Friday, January 14, 2011

The first two petola / luffa

Luffa / Petola is a quick plant. Roselle, bittergourd, winged beans, corns and a few others were sown about the same time, early November 2010.   By Tuesday, December 21, 2010 luffa/ petola were still learning how to climb higher by grabbing at anything in sight using tender tendrils ( vegetables on raised bed ) . By Tuesday, December 28, 2010 ( Six petola / luffa were taking turns flowering  ) tiny fruits then appeared almost everywhere so to speak.

I am not very lavish with fertiliser these days. The plants feed on whatever organic matter (fertiliser) that has been thoroughly mixed with the soil before they were planted. Occasionally I will spray them with organic liquid fertiliser.

Now  Luffa / Petola is offering us the first harvest, all within two months. We cut two big ones.... I took quite a number of pictures on these two because the texture of luffa / petola is an art in itself...

luffa / petola 
picture1

luffa / petola 
picture 2
luffa / petola
picture 3
luffa / petola 
picture 4
luffa / petola 
picture 5
 luffa / petola sliced 
picture 1

 luffa / petola sliced 
picture 2


Kakdah decided to use the bigger one for her simple vegetable soup. Slices of onion and  cili padi, a tea spoon of dried shrimps and a pinch of salt  were added to bring up the taste.

bangchik and kakdah
hasil petola di kebun sayur tanah merah
Kelantan

24 comments:

  1. The petolas look healthy and good to eat:) I should try growing them too. The folks are not so keen as the texture is soft.

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  2. I've been meaning to grow these again so I can try them young & edible. My first round with them was a long time ago when I was only familiar with using them as sponges.

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  3. I have never seen them. They look a little like a cucumber and they vine too.

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  4. Seems perfect for dinner tonight mmmm. So is it like a cucumber or a zucchini ? Describe its flavor.

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  5. Wah Bangchik that was very fast! Felt like you moved to Tanah Merah just last month and now you already harvested your petola! Must be the weather and the soil there so suited to gardening. Usually I make soup too with fishballs added.

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  6. 2 months? That's really fast. I'm going to grow them too. How did you grow them? Through seeds from a packet or from a fresh petola?

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  7. Keats The Sunshine Girl
    Petola is not fussy, and it keep growing. Worth trying.

    Keewee
    Lovely to see petolas hanging down... long and green.

    Appalachian Feet
    I probably reserve a few for sponge, but the rest should end up in kakdah kitchen.

    gardenwalkgardentalk
    They are peculiar indeed, very nocturnal, opening flowers at night and fall off as the sun rises.

    Comeca Jones
    Soft when cooked. We don't eat them raw. Watery like cucumber.....

    p3chandan
    Agreeably, quick harvest is due to several factors... cool weather, tanah merah factor included. But vegetables generally seldom kept us waiting...

    bangchik and kakdah
    menanam petola di Tanah Merah.

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  8. They sure taste good, from your own veggie garden!
    My (the only one) baby petola just shown up few days ago. Hehe, (fingers crossed) hope it will grow big like yours ;)

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  9. I learn something new about gardening
    and food everytime I visit your site. I once saw luffa/petolas being grown, but I never knew you could eat them when they were young. I'm very impressed with how quickly they grew.

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  10. Theanne.
    It would be best to take them young, unless we want sponge out of them. There were about a foot long when I took them.

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  11. Wow, Bangchik, your garden already giving you yummy rewards! Your petola looks marvelous. I thought of growing them too, but they have to wait after my french beans and cucumbers.

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  12. Now is petola..., soon there will be others, more and more.. haha.

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  13. are they like the luffa I have desperately been trying to grow in my greenhouse??? I need one with a shorter growing season I think...we have such short summers here...and I don't think they like being potted...fill me in!!!

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  14. Tootsie
    2 months is all it takes to get the first harvest. Germinate during cooler months will help the plant through short summer...

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  15. I am growing some loofah too. They're still seedlings, anyway - one or two weeks old. I hope it will turn out great like yours.

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  16. ~Hafez Carlucci Zahruddin
    Plants are sweet and obedient in general... but they do have tantrums too... and they can wilt at will, and giving up life altogether.

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  17. Do you need full sun for this?? I am thinking of planting this on my porch area which will not have much sun.

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  18. Food so delicious!
    It will grow. But to guarantee flowering and fruiting it requires at least half a day sunlight..... give it a try, and good luck

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  19. Hello from Bombay...
    Petola is commonly known as Turiya (Ridge Gourd)and available freely around India.
    We make a nice vegetable dish...you may check out this link for a recipe - one of the many ways cooked in India.
    http://www.thevegfusion.com/2010/09/ridge-gourd-turia-masala.html
    I am currently volunteering at an Organic farm and will look up your blog for tips and help.
    Thank you for a wonderful blog.
    Namaste.

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  20. Ashok>
    ~ i am happy to hear that you do volunteer work at a farm... Good and God bless you and the farm.

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  21. Will it get spoiled if its cooked and kept overnight?

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