomatoes. You can grow so many different types it can actually seem a bit overwhelming. Some types are better suited for making sauce, while others I grow to slice up into a salad or just eat them straight up. Whatevr you intended purpose is, tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow.

They like plenty of water, as long as it drains quickly.

Grow varieties that can take our heat in growing in full summer, there are plenty of Florida hybrids.

Recommended Varieties:
Beefsteak
Cherokee Purple
Small Red Cherry

Cool Fact: Tomato seedlings have been grown in space before.




#1-Bananas

I go bananas for my number one pick. This is the slowest growing of the bunch, but still manages to win the gold. There is a pretty wide arrange of choices in the Musa family; from the plantains which can be fried into amazing chips to the small but super sweet Latundan Banana which is nearly impossible to eat just one of.

 

This is one of those where I can't recommend a specific variety. Most bananas and plantains will do well in our climate so chances are you can grow the perfect one for you right on your backyard.

Cool Fact: How about a cool picture?

This is an African Rhino Plantano that my good friend Sam harvested  on his yard.

I hope you enjoyed my picks. Did I miss your favorite fast growing edible? Let me know in the comments below.

Keep on learning!

Organic Pesticide Recipe

So your garden is growing and looking great when all of a sudden Wham! Bugs everywhere...eating away all your hard work. Don't get so mad. Take it as a compliment. Apparently you weren't the only one who thought your garden hosted a delicious menu.


With a lusciously green garden will come the bugs..

Today I'm going to give you my own organic insecticide recipe. There are a few and I hear good things about several of them but this is the one I've been using with great results. I specially like that you can grow all your ingredients in your own backyard. Talk about being self sufficient!


I recently found a few caterpillars eating away at my pole beans:

I didn't freak out, I know that if I spray them quick enough I can get rid of them rather easy.

So here is the stuff you need:

Spray Bottle:

For a small garden a 12OZ bottle will probably be sufficient. I needed a bit more

Peppers ( the hottest you can find!)

You can grow these and save money!

 And garlic:

Also very easy to grow

As an optional step you can add a bit of powder cayenne pepper and stir.

Then let the mixture sit for about a day. This step will allow the water to absorb more spice.

 Finally, strain your solution:

Straining is important.You don't want to clog your spray bottle.

You will need something to stir the solution as it will be quite thick:

Don't throw away the remaining pulp. You can apply it around your plants for additional treatment.

You can now spray your plants, remember to stir the solution before as the water will slowly separate from the pepper mix. 

I spray the plants and then spray again after 2 days. After the second application I look around the plants and decide if a third application will be necessary. Most of the time 2 applications is all it takes for me.

Beans looking great a few days after being sprayed.

Don't be afraid to get creative with other methods if you have different ingredients. Soap is also very commonly used. Use the organic kind if possible.

And as usual, 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!