Dried but not peeled.

[3CsMommy]

So I kinda goofed and instead of bidding on a bag of processed and webby loofah slices and bookmarking the skins-on version to research later, I ended up buying the ones that still have the skin and seeds on. :cry4:

Think these are okay to give as chews? They are known to be parrot safe, but I haven't heard anything about their use for other animals. All I know about the plant itself is that it grows in Zones 5 or 4 and lower, and the part we let chins chew is actually just the structural tissue of the fruit of the plant, which is a big ol' vine like most other gourds.

In other news, some of the seeds in these dried gourd slices are mature. Anybody south of about the Mason-Dixon line that wants to try to grow their own is welcome to them. It's too cold in the Ohio Valley for the vines to survive the winter, and the plants get too big to be overwintered indoors. I can drop them in the mail whenever, no charge since I'm not going to do anything with them.

 

[Ash]

Send them to Alli :rofl:

 

[eroomlorac]

Send them to Alli :rofl:

But only if they're HUGE!

 

[addictedtochins]

The plants get too big to be overwintered indoors.

Alli's got enough loofah's. I need, I mean I want some. I don't care how big the plants get, I have a huge bedroom. :rofl: :hug2: Geez, I've been married 18 years, I could use some visual aids to get in the mood.

 

[6Dusters]

Snorts at "visual aids" comment.

 

[Ash]

Alli's got enough loofah's. I need, I mean I want some. I don't care how big the plants get, I have a huge bedroom. :rofl: :hug2: Geez, I've been married 18 years, I could use some visual aids to get in the mood.

Loofa thread #3 and this one doesn't even have gigantic loofah pictures! Hahahaha

 

[Essentia]

I also did the same thing. I have a whole bag full of loofah like this. I also know they are completely parrot safe, I'm just not sure about chins.

 

[menagerie]

Remove the skin and the seeds and they should become chin safe.

How big do the loofah plants get? I'd like some mature seeds.

 

[equus_peduus]

They get pretty big. I grew it as a kid for school - our class had a little dirt area with trellis things and a bunch of humongous vine plants all over. Though I was shorter then, so maybe they're not quite as big as I remember? They're easy to grow though.

 

[addictedtochins]

http://www.luffa.info/luffapictures.htm

 

[menagerie]

Cool, I have the perfect chain link fence between the main yard and side yard to grow these on.

 

[alli713]

oh dear... I feel like I should change my title to Home of the Giant Loofah or something like that lol!

Sorry, I have no idea about the skins though. Could you perhaps slice the outsides off?

Otherwise resell them on ebay and I'm sure some bird person would buy them.

ETA: there I changed my avatar, do you like it? :rofl:

 

[Jyss]

http://www.luffa.info/luffapictures.htm

They're so... ugly! Haha.

 

[alli713]

oh, somehow I missed the link with pictures. Yeah.. that male and female picture looks... um.. rather like something else

 

[3CsMommy]

I don't know about fresh ones, but these dried slices are pretty much chunks of a zuccini from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks. Come to think of it, we have a hockey stick somewhere around the house; I could probably drop one on the patio and practice my slap shot.

But, I've gotten 2 requests for seeds that I know I can meet. I'm saving some of the immature chunks for my MiL who has parrots, but if the two of you who requested seeds could PM me a mailing address, I'll try to get these things in the mail in the next couple days. That should give you plenty of time to soak them and start them before you move them outside. Just don't be surprised if you get an email from me bumming a couple gourds.

Still no idea if the chins could chew the skins, huh? Because honestly, peeling the dried ones just isn't worth the effort. Definitely looks like a better plan to peel them when they're soft!

 

[alli713]

oh, hm, yeah I've never actually seen the dried ones with skins. Like I said, if it seems to be a pain perhaps just try to resell them as bird toys?

 

[SunshineChins]

Hmmmm... those might be interesting to try to grow down here in the south. I could just see my neighbors checking out the huge odd looking plant in my backyard.:rofl:

 

[3CsMommy]

Want some seeds Sunshine? I can drop a dozen in the mail this weekend. :winkers:

 

[Ash]

oh, somehow I missed the link with pictures. Yeah.. that male and female picture looks... um.. rather like something else

Wonder where they got the name? :rofl:

 

[Essentia]

Hmmmm... those might be interesting to try to grow down here in the south. I could just see my neighbors checking out the huge odd looking plant in my backyard.:rofl:

I grow my own loofah, so we can have weird looking plants together.