Luffa plants on the backyard/Carlos Pueblo

Luffa plants on the backyard/Carlos Pueblo

 The luffa plant is very common in Asian country especially in Taiwan, we call it vegetable squash or the silk squash in Mandarin. A common squash on the dinner table for poor families just sauteed it with the garlic and a rough sponge use in bath or showering. We have several plants on our limit space of our backyard every year and all up to the rain fall of each year for the harvest. Before I left for Quebec City cruise, I didn't see any sign of fruits; however, after I came home that I found several over ripe fruits hanging on branches of trees. In a few days, they, 9 of them total in number, all fell into ground before the ideal stage of a mature ripe, dry and solid fibers. Originally, I blame the opossum and now I realize the damage is done by the squirrel. It can't really eat it yet it has the habit to mash up my joy of harvest.

When I was a little boy, I helped Mother to gather the squash on the mango tree and electrical pole where the squash sit. In Taiwan, the plant can last for years due to warm weather and the stem can be very big like a wrist size. I was taking a slow locomotive to the capital city of Taipei for my school education and viewed so many plants and yellow flowers on the side of the backyard of the railroad employee residential complex. We decide to grow it after we move to this new residence because that there is a small lot on the back of the garage just next to a tangerine tree. We let the plants climb to the neighboring trees and the neighbors do not complain and don't know what is going on. One day, Kim of the neighbor on the back did tell me that she found the squash at an oriental market and still couldn't remember the name. I taught her how to cook it and felt free to harvest. She understood another purpose of bathroom usage which was existed in the American West era.

I don't think that I can do anything about the competition with squirrels for the time being yet I can only pay more attention after the heavy rain in the summer. I must get it before the little rascal gets it mouse to it. After the freezing winter, everything dies and in the next spring, I have plenty of seeds to plant a new crop of silk squash.