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Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 28, 2022 22:02:59 GMT -6
Nothing could make me happier than to see you outdo me. That would be great! Study up on the book that Charles Wilber wrote and pile the compost to that maximum security 23/1 lockdown okra enclosure you've got under construction and hang on! You might just do it! In fact there's a pretty good chance you could. I'll be rootin' for ya! Team work, that's what makes this whole board worth while.
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Post by woodeye on Aug 28, 2022 22:30:56 GMT -6
Thank you heavyhitterokra, I'll do my best to have a few protected stalks that have a chance to produce. That alone would make my garden a success next year...
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Post by chrysanthemum on Aug 29, 2022 19:11:33 GMT -6
I saw my first flower on a side branch today. The okra is liking this cooler weather. It only hit 96 today, and we’ve got some possibility for scattered showers in the forecast. I watered them well this morning, but I’m still praying for rain. I think the okra just didn’t want to branch until the heat went down below 100. It was just surviving but not flourishing. I’m hoping that it will now start to flourish.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Aug 29, 2022 20:06:13 GMT -6
Nothing seems to like temperatures of 100° or more. At those temperatures the plants just seem to go into 'survival mode' and shut down production, waiting for better times. Hopefully, with the advent of September, you'll soon be experiencing 'better times'.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Aug 30, 2022 19:58:22 GMT -6
Is that okra beginning to bolt, heavyhitterokra? This plant isn’t even as tall as I am yet, but it does seem to be stretching at the top a bit. Its roots found a crack in one of my ollas and made their way inside, so it has a direct pipeline to water. I think it likes that.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 4, 2022 10:16:33 GMT -6
Chrysathemum,
Sorry, it took me so long to reply. I guess I overlooked this thread while reading so many others. Yes, that would be my guess. They seem to do that really soon after the days start getting noticeably shorter in late August, and early September. That's usually a sign of what one might call their "Swan Dance". I imagine that plant's days of production are numbered. At least that's what happens at my Latitude. The plant won't die necessarily, but it will start going downhill fairly quickly from that point on.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Sept 4, 2022 13:10:46 GMT -6
I’ve been keeping you busy with all my other posts, I think.
I’ll have to see what happens with the okra. The plant is putting on side branches, but they aren’t big and flowering yet. It hasn’t produced much so far because of all the heat earlier, so I’m not sure that it can really go much farther downhill. I guess it just wouldn’t go uphill at this point.
I’m planning to cook up our first (half) mess of okra for dinner tonight. It’s only half a pound, but I’ll combine it with some onions and peppers to extend it. I’m looking forward to it.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 5, 2022 15:05:17 GMT -6
One of my seed growers was kind enough to post the results of his 2021 okra variety trials. (I appreciate that very much). I'll attempt to post a copy of your report below. Sorry about the size that came out. I don't know how to fix that, so I guess you'll have to zoom in to see it.
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Post by chrysanthemum on Sept 5, 2022 16:10:22 GMT -6
I was able to enlarge it, and it was really interesting. I especially liked seeing how Heavy Hitter came on strong in late August and September. It would be great if mine did that here since we finally have temperatures down in the nineties. I have some promising branches filling out.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 5, 2022 17:31:38 GMT -6
George came over this afternoon and the two of us picked a 5-gallon bucket of okra for him to take back home. He traded me a jar of homegrown honey, way, way, worth a 5-gallon bucket of okra.
I got a few photos while I was out there. The recent heavy rains have really perked things up!
This grasshopper thought he was being sneaky.
This is one the deer trampled on their way out.
The gap between the rows gets narrower every day.
I'm 6' foot tall, these are just above eye level to me.
Just a look between the rows.
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Post by woodeye on Sept 5, 2022 18:47:56 GMT -6
Nice trade there, and oh boy, what an okra patch!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 6, 2022 7:21:36 GMT -6
Just a little humor. The guy who sent me his okra Field Trial report also sent a comment about what to expect after the growing season, when it's time to pull the plants up by the roots.
Ron, FYI ... total would have been higher, but I lost a lot of seedlings to "critters". 100+ pods per plant is very realistic. Will see what next year brings. Hopefully, this will not be an "oriental okra" where the roots go all the way to China. Thanks for the support. John
My reply: Great report, John! That's what it's all about! My okra plants here at home are most definitely oriental okra plants, with roots reaching all the way down to China, then wrapping themselves around pagodas, and Chinese opium shops. bus stops, old crumbling brick fire stations, previously hatched Godzilla chick eggs, and the occasional Chinese egg roll vendor. (The vendors there kind of get upset about that). I've had letters ...
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 10, 2022 7:43:05 GMT -6
I just discovered this morning, that if you enlarge the following photo, you can walk down this row in my garden 'virtually' by panning along, looking at the pods and blossoms. It's kind of cool to do.
These particular plants are about 6' foot tall, by about 6' foot wide, due to heavy branching. Zooming in to the full extent raises the borders to 'eye level' similar to what it really looks like while walking down the rows.For an accurate height reference, the electric fence at the end of this row is 7' feet tall, using 8' foot steel posts to support it. The gate at the end of the row is about 5 1/2' feet tall to the top at the hinge side (right side of photo). The other side (chain side, left side) is drooping slightly.
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Post by woodeye on Sept 10, 2022 7:59:03 GMT -6
Mercy! My eyeballs bugged out so far that they knocked off my eyeglasses. Okra plants can't look better than THAT!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 10, 2022 13:14:19 GMT -6
It was 92° here yesterday at noon, it's 92° again today. The heavy rains in August made the plants think it was June. The okra is blooming like crazy right now! I sure hope they have time to make seeds before frost.
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