Update #74: Writing Expedition ✍️
Hi Steemians! Feels good to be here to share with you what I have today in my farm, as it would benefit all of us here. It has been a rainy day today so I did not go out and then, I had to spend some time in my Vegetable Farm.
Making use of the spaces no matter how little it is, to plant some vegetables is really important. Owing to the health and economic benefits of having vegetable, makes it a “must have" for everyone living in the urban or rural areas. Not having space to plant vegetables is not an excuse because even in the urban areas, one could also rent a farm land to plant vegetables.
The image you are seeing above is a vegetable known as “pumkin leaves." It could be described or identified as follows:
| English Name: | pumpkin leaves |
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| Family: | Cucurbitacea |
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| Botanical Name: | Telfairia occidentalis |
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| Other Names (native): | Ugu, Eweroko, ikong-ubong, okwukwo-wiri, |
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| Species: | T. occidentalis |
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| Genius: | Telfairia |
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This plant is cultivated in several west African countries including Nigeria as it is highly cultivated and valued in southeastern part of Nigeria. Planting starts from late March being at beginning of rainfall to earlyMay. Harvesting the leaves may start from early July till when the plants starts bearing the pumpkin fruits. At this time, the ones bearing the pumpkin fruits would be supported with some sticks to enable it relax to bearr more fruits and would no longer be touched till the fruit matures.
This plant is economically viable is it could generate income for the farmer. If the farmer engages in commercial production, he/she sells both the leaves and the fruits making some huge sums of money from it. some of the fruits would be reserved for the next planting season while the farmer may decide to eat the immature pumpkins as food if choosing to do so.
THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF THE PUMPKIN LEAVES:
It may interest you to know that the pumpkin plants contain about 30% oil. Its leaves secretes high antimicrobial, hepatoprotective as well as antioxidants elements that helps build the body system. The seeds contains about 37% crude protein fats having 53%. This plant is also serving as a source of iron and potassium that our body needs to function well.
Finally, when you prepare a soup using this vegetable and having in it *white melon and okro," together with fresh fish and periwinkle and crayfish, guess what? You would be in heaven here on earth.
Let's plant it!
Let's eat and enjoy it!!
Let's make money from it!!!
All images are legally owned by me!
Curated by : @eliany