|
Post by glen on May 10, 2019 18:23:23 GMT -6
Hello everyone. This is a new thread on AfricanX okra. I will be posting foto's and doing some commentary on this years okra planting. I also welcome your foto's of africanX okra if you are growing it and your comments. Or, questions. I will say in advance that I do not know how well this trial will do. I am going to record the trial from start to finish with foto's and commentary so if it turns out to be a flop, you will be looking at the project as it flops. And, vice versa. If it turns out well, you will see it here. I have what I believe is a superb new variety of tropical okra but it needs to be grown out. The more generations the better. I started this breeding project in 2015 so this is still a brand new variety of okra. I will also be saving a lot of seed. If we are lucky, George will also grow a row. No one has grown a better looking row of AfricanX okra than George. George has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that this okra can be grown successfully in Oklahoma. We have agreed that AfricanX okra is a companion okra to traditional okra. You grow both. Growing both gives you a much longer harvest season as traditional okra provides a quick, huge but short harvest. AfricanX okra takes a little longer but the harvest continues until Mother Winter kills her. AfricanX okra will not readily interbreed with your traditional okra either so it is not a big worry. At any rate, I am excited and ready to eat some okra! AFRICANX Okra. Seeds were planted on April 24. I planted 19 in 10 gallon pots. I also planted 12 in 2 short rows. Plants in the ground are 24 inches apart. Rows are about 6 feet apart. I have very little space in my yard. I used composted wood shavings mixed with the normal dirt. My dirt is very nasty, filled with rocks and debris. I used a lot of organic material in the soil. My soil is also very acidic. Plants are now about 15 days old. I planted 6 seeds in each pot. Almost every seed germinated. At least 90% germination rate. Every generation has shown better germination so far.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 10, 2019 18:33:04 GMT -6
I just bought a new Sony Cyber-shot point and shoot digital camera. Yes, its a cheapy. But, it takes better foto's than the antique I have been using. I plan to take lots of fotos and post them on this thread. I will take foto's probably once per week or more if there is something to show. Plus close ups as well to show how this okra branches etc and so you can see how beautiful the blooms are. The blooms are huge! and, gorgeous. When these plants are young and blooming they are some of the prettiest okra plants around. Please feel free to join us here and your comments and opinions are welcome. Questions on growing AfricanX okra are always welcome as well.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 10, 2019 21:40:51 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 12, 2019 10:57:25 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 12, 2019 16:31:33 GMT -6
I do not know yet how big of a problem this iguana thing is going to be yet. Today I shot a young one with the sling shot. It was about 20 inches long and quite fat and green. I stunned him. Then I walked over to him and grabbed him. He then started wriggling around and whipping me with his tail. I looked at my arm and it was covered with blood! Iguana's have this sharp fin on their tail and it really cuts you up! I have heard that when they get older and bigger its even more effective. I bagged this fella up and jumped on the scooter and released him in the next barrio over where he can terrorize them. Then, later in the day I saw a bigger, old iquana trying to come in the yard. This one is much more shy though and wouldn't hang out long enough for me to shoot him with the sling shot. I would say there is at least 3 more iguana's in the general area that are terrorizing my okra seedlings. I immediately replace any damaged plants with new seed but the damage they can do is ridiculous. I will be carrying the sling shot from now on.
|
|
|
Post by macmex on May 12, 2019 19:14:00 GMT -6
¿Pollo del arbol?
I'm surprised the neighbors haven't taken care of this for you
By the way, I was able to see all the photos.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 12, 2019 22:23:43 GMT -6
These are young iguana. Not big enough to feed anyone. Plenty big enough to eat your garden though. If you want big iguana go live in South Florida. Biggest iguana I have ever seen. Not that many folks eat em down there. I do occasionally see the neighbors chasing iguana though. Not real big ones either. I never see truly big iguana's here in Panama. They can get 20 lbs.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 14, 2019 19:11:21 GMT -6
We are starting to get over-cast weather now. We did get a nice rain a few days ago, the first of the year. We are technically in the rainy season although we aren't seeing much rain. Things aren't growing much. Okra is just sitting there. A few are beginning to put on their first true leaves. I have several different veggy's planted and none are growing much in the weather we have now. Even my tomato's are just sitting there, dormant. I believe it was yesterday we had a 6.2 earth quake in the Chiriqui province. About 4 hours by bus away from me. I wouldn't have known it except for it was on the news. It appears that the rain could come at any moment but its mostly just fake-outs for the time being. We need rain.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 14, 2019 19:13:24 GMT -6
Oh, I have not seen any iquana's today. I got the worst offender I do believe. The rest are much more shy. But, the problem is not solved I am sure. I am keeping a lookout.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 15, 2019 13:25:48 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by macmex on May 16, 2019 6:12:07 GMT -6
That one comes up with an error, Glen. Can't find the photos.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 16, 2019 12:16:31 GMT -6
I went back and copy and pasted the album link again. Hopefully it will work this time. I am now experimenting with Google photo's. This allows me to make albums and I am not subjected to losing the foto's if my computer dies. Google foto's is a very simple program for beginners like myself. My computer came with Microsoft photos. That is a similar program actually but my computer does not work when I try to use it. I get frozen page screen's when I go to that site for whatever reason. Let me know if you can see that album now George. For me, it is working fine.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 16, 2019 12:35:31 GMT -6
At least for the time being I will be putting general foto's up on this thread. Yes, I will be putting okra foto's up also. For the moment, the okra is not much to look at. They are doing fine though. I have been having to replant seed in the 2 rows in the ground. Pests have been eating the seedlings as they come up. I will keep replanting seed until I the okra survives in the rows. The seedling stage is the most dangerous time for okra. At least that is my experience. Once they get a little size to them nothing much bothers them. I have replanted the okra at least 3 times since 24 May which was the first day I sewed seed in those rows. There are seedlings in the row that are damaged. The iguana eats the first baby leaves and leaves the rest of the plant. I want to see if seedlings can survive this. So, I just resewed seed near the damaged seedlings. I will thin out the seedlings later when I am fairly sure they have a good chance of survival. Seedlings in the big 10 gallon pots look fine. Growth is slow but the seedlings are robust. Germination rates are excellent this season. 90% or better.
|
|
|
Post by glen on May 16, 2019 18:07:26 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by macmex on May 17, 2019 5:57:20 GMT -6
Glen,
I use IMGUR which is free and allows me to save and post images on forums. Just go there and click on "Sign up." If you have any problems let me know. I think you'll like it. Just be sure to use one of the BBC code links when you want to post an image here.
By the way, what's this?
|
|