Okra

[seedcorn]

@Zeedman would love to see pix of your okra through our growing season

 

[baymule]

Going from NE Indiana to SW Indiana. We’ve lived in country and now wife wants to move to a new house in a settlement. I just want to be close to grands. Time for them to know how crazy their G’pa really is……. Although trying to keep up with them about killed me for 3 days. They are energized bunnies. I’m working in dead batteries.

That is wonderful. Go for it and enjoy your grandkids. They grow up so fast, you sure don’t want to miss that.

 

[Branching Out]

Good news-- the okra from the Experimental Far Network appears to be hitting its stride! Last year okra never made it past 6" high, so this is big progress.

 

[Zeedman]

"Pentagreen" has been producing consistently for about a month now. But so far, I've just been giving it away, since it's been too hot to do canning. The first ripe tomatoes have started though, so I'll be making salad with steamed okra, fresh tomato, soy sauce, and vinegar. The photo below is from a few weeks ago.

A day's picking:

There are apparently limits to how many times I can grow okra in the same area. I try to rotate locations, but the garden next to the pole building is about 400 square feet, and pretty much every area has been okra now at some point. At the end of the row, where it overlapped part of last year's location, the plants are severely stunted (the beans are stunted there as well). So next year the okra will move to a different garden, while I attempt to restore the fertility of that plot.

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman would love to see pix of your okra through our growing season

Just an update. The okra is still producing, albeit more slowly. !0 of the 32 clusters (those planted in the same area where okra grew last year) are stunted & have been abandoned, so only the front 22 clusters are still bearing. As anticipated, some plants in most clusters have dropped leaves & stopped growing; but at least 2 plants per cluster remain strong, and are still blossoming. Early in the season, I let one pod per cluster grow for seed (on the strongest plant in each cluster) and those pods have now begun to dry down.

With 80 F. degree weather forecast for the next week, there should be at least another 2-3 pickings before cold weather puts an end to them. The yardlong beans directly adjacent to the okra are still bearing well, and they too should respond well to the warm spell.

 

[Branching Out]

This season yielded just two okra pods (two plants, each with one large pod) and it is very unlikely that they will be able to dry on the plant. Has anyone ever harvested immature okra pods, and then dried them indoors for seed? That may be my only way to save seed from them, as after tomorrow we have two weeks of wet weather ahead with temperatures hovering around 10C/50F.

 

[ducks4you]

Yep, easy peazy lemon squeezy and you got a ton of seeds from one pod.
For 2024 try starting your okra indoors by a south facing window in saved 3-4 inch pots.
I planted WAYYYYY too late this year, but, when I planted on time I couldn't keep up with the harvests.
Just don't give up!!
FORTUNATELY I still have a frozen stash of okra in the freezer to enjoy.

 

[seedcorn]

@Zeedman what about nematodes stunting your beans?

Last 2 years my okra has been a total bust. Had 2 batches that I fried. Sad part is for last Xmas I asked for & got 2 larger cast iron pans to fry okra. Then no okra to fill them.

 

[Branching Out]

Okay--- I will harvest and dry the pods, and then ask for an extra large cast iron pan for Christmas, so I will be able to fry the bountiful crop of okra that I will have next summer. It's worth a shot!

 

[heirloomgal]

Okay--- I will harvest and dry the pods, and then ask for an extra large cast iron pan for Christmas, so I will be able to fry the bountiful crop of okra that I will have next summer. It's worth a shot!

I'm trying the same experiment this year too Branching Out. The first few dried seeds from the immature pods seem to look normal.