The stem end of the fruit can also be cut with a pruning sheers, allowing the seeds to pour out. Break the okra pods with your hands and work them until they release seeds. Cleaning and Processingīecause okra seeds are large, they can be easily threshed by hand. Wearing gloves while harvesting and cleaning these spiny fruits helps prevent skin irritation. Pods can be laid out to dry on screens or landscape fabric, or they can be hung in mesh bags they should be left to dry until they become brittle. Individual fruits should be clipped from the plants as they mature and moved to a protected location. Just as the solitary flowers of okra open at different times, beginning at the base of the plant and progressing upward, so do pods mature in this same pattern. Once the seeds inside are fully developed, the pods will begin to dry and should be harvested when they turn brown and brittle. Okra pods continue to increase in size when left on the plant beyond the edible stage. If you’re saving seeds for genetic preservation of a rare variety, save seeds from 25 plants. When maintaining a variety over many generations, save seeds from 5-10 plants. To ensure viable seeds, save seeds from at least 1 plant. And okra’s ability to self-pollinated makes it a suitable crop for beginner seed savers, provided it receives the heat that it needs to flower and set seeds. Well suited to tropical and subtropical climates, okra is often associated with the Deep South, but it can be cultivated - even to seed maturity - throughout much of the United States. Okra lasts less than a week in the refrigerator. If you want to prolong this summer treat, okra pods can also be pickled, or steamed and frozen. Okra pods can be cooked just after harvest in stews, gumbos, or as a fried side dish. If pods are longer than 5 inches, they might be tough, though there are some varieties that grow longer than others and these may still be tender. Okra pods can be harvested every few days with pruning shears or a sharp knife. Okra pods are harvested for eating when they are young and immature, just after the flowers fade. Growers in southern states should also protect against root knot nematode infestation. Okra can suffer from several pests and diseases, including cucumber beetles, white mold, Southern Blight, vascular wilt, bacterial spot, and powdery mildew. Okra develops best in warm climates with warm nights, preferring temperatures between 68 and 95 degrees F. When direct-sowing okra, space seeds 2 inches apart and thin to a final spacing of 12-18 inches apart. Nicking the seed coat of okra seeds can help improve germination rates. In warmer regions of the country, seeds are often direct-sown. Time of Plantingīecause okra germinates and grows best when planted in soil that has warmed above 80 degrees F, northern gardeners often start seeds in flats and transplant seedlings when the weather heats up. Both beautiful and productive, okra can be harvested for several weeks throughout the summer. The second paragraph will be specific to the variety, the rest will just be the same ol' mumbo gumbo you just read ) I sure do love gumbo, which is the whole reason I did this at all.The towering stalks of the okra plant provide height, texture, and color to the home garden. I also cut off bottom leaves which have yellowed from bug damage and pull the wilted flowers off the emerging pods since they are a gooey mess – I think that’s from the extreme humidity here and that seems to help the pods mature a little quicker, but that’s just something I’ve been trying for the first time this year. I use scissors to cut of the pods as close to the trunk as possible. I haven't had major deer problems, though the deer have ready access to the entire plot. I have only used neem oil and BT for insecticides and I hand pick caterpillars, stink bugs and grasshoppers as often as I can. I used a chicken manure based, organic fertilizer mixed with bagged topsoil and my native clay and humped up the rows under weed barrier with a drip system to get them started. I planted 10 of each variety, 3 feet apart in rows that are 8 feet apart so that I could mow in between rows. *** I do not claim to be a master gardener, and these are only my results and methods. Its a pretty solid okra in my experience. Other than that I don't have a lot to say about it. I've grown this one before and it is consistent for me. It has been my third best producer this year. ***Clemson Spineless, its less stickery, but the spines on my other plants don't seem to bother me, so I can't really give it extra points just for that. This is my third year growing okra, but the first year I have tested all these varieties (in order of best productivity to worst at the 70 day mark) : Candlestick, Bulldog, Clemson Spineless, Jambalaya, Silver Queen, and Star of David. This shopper rated the product 4 out of 5 stars
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