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Post by macmex on Oct 6, 2019 14:14:35 GMT -6
I need to take pictures of mine. All my okra is smaller than last year, or any other year, for that matter. Part of the reason is that we have had a cooler, wetter summer. Another reason is that I planted corn just to the South of the row of okra. The corn SHADED the okra. Being in hot Oklahoma, I might have thought that a couple hours of shade, even partial shade, might have helped it, but no, the okra took weeks longer to produce, grew less and appears to have started shutting down sooner. I did cut the corn stalks about a week ago, but the days are getting shorter and nights cooler, now.
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Post by macmex on Oct 7, 2019 8:31:34 GMT -6
Here's a photo from yesterday evening. Corn used to be growing to the South (behind) of the okra. I noticed that shade greatly slowed down growth and production. These plants are a bit over 6' tall right now. Stewarts Zeebest, in the background, is barely producing, and pods are getting tough quickly now. AfricanX (up front in the photo) is producing slowly, but the pods are staying tender longer. Between the two, I'm getting okra for meals. Next year, Okra will not be shaded! I also hope to get it planted earlier. If it weren't for Ron's generousity, this summer, we'd have gone without okra until August!
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Post by macmex on Oct 7, 2019 14:26:54 GMT -6
Here's a plant of AfricanX okra, I planted in a garden at work, for ornamental purposes. (Picture taken today.) It received several hours a day of shade. The plants in my garden were planted a day or two later!
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Post by rdback on Oct 7, 2019 20:15:54 GMT -6
Well Glen, I've now read this entire thread. What a great journal on your okra experience this year! But don't lose steam now. It's been almost 60 days since photos - time for a pictorial update! AfricanX seems very promising. I grew Clemson Spineless for quite a few years, but switched over to Emerald several years ago. It produces dark green, round pods with smooth skin. Pretty tasty. My favorite way to eat okra is with stewed tomatoes over rice. Clemson Spineless Emerald
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Post by glen on Oct 7, 2019 21:40:27 GMT -6
I appreciate the encouragement. And, I will have seed available to send you some if you would like to try AfricanX okra. I will try and get some foto's up soon. The plants are still growing and producing okra. Although the yield has been smaller than other years due to the very high levels of over-cast we have had for the last 5 months. We have rarely had any sunny days. The okra has done well considering. And, the plants are still producing. Bercy and I have eaten every pod we have harvested for the last 3 months. I have plants over 7 feet tall now. None are getting adequate levels of sunshine. Hey George, those plants of yours look fuller and bushier than mine. They look healthier. Looks great to see AfricanX okra growing there in Oklahoma. RDBack-nice okra foto's too. George, that seedling you planted at the University looks real sad.
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Post by glen on Oct 7, 2019 21:57:54 GMT -6
George, I wanted to make a comment on AfricanX okra and lack of sun. Here in the tropics AfricanX okra prefers the rainy season and it likes some over-cast weather. In my opinion it is because I am so close to the equator and the sun is so intense and hot. During the rainy season we get cloud cover that acts as a filter to the sun. Okra likes this but only too a certain point. If there is too much cloud cover it affects the okra's growth. If there is no cloud cover, like in my dry season, okra does not do as well either. Too much tropical sunshine causes okra to bolt. Or, too rush to go to bloom, before the plant is large enough. During the dry season I can grow okra but it does not produce much nor does it live very long. You never see okra growing in Panama during the dry season. Even volunteers don't come up or grow during the dry season. Okra volunteers will come up in May or June though, at the beginning of the rainy season. Now, there are other variety's of okra that can grow in my dry season. But, AfricanX okra is not one of them. AfricanX okra is a true rainy season okra. As is Panamanian Coffee okra, that only grows during the rainy season here. Now, in the US, AfricanX okra grows differently because it is not a tropical climate. For example, in Oklahoma. AfricanX okra prefers full sun and even short periods of shade is not good for its growth cycle. We learned this from George, who has the most experience I know of growing AfricanX okra in the USA. My current planting of okra has had a lower yield than normal due to excessive levels of cloud cover. This is the first season I have ever experienced this. However, the planting will continue to yield okra until sometime in December. Still a long and dependable harvest.
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Post by macmex on Oct 8, 2019 4:57:24 GMT -6
I'm very pleased with AfricanX. Late in the season, here, when other okra is languishing, AfricanX produces very well. It's as if it doesn't have a "shut down reaction" to the cooler nights.
Glen, I'm sure your observations are correct. It's a great thing to be able to gather observations from such drastically different climates.
RD, take a look at the okra thread on Stewarts Zeebest. I believe it's related to Emerald.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Oct 8, 2019 10:57:52 GMT -6
I believe you are right, George. I think I read that Zeebest is a sport of the Emerald variety, much the same way as Heavy Hitter is a sport of the Clemson Spineless variety.
Also, Glen, I still have AfricanX growing and producing tender pods.
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Post by macmex on Oct 9, 2019 5:08:45 GMT -6
I have seed. I'm impressed with the uniformly good conformation of these plants. Every single one branches well and produces great.
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Post by glen on Oct 9, 2019 10:28:34 GMT -6
Bon, that is a great idea. George has really good premium seed too. In case you don't know, AfricanX okra should not cross with your other okra easily either. A esculentus blooms earlier in the morning than AfricanX. Usually by 630 am or 7 am you see A esculentus blooms opening. You won't see AfricanX okra open its blooms until about 10 am in the morning. This gives these okra plants less opportunity to cross. Also, when they do cross, usually the plants are sterile and do not produce seed. This means that AfricanX okra has a future as a companion okra to A Esculentus in our gardens. I do not know which family AfricanX belongs too. Its a cross between A esculentus and A Caillei so it is actually an interspecies cross that is now stabilized to form a new variety of okra. Most likely botanists would classify it as A Caillei but that is just a guess. Judging by the size of the blooms alone, it is quite different than A esculentus.
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Post by glen on Oct 9, 2019 11:07:50 GMT -6
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Post by rdback on Oct 9, 2019 17:26:08 GMT -6
Great pics Glen! That first one with the ladder is impressive. Your plants look great. I'm a little hesitant to try AfricanX because you've set the bar so high lol.
Thanks for the update. who's in that last pic you sneaked in there? Your pequin?
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Post by glen on Oct 9, 2019 22:50:24 GMT -6
You are welcome to try some seed. Just ask. AfricanX okra is easy to grow. Like most any okra variety. I am trying to get the seed spread around so the new variety won't die off. I worked on this new okra type for too long to let that happen. Ron and George have helped out a lot getting AfricanX a little much needed attention. There are people all over growing it now. I don't get much feedback but that doesn't matter. As long as a few people like it and are growing it AfricanX has a chance to survive. As far as I know, AfricanX okra is the only inter-species bred okra variety out there. Very rare.
The last plant I snuck in is Thai hot okra. The plant is getting ratty looking and tired. Yielded a lot of peppers though. The peppers are going in the freezer to be used when needed for hot sauce.
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Post by glen on Oct 11, 2019 19:51:01 GMT -6
Bon, you already know how to grow okra. Here's my advice for what its worth. If you grow AfricanX okra in the front yard get it planted as early as possible but not in cool weather. Cool weather can stunt okra. Grow it in rows if you want. But, you can just grow it in mounds or spots in the front yard where you want an okra plant. Make sure it gets lots of sun if you want tall plants. Mix some organic material in the spot where you want to grow it. The more the merrier. Bagged compost is ok. Give the plants some room. 3 feet of room is the best. If you plant them closer you just get a little smaller plant. Give em room and they will get monstrous. Your plants will need to be fed. If you use pelletized fertilizer that is fine but please be careful how much you use while the plants are growing. Too much fertilizer will kill an okra plant. I have had to relearn this so many times. I like to fertilize using a tablespoon at a time, every week or so. This is when the plant is a couple of feet tall. Before that use less. Always water it in and do not apply against the stalk. Spread it around. I would grow at least 10 specimans. Once you trial this okra with the 10 specimen's you can gauge how many plants you will need the following year based on how well the trial worked out for you. This okra variety makes okra slower than Heavyhitter, but for longer. Its a different type of okra. When Heavyhitter okra is not producing or winding down, AfricanX is still chugging along, doing its thing. And, they are nice looking plants. If you like flowers AfricanX is the okra for you. Giant blooms. Twice as big as other okra plants. Kind of a yellowish white bloom that opens up late in the morning and stays around for you to admire for a few hours, then closes, turning pinkish in color at that time. The next day the bloom will fall off the plant. I can't wait for you to try this okra.
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Post by glen on Oct 13, 2019 14:02:28 GMT -6
Bon, I am excited that you will trial AfricanX okra. Great news. I will be extremely interested in seeing foto's and hearing about this okra's progress as it grows in your yard.
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