I saw you were harvesting cabbage . We have just cut the head out and left a spread of bottom leaves and the root intact ...after a few weeks we were harvesting 4 new smaller solid heads . These are great bonus cabbages
I use slices of dried luffa to block the holes in the bottom of plant pots so the potting mix doesn't fall out but water can still go through. Much better than using cloth or rocks. They last a long time and work really well. I ended up with over 50 last season and needed to find an extra use for them.
2nd year running luffas are growing over my wood chip pile. The ones that succeeded were volunteers from the prior year's crop seeds that fell.They don't seem to suffer from any pests like other squashes (trust me, we usually can't grow cucurbits due to pests), and bonus - luffas seem draught tolerant! James, you shared a lot of great information and unique ideas... thanks so much!!!
I've noticed luffas seem highly resistant to insect pests. They give off the same peanut butter scent as datura when you brush up against the leaves, but I don't know the exact alkaloid compounds that give it that characteristic scent.
SHARE THIS VIDEO IF YOU FOUND IT GOURDEOUS...🤦♂ Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:13 Planting the Seeds 00:24 Sprouted Seedlings 00:37 Prepping Containers for Planting into 01:03 Making Soil to Plant in 01:24 Filling Container and Adding Fertilizer 01:43 Transplanting into the Container 02:18 Spraying Plants with Surround Kaolin Clay 02:48 Pruning Young Gourd Vines 03:11 Building a Trellis to Grow Up 03:49 Attaching the Vine to the Trellis 04:10 Gourd Plant Flowering after 70 Days 04:43 Large Gourd Growing on Trellis 05:04 Gourd Ripening 05:34 Harvesting the Gourd 05:49 Removing Seeds from the Gourd 06:44 Soaking the Gourd 07:09 Removing Skin from the Gourd 07:52 Disinfecting Gourd and Drying it Out 08:43 Making a Seed Starting Pot from the Gourd 09:33 Young Plant Growing in the Gourd Pot 10:24 Common Uses for the Luffa Gourd 10:41 Cleaning a Carrot for Tuck to Eat 11:45 How the Gourd is Edible 12:59 Additional Used for the Luffa Gourd 15:26 Final Thoughts
James, if that were my loofah, I think I'd be tempted to hollow it out some like you did, and string it with some outdoor miniature lights. A string of them would cost next to nothing to power and would make fantastic patio or garden lights, esp if they were on a solar charger. Just a thought.
The first time I grew loofah several years ago I use them to paint with to make designs on a painted wall that had painted with a darker collar first and then use the loofah sponge to make designs on the wall and it was beautiful
My luffa self-seeded from last year. One of my favorite features of luffas is their flowers because they bloom every day all season long and the bees love them. I don't know why they're not featured more as a pollinator attractor. One of my sons discovered that dried luffa smokes pretty well when lit, so we might try using it in beekeeping. I have a bucketfull of dried luffa that I am now excited to start future squash plants in for freeeeeeee THANKS TO YOU! Your innovative, inspirational ideas are why I love this channel.
dude, you just took me back to 5th grade science class, my teacher had a lufa plant and brought a bunch of them into class and we all took home a pile of seeds and i remember growing these one year! I knew exactly what it was when i saw the picture!
You are literally the only person I've watched, and I've watched a ton, who actually gave a time-line of when they changed from color to color. Thank you! I've been searching endlessly!
The seed starter pot is genius. I never thought of that. I currently make paper pots which is a bit fiddly . I have luffa seeds starting so will keep as many plants as I have room for because I want those pots!
If Tony Little became a gardener -- he would be you. The over-the-top excitement. Keep the fire going brother! Oh yeah! You got this! Wishing you the very best from the Great Northwest!
The seedling pot idea is super clever. It avoids plastic, lets you air prune seedlings and composts in place! Other ideas like that are great and would love to hear them!
I've always grown angled luffa, called si gua or silk squash in Chinese, as a food crop. The seeds will germinate in 2-4 days, instead of 2-4 weeks, if you carefully clip open the shell with nail clippers to let water inside. Over the past couple years, because my compost has become difficult to move around the garden, I've simply planted them around the perimeter of the compost. For a trellis, I strung wall cables from the T-post stakes to the second floor windows and let the plants climb up them. They can grow clear across the roof of your house if you let them. I got so many luffas this year, I couldn't find them all to harvest them, so those are the ones I'm letting go to seed.
Tuck is such a great companion. I love how you're using your own grown stuff as a way to grow more food! I might have to take up your process for the gourd pot deal. Really cool. Thanks for being innovative!
I love eating loofah. Its so good. I planted two plants and it's covered three arch trellises and the back trellises that I had in the same raised beds for my tomatoes. They have completely taken over. Probably 75 to 100 loofah plus the ones I harvest to eat.
You can't imagine the smile that crept across my face when I realized you were growing a luffa. I grew too many one year and was overrun (in a good way) with luffa fruit. I fed the young fruit to my chickens, used the dry ones in my meal worm colony, shared the young, edible fruit with my friends, made "spa" gifts for friends. Most people did not know that luffa was from a plant. It was a lot of fun to include them in my garden (they can take up a LOT of room). I grew them and let them trellis along the fence surrounding our community garden). I love the grow-pot idea.
WOW!!! I thought luffas came from the ocean. Now I can't ait to try a pant in my yard next year. I agree with you, it is so much fun to try new things, even if they don't turn out. I'm 77 y.o. but still try to plant and care for my garden.. Thank you for teling us about this gourd. Let us know what you plan to plant next that's really different.
A good friend of mine gave me some seeds. I had no idea what to do with them. This will be one of my first things to grow in the spring. Thank you I really enjoy your videos❤
GENIUS on the starter pot! I have been wanting to migrate away from plastic and I love the idea of giving flowers and habitat to pollinators AND growing my pots 🙌🏻
As always, a great video. Your positive and calm demeanor always puts me in a good mood, and I learned something new as well. Thank you and best to you and Tuck (love that little fella)
Here in Brazil some people use it for handcraft like handbags. It’s very usual find them at the supermarket straighted and stitched in a piece of towel fabric for use in the shower.
James and Tuck, This video on the loofah was extraordinary! Thank you for sharing all the wonderful educational and enlightening information about all things growing. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!! Amanda
Thank you for the video, it's wonderful to witness your love for plants -- you've been blessed in that regard, and it's a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from what you're doing!
Learning different uses for crops is always welcome. Thank you so much. I will be growing lufas. I never occurred to me that I could use them for scrubbies.
My Taiwanese friend got me growing Loofa and also bitter melon. Eventually both gourds got consumed in dishes, but they weren’t my favorite use of the plants. I used the loofa mostly for scrubbing.
Tip for you when your plants first start vineing. Especially squash, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Get a jug and put 4 litres of water, 1-2 tbsp of mollases, 1 sheet of seaweed or liquid kelp a (1 tbsp). And 1 tsp of fish fertilizer. Let mix 24 hrs then strain. Put in large sprayer. Spray your plants 6am or late evening. Spray them twice a week only until they bloom. You will see massive growth and produce. The prettyist plants you ever have seen. Makesure you only spray them early in morning or late eve before the hot sun. Enjoy🎉❤🎉
Thanks James for sharing your experience with the luffa pots. Great idea! We’re going to be growing them next year. Can’t wait to test them as pots for seedlings!❤️ for the little boss
Love the idea of using loofahs for starter pots! I thought Tuck was going to have a melt down over that carrot. 🤣 He does dearly love them! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck!
Loved this video, it’s not something I even thought of growing, but as I am trying not to use as much plastic items in the house I will definitely be trying to grow this next year to use in the kitchen. I love your videos which give so much info without hours of waffle. Thanks from an English woman living and growing in France
I enjoyed watching their lovely yellow flowers bloom all summer long - with the heat I only got 2 to develop (so far) - but then it has been a very hot summer in NOLA. I started growing luffa last year and use it in my kitchen - glad to see other uses. Thank you.
I grew loofahs this year for the second time in my life, but I’ve never thought of using them for planting seeds! Thank you for the idea that’s awesome
Thanks for this, I have never tried to grow these as Wales is much colder than where you are but I may try this in a greenhouse. It was also useful to see how to peel it.
Its called chinese okra too and good stir fry when younger, i only let it dry on the vine so i can plant again for the next season loofah is just a bonus to me
Lufa are also very delicious to eat. Pick when they are about 2 inches diameter at the large end, and they will be about 8 inches long. Slice them up and bread them, fry them like fried okra. Yum, yum good. They taste like okra but have a more pungent flavor than okra. They seam to cook a little more crispy than okra. Cut them up and add to stir fry. Yum, yum delicious. Some people refer to them as Chinese okra. You do not have to peel them to prepare for eating. I was growing them and shared them with people from the Philippines. The variety I grew sort of had ribs on the outside. The Philippine people brought me seeds for another variety that did not have the outter ribs. They were smooth, taste the same, and after removing the peeling, you could not tell the difference.
I love the seed starting pot. I’m going to try to grow it next year. My growing season is not that long and the darn vine borer, but I’m going to try. Thank you. Great video 😊
One of my yellow squash somehow survived the vine borers and my only butternut squash that survived the bunny nest in my garden was infested but parts of the vine rooted into the yard and kept producing. So far I got 5 mature butternuts and the plants are loaded with unripe ones still. They`re edible green if a frost gets them though. Mama bunny moved the nibbling babies after I mowed around the garden. I planted the bunnies plenty of food in other spots but they decided to make my main garden their nesting site.
I like that James, I'll try the costada romanesco too. I grow specilaty zucchini this year that were supposed to producs a ton of delicious flowers but they didn't do diddly whereas my cheap conventional green zucchini from last year had us rolling in Flowers. Of course it may have been the heat. The hear screwed up everything
This is SOOO COOL!!! I’ve never considered growing loofas but now I think I’m definitely going to try it!!! Your videos are soooo much fun to watch and make me so excited to get out there and garden! ❤❤❤
Super cool! I had a bad case of spotted cucumber beetles this year, and will try kaolin clay next year to protect the vines! Love Tuck the little boss!
Wondeful and love the nature seed starter! I would use hydrogen peroxide or colour-safe “bleach” laundry powder (unscented) as natural alternative to regular bleach
Thanks for the informative video. Growing a few plants here in Queensland Australia. I've been meaning to look up the process of peeling and preparing. I've eaten them green, and they are OK. Used them in the shower for washing for years. You can glue a handle on them to scrub your own back. A Fijian friend was delighted when she, saw our vine, and made us an absolutely delicious curry. She was unaware that the mature fruit has a useful fibrous core.
Luffas grow a large climbing vine. Their flowers are beautiful and make you think of the tropics. Plant in spring and harvest in late fall. I've been growing them for years and all my asian neighbors come by and pick what they want to eat. I harvest the sponges as you did at the end of the year with what I'm left with. Always plenty. I only recently found out about soaking them before peeling. All those sad years I did things the hard way. Love the soak method. Luffas are easy to grow and quite useful. Also, the kids can make money selling them.
Oh James,as always great Video and such clear information!I will certainly give it a try,thanks for every Hour you spend teaching us new things. Love little Tuck,such a great addition to your channel!🤗😍
First time seeing how luffa grows and how to let it mature and clean it. I'm willing to give it a try. Love the step-by-step of the video and follow up ideas for usage. Thanks James!!! Love you Tuck! ♥♥♥
Hi James, I am a 67 year-old disabled veteran licensed pilot and Ground Zero survivor and I am about to buy a 66 acre farm in Farmingdale New Jersey. So after 12 years of retirement, I’m going back to work and would love for you to come and see my farm once we close and are able to occupy it. I love your channel. Keep up the good work.
I have successfully grown, loofah several times, but always end up with much more produce than I can do anything with. Your idea for seeds starting pots is a game changer. Thank you so much for a wonderful idea!
Hi James just found your channel and found this particular video so fascinating. What a great way to use a plant. Thank you so much for the info👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Love all your videos. I miss your greeting at the beginning of every video. You shouldn’t change just because a few people didn’t like it. Every channel I watch has their own greeting every time. Have a blessed day 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️ TUCK ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great info! Going to try some of these tips in the spring. In late June I planted four plants on the side of the house as an experiment. Tons of beautiful vines full of large leaves and many flowers. It took almost 8 weeks for the flowers to come out tho and the bees and wasps loved them. So beware if you don’t like dealing with wasps. They were swarming the side f the house for 2 months. The plants were not pruned at all, grew over the 6ft trellis and the vines attached to the side of the house. The plants completely took over that part of the garden. Unfortunately, the fruit never had a chance to fully ripen as our weather turned too cold in late September. Will try growing earlier next time, in the buckets and also give the trimming a try.
These Loofas will make stunningly beautiful translucent Stalactites, Stalagmites and LED lamps! You can cover them or saturate them with hot melt or wood glue, allow drying and several layers. Or make them into gorgeous candles!
I see that many people grow luffa and I never knew much about it. Thank you for teaching me all about this plant, from seed to harvest and its uses. This video was very informative and taught me a lot about luffas. I may consider growing them next year.
I really liked this video! It would also be great if you could add a bit about how to cook or prepare some if what you grow! I watched your winter plant video, and except for some of the obvious salad plants, I had no idea how to use many of what you showed? Great video. Just would like some guidance on how to cook or use the plants. Thanks.
Lufa pods while still soft and tender make an excellent vegetable of the Indian cuisine. You peel it, chop it is small pieces and fry it in a little bit of ghee. Only seasoning needed is very little amounts of salt and turmeric. As it boils, it releases a lot of water. Cook on simmer till flowing water has evaporated. Lufa has a slightly sweet nutty flavor and is very good for health.
I saw you were harvesting cabbage . We have just cut the head out and left a spread of bottom leaves and the root intact ...after a few weeks we were harvesting 4 new smaller solid heads . These are great bonus cabbages
bingo, works with lettuce too
Wow! Thanks for the info!
I use slices of dried luffa to block the holes in the bottom of plant pots so the potting mix doesn't fall out but water can still go through. Much better than using cloth or rocks. They last a long time and work really well. I ended up with over 50 last season and needed to find an extra use for them.
That’s a great idea!
I've heard that you could also use old tea bags to block the plant-pot holes, but I haven't tried it yet myself.
@@alrinaleroux9229 I use coffee filters.
@@Monkau1 what’s “a long time”? (How long?) thanks!
❤ Love that idea.😊
2nd year running luffas are growing over my wood chip pile. The ones that succeeded were volunteers from the prior year's crop seeds that fell.They don't seem to suffer from any pests like other squashes (trust me, we usually can't grow cucurbits due to pests), and bonus - luffas seem draught tolerant! James, you shared a lot of great information and unique ideas... thanks so much!!!
Ground Cherries are great and reseed too.
Volunteers are the best! 💯
@@baneverything5580ever seen a purple ground cherry?
I've noticed luffas seem highly resistant to insect pests. They give off the same peanut butter scent as datura when you brush up against the leaves, but I don't know the exact alkaloid compounds that give it that characteristic scent.
What zone do you live in?
I watched an IG reel showing the dried luffa being made into a "steaming basket" instead of using a metal steaming basket. Ingenious!!
❤whoa! Yes.
SHARE THIS VIDEO IF YOU FOUND IT GOURDEOUS...🤦♂
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:13 Planting the Seeds
00:24 Sprouted Seedlings
00:37 Prepping Containers for Planting into
01:03 Making Soil to Plant in
01:24 Filling Container and Adding Fertilizer
01:43 Transplanting into the Container
02:18 Spraying Plants with Surround Kaolin Clay
02:48 Pruning Young Gourd Vines
03:11 Building a Trellis to Grow Up
03:49 Attaching the Vine to the Trellis
04:10 Gourd Plant Flowering after 70 Days
04:43 Large Gourd Growing on Trellis
05:04 Gourd Ripening
05:34 Harvesting the Gourd
05:49 Removing Seeds from the Gourd
06:44 Soaking the Gourd
07:09 Removing Skin from the Gourd
07:52 Disinfecting Gourd and Drying it Out
08:43 Making a Seed Starting Pot from the Gourd
09:33 Young Plant Growing in the Gourd Pot
10:24 Common Uses for the Luffa Gourd
10:41 Cleaning a Carrot for Tuck to Eat
11:45 How the Gourd is Edible
12:59 Additional Used for the Luffa Gourd
15:26 Final Thoughts
This is genius!!!!! For Tuck ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Luffa flowers and buds are all edible, pal. They are very tasty when stir fried
James, if that were my loofah, I think I'd be tempted to hollow it out some like you did, and string it with some outdoor miniature lights. A string of them would cost next to nothing to power and would make fantastic patio or garden lights, esp if they were on a solar charger. Just a thought.
The first time I grew loofah several years ago I use them to paint with to make designs on a painted wall that had painted with a darker collar first and then use the loofah sponge to make designs on the wall and it was beautiful
Start them early indoors bc they need a long growing season.
The starter pot idea is GENIUS!!!!
My luffa self-seeded from last year. One of my favorite features of luffas is their flowers because they bloom every day all season long and the bees love them. I don't know why they're not featured more as a pollinator attractor. One of my sons discovered that dried luffa smokes pretty well when lit, so we might try using it in beekeeping. I have a bucketfull of dried luffa that I am now excited to start future squash plants in for freeeeeeee THANKS TO YOU! Your innovative, inspirational ideas are why I love this channel.
dude, you just took me back to 5th grade science class, my teacher had a lufa plant and brought a bunch of them into class and we all took home a pile of seeds and i remember growing these one year! I knew exactly what it was when i saw the picture!
This is cooked into one of my favorite Indian recipes that my mother in law makes, called Turya nu shak. So delicious.
You are literally the only person I've watched, and I've watched a ton, who actually gave a time-line of when they changed from color to color. Thank you! I've been searching endlessly!
The seed starter pot is genius. I never thought of that. I currently make paper pots which is a bit fiddly . I have luffa seeds starting so will keep as many plants as I have room for because I want those pots!
I've been using luffas as mushroom pots for years and also indoor herb pot fillers. They're great for so much
Could you explain the luffas to mushroom pots?
If Tony Little became a gardener -- he would be you. The over-the-top excitement. Keep the fire going brother! Oh yeah! You got this! Wishing you the very best from the Great Northwest!
I can just picture James rolling around and making snow angels in his dirt mixes....😂😂❤
The sponges are also a great patch or replacement for air conditioning or shop vac filters and are fantastic for use in structured concrete castings.
The seedling pot idea is super clever. It avoids plastic, lets you air prune seedlings and composts in place! Other ideas like that are great and would love to hear them!
You can soak the luffa in alcohol and use it as a campfire starter for traveling in the woods. carrying it in sealed containers until you need it.
That's a great idea. Could work with oil or candle wax melted in to,o eh
I've always grown angled luffa, called si gua or silk squash in Chinese, as a food crop. The seeds will germinate in 2-4 days, instead of 2-4 weeks, if you carefully clip open the shell with nail clippers to let water inside. Over the past couple years, because my compost has become difficult to move around the garden, I've simply planted them around the perimeter of the compost. For a trellis, I strung wall cables from the T-post stakes to the second floor windows and let the plants climb up them. They can grow clear across the roof of your house if you let them. I got so many luffas this year, I couldn't find them all to harvest them, so those are the ones I'm letting go to seed.
Tuck is such a great companion. I love how you're using your own grown stuff as a way to grow more food! I might have to take up your process for the gourd pot deal. Really cool. Thanks for being innovative!
Love this video James I love the full story of the luffa from seed to use in one video
I love, love, love your seed starter idea!! I wanted to grow loofas before but now I DEFINITELY need to!
Thanks! I think it's a good functional way to get more out of the luffas
I love eating loofah. Its so good. I planted two plants and it's covered three arch trellises and the back trellises that I had in the same raised beds for my tomatoes. They have completely taken over. Probably 75 to 100 loofah plus the ones I harvest to eat.
You can't imagine the smile that crept across my face when I realized you were growing a luffa. I grew too many one year and was overrun (in a good way) with luffa fruit. I fed the young fruit to my chickens, used the dry ones in my meal worm colony, shared the young, edible fruit with my friends, made "spa" gifts for friends. Most people did not know that luffa was from a plant. It was a lot of fun to include them in my garden (they can take up a LOT of room). I grew them and let them trellis along the fence surrounding our community garden). I love the grow-pot idea.
WOW!!! I thought luffas came from the ocean. Now I can't ait to try a pant in my yard next year. I agree with you, it is so much fun to try new things, even if they don't turn out. I'm 77 y.o. but still try to plant and care for my garden.. Thank you for teling us about this gourd. Let us know what you plan to plant next that's really different.
You help bring out the best in Mother Nature!! ❤❤❤❤❤'s for Tuck!!
That’s so kind of you to say, thank you! 🐕😁❤️
A good friend of mine gave me some seeds. I had no idea what to do with them. This will be one of my first things to grow in the spring. Thank you I really enjoy your videos❤
Great video! ❤❤ to Tuck!
GENIUS on the starter pot! I have been wanting to migrate away from plastic and I love the idea of giving flowers and habitat to pollinators AND growing my pots 🙌🏻
As always, a great video. Your positive and calm demeanor always puts me in a good mood, and I learned something new as well. Thank you and best to you and Tuck (love that little fella)
What a great idea using it for starter pots.
Thanks! They work great!
Here in Brazil some people use it for handcraft like handbags. It’s very usual find them at the supermarket straighted and stitched in a piece of towel fabric for use in the shower.
James and Tuck, This video on the loofah was extraordinary! Thank you for sharing all the wonderful educational and enlightening information about all things growing.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!! Amanda
I've seen them flattened and used as a sole for homemade slippers.
I think you can do that with steam.
Thank you for the video, it's wonderful to witness your love for plants -- you've been blessed in that regard, and it's a privilege to have the opportunity to learn from what you're doing!
WOW!!! Thank you! This is one of the best gardening videos I watched this year. I will try to grow them next year!
Your videos are great and Tuck is the King of your garden.
11:27… Tuck is like… yeah, yeah… dirt… whatever! Give me my carrot!! 😂 ❤🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️🐾
Luffas sound like a great replacement to plastic scrubbers or shower scrubbers. No microplastics!
They are! They make great scrubbers in the shower and great for scrubbing pots and pans!
ถูตัว ชัดตัวตอนอาบน้ำก็ได้
In Africa they've been in use for a long time. Its sad to see how people ditched them slowly for western products. Same as the calabashes for bowls
Why can't you spell 'loofah'?
@@johannesstephanusroos4969 maybe it's a US thing? Like aluminum etc
Learning different uses for crops is always welcome. Thank you so much. I will be growing lufas. I never occurred to me that I could use them for scrubbies.
I love the smell of luffa flowers. So fresh and reminds me of my childhood.
My Taiwanese friend got me growing Loofa and also bitter melon. Eventually both gourds got consumed in dishes, but they weren’t my favorite use of the plants. I used the loofa mostly for scrubbing.
Loofah flowers are edible. Picked just before they open is best. Battered and fried like tempura.
Best garden podcast in the cyber world. Tuck❤❤❤
Let's Gooo!!!
Tip for you when your plants first start vineing. Especially squash, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Get a jug and put 4 litres of water, 1-2 tbsp of mollases, 1 sheet of seaweed or liquid kelp a (1 tbsp). And 1 tsp of fish fertilizer. Let mix 24 hrs then strain. Put in large sprayer. Spray your plants 6am or late evening. Spray them twice a week only until they bloom. You will see massive growth and produce. The prettyist plants you ever have seen. Makesure you only spray them early in morning or late eve before the hot sun. Enjoy🎉❤🎉
Thanks James for sharing your experience with the luffa pots. Great idea! We’re going to be growing them next year. Can’t wait to test them as pots for seedlings!❤️ for the little boss
Love the idea of using loofahs for starter pots! I thought Tuck was going to have a melt down over that carrot. 🤣 He does dearly love them! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ for Tuck!
Solent viewers from Asia...Macao🇲🇴🇵🇭
Thank you
Loved this video, it’s not something I even thought of growing, but as I am trying not to use as much plastic items in the house I will definitely be trying to grow this next year to use in the kitchen. I love your videos which give so much info without hours of waffle. Thanks from an English woman living and growing in France
I enjoyed watching their lovely yellow flowers bloom all summer long - with the heat I only got 2 to develop (so far) - but then it has been a very hot summer in NOLA. I started growing luffa last year and use it in my kitchen - glad to see other uses. Thank you.
I grew loofahs this year for the second time in my life, but I’ve never thought of using them for planting seeds! Thank you for the idea that’s awesome
Thanks for this, I have never tried to grow these as Wales is much colder than where you are but I may try this in a greenhouse. It was also useful to see how to peel it.
Its called chinese okra too and good stir fry when younger, i only let it dry on the vine so i can plant again for the next season loofah is just a bonus to me
Tuck loves those carrots. 🥕💙💙💙
Lufa are also very delicious to eat. Pick when they are about 2 inches diameter at the large end, and they will be about 8 inches long. Slice them up and bread them, fry them like fried okra. Yum, yum good. They taste like okra but have a more pungent flavor than okra. They seam to cook a little more crispy than okra. Cut them up and add to stir fry. Yum, yum delicious. Some people refer to them as Chinese okra. You do not have to peel them to prepare for eating. I was growing them and shared them with people from the Philippines. The variety I grew sort of had ribs on the outside. The Philippine people brought me seeds for another variety that did not have the outter ribs. They were smooth, taste the same, and after removing the peeling, you could not tell the difference.
LOVE your straightforward, fast pace, informative videos!
Thats ingenious brother, I've been looking for a natural seed container to use in my natural bamboo vertical growing setup! Thanks!
James, that was awesome. I’ve been watching you for years now from Australia and just love beautiful little Tuk.
It's truthly that we, Vietnamese use loofah for washing dishes for hundred years.
Growing your own natural, biodegradable seed pots - awesome 👍
A unique and genuinely useful use for loofahs.
I love the seed starting pot. I’m going to try to grow it next year. My growing season is not that long and the darn vine borer, but I’m going to try. Thank you. Great video 😊
One of my yellow squash somehow survived the vine borers and my only butternut squash that survived the bunny nest in my garden was infested but parts of the vine rooted into the yard and kept producing. So far I got 5 mature butternuts and the plants are loaded with unripe ones still. They`re edible green if a frost gets them though. Mama bunny moved the nibbling babies after I mowed around the garden. I planted the bunnies plenty of food in other spots but they decided to make my main garden their nesting site.
I like that James,
I'll try the costada romanesco too. I grow specilaty zucchini this year that were supposed to producs a ton of delicious flowers but they didn't do diddly whereas my cheap conventional green zucchini from last year had us rolling in Flowers.
Of course it may have been the heat. The hear screwed up everything
Thank you so much for showing things step by step. I love it. Luv Tuck too ❤
I have a loofa in my garden! Thank you highlighting this cool plant!
This is SOOO COOL!!! I’ve never considered growing loofas but now I think I’m definitely going to try it!!! Your videos are soooo much fun to watch and make me so excited to get out there and garden! ❤❤❤
Super cool! I had a bad case of spotted cucumber beetles this year, and will try kaolin clay next year to protect the vines! Love Tuck the little boss!
Very clever to make a natural pot with the loofa! And I am sure Master Tuck was impressed with the super scrubbed carrot. ❤❤
Wondeful and love the nature seed starter! I would use hydrogen peroxide or colour-safe “bleach” laundry powder (unscented) as natural alternative to regular bleach
Always learn something from your videos James! ❤️ for Tuck.
Thanks for the informative video. Growing a few plants here in Queensland Australia. I've been meaning to look up the process of peeling and preparing.
I've eaten them green, and they are OK. Used them in the shower for washing for years. You can glue a handle on them to scrub your own back.
A Fijian friend was delighted when she, saw our vine, and made us an absolutely delicious curry. She was unaware that the mature fruit has a useful fibrous core.
Luffas grow a large climbing vine. Their flowers are beautiful and make you think of the tropics. Plant in spring and harvest in late fall. I've been growing them for years and all my asian neighbors come by and pick what they want to eat. I harvest the sponges as you did at the end of the year with what I'm left with. Always plenty. I only recently found out about soaking them before peeling. All those sad years I did things the hard way. Love the soak method. Luffas are easy to grow and quite useful. Also, the kids can make money selling them.
Oh James,as always great Video and such clear information!I will certainly give it a try,thanks for every Hour you spend teaching us new things. Love little Tuck,such a great addition to your channel!🤗😍
First time seeing how luffa grows and how to let it mature and clean it. I'm willing to give it a try. Love the step-by-step of the video and follow up ideas for usage. Thanks James!!! Love you Tuck! ♥♥♥
What great ideas for the loofah!!! This was a fun video to watch - thank you!!!
❤ Love you, Tuck! ❤
Hi James, I am a 67 year-old disabled veteran licensed pilot and Ground Zero survivor and I am about to buy a 66 acre farm in Farmingdale New Jersey. So after 12 years of retirement, I’m going back to work and would love for you to come and see my farm once we close and are able to occupy it. I love your channel. Keep up the good work.
I have successfully grown, loofah several times, but always end up with much more produce than I can do anything with. Your idea for seeds starting pots is a game changer. Thank you so much for a wonderful idea!
Definitely adding this to next year's garden! Thanks for all the knowledge hearts for tuck ❤❤❤
Great idea to use them as plant seed containers instead of using plastic. ❤❤❤ for Tuck
Hi James just found your channel and found this particular video so fascinating. What a great way to use a plant. Thank you so much for the info👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
thank you for sharing these useful techniques, it helps me a lot in planting and caring for my seedlings. you have a beautiful garden.
Great learning about loffa uses and how to grow! Love, love, love Tuck.❤😊❤️
I dont know how you know so much about plants. This was a very interesting video. Thank you.
Your enthusiasm is contagious!😃❤🌱
Very interesting to learn about the loofa. Thanks for sharing! It’s great to see Tuck doing so well!
Love all your videos. I miss your greeting at the beginning of every video. You shouldn’t change just because a few people didn’t like it. Every channel I watch has their own greeting every time. Have a blessed day 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️ TUCK ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great info! Going to try some of these tips in the spring. In late June I planted four plants on the side of the house as an experiment. Tons of beautiful vines full of large leaves and many flowers. It took almost 8 weeks for the flowers to come out tho and the bees and wasps loved them. So beware if you don’t like dealing with wasps. They were swarming the side f the house for 2 months. The plants were not pruned at all, grew over the 6ft trellis and the vines attached to the side of the house. The plants completely took over that part of the garden. Unfortunately, the fruit never had a chance to fully ripen as our weather turned too cold in late September. Will try growing earlier next time, in the buckets and also give the trimming a try.
These Loofas will make stunningly beautiful translucent Stalactites, Stalagmites and LED lamps! You can cover them or saturate them with hot melt or wood glue, allow drying and several layers. Or make them into gorgeous candles!
You are super great at explaining things, with detail. Thank you!
I didn’t think I could grow luffa gourds successfully in Maryland but now I know I can. I will try this next year.
I see that many people grow luffa and I never knew much about it. Thank you for teaching me all about this plant, from seed to harvest and its uses. This video was very informative and taught me a lot about luffas. I may consider growing them next year.
Great tutorial James. I think Tuck loves carrots more than I. ❤🥕Tuck and educational videos.
I love your energy and excitement, and practical ideas!
I make soap, and now I'll have to grow loofa to mail with the soap! Thanks!
Smart! ❤️
Thank you, always enjoy your videos and Tuck.
In Jamaica we call those 'plourell'. They grow wild on my farm. We have a variety that is good and soothing to use as a body scrub.
I love the idea of making little pots that can be planted directly into the ground, complete with seedling 🌱
Save the money and grab some free buckets from your local bakery.
You are so knowledgeable of that guard mean so I subscribe to you. I learned something from you every time I watch one of your videos. Thank you.😊
I really liked this video! It would also be great if you could add a bit about how to cook or prepare some if what you grow! I watched your winter plant video, and except for some of the obvious salad plants, I had no idea how to use many of what you showed? Great video. Just would like some guidance on how to cook or use the plants. Thanks.
Lufa pods while still soft and tender make an excellent vegetable of the Indian cuisine. You peel it, chop it is small pieces and fry it in a little bit of ghee. Only seasoning needed is very little amounts of salt and turmeric. As it boils, it releases a lot of water. Cook on simmer till flowing water has evaporated. Lufa has a slightly sweet nutty flavor and is very good for health.
I now have loofah envy! Great video and fantastic idea with the loofah pots ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved the video!! Love your channel, I've been watching for years. And bunches of love for Tuck.❤