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Post by john on Aug 3, 2019 20:13:21 GMT -6
Ron you know more about okra than any one I know! Great info. This year I am growing Cowhorn, that one can grow nice and tall. I maybe have a dozen plants that is it. I have them planted on new soil, so I won't have any fusarium which has been a problem for me in the past.
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Post by rdback on Oct 4, 2019 22:12:03 GMT -6
THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM!
I got up at 4:30 this morning, to go Horn Worm hunting in my tomato patch, using a black light flashlight. By 5:00 am, I had 19 horn Worms collected.
I think my black light flashlight just paid for itself today!
The only thing better than a paper plate full of homegrown tomatoes is a paper plate full of Homegrown Tomato Horn Worms! I think these guys might actually be Tobacco Hornworms. They have red horns. Tomato hornworms have dark blue or black horns. Doesn't really matter, as long as they aren't on your plants! Looks like I might have to look for one of those black-light lights!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Sept 15, 2020 3:54:39 GMT -6
Shorter Days as Autumn Approaches I've just received an interesting email from one of my customers:
September 15, 2020
Hi Ron, my okra is growing well and I harvested a few pods but they are not edible. They are very hard even though I pick them when they are young. My friends said the same thing. We water them and take very good care of them but the plants give very hard okra and not very productive. 1 plant giving about 3 -5 okra. Is this variety give hard okra? Very hard that you cannot eat them. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Sad as it is; this was my reply.
This is perfectly normal for this time of year. All okra will begin doing that in late summer, as the days become shorter and the nights begin getting too cool for optimum growth to occur. The shorter days and cooler nights will slow down the growth rate of the pods, causing them not to develop much length before they start getting tough.
The tenderness of any okra pod depends less on the length of the pod, but more on the age of the pod. Okra should be harvested about 4-days after blossom set. Any pod 4-days old or older will begin getting tough really fast. In late summer, when the days grow shorter and the nights begin growing cooler, the pod's growth rate is severely affected, causing them to gain length much more slowly. This late in the season a 4 day old pod might only be 2" inches long, whereas a 4 day old pod in late June might reach a length of 6" or 8" inches with near perfect growing conditions.
Shorter day length in Mid-September sends a signal to the plant that it's time to start slowing down. (After all, Autumn Solstice is only 7 days away).
You may notice the sun is setting a lot earlier in the evenings now. The days have been getting shorter ever since the summer solstice, which occurred June 21. Since that time, we have lost approximately two hours of daylight, per 24-hour growth cycle. That loss of sunlight, coupled with the lower temperatures will severely retard growth rates of your okra, causing 4-day-old pods to remain quite short. Though they may look tender, they will be tough at that age of development.
Any pods harvested at this time of year will be more suited for pickling or stir fry purposes than for pan frying. (Remember: Be sure only to harvest the youngest pods, 4 days old or less). It's best to ignore size at this juncture in their development and just concentrate on days since blossom set.
All the best, Ron
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 12, 2021 17:11:26 GMT -6
I just happened on to this article about using an 'Instant Pot' set on its lowest setting (the yogurt setting) to germinate warm weather crop seeds, like peppers, okra, or tomatoes.
It was written By, Lindsay Campbell, Modern Farmer SMITHSONIANMAG.COM APRIL 12, 2021 11:52AM
How to Germinate Seeds for Your Garden Using an Instant Pot
In recent years, the Instant Pot has soared in popularity as a one-stop shop for pressure-cooking, sautéing, steaming and boiling. Its multi-uses have made it a useful appliance to easily prepare anything from rice to pot-roast. But one lesser-known function of this kitchen gadget is that it can serve as a reliable incubator for germinating garden seeds.
This can be particularly helpful if you want to speed up germination with warm-weather crops, such as tomatoes, melons, peppers and cucumbers, and you don’t want to buy a heating mat. It can also be a useful tool if you’re simply late to germinate your seeds or live in an area with a colder climate and a shorter growing season.
For those new to gardening, seed germination is the first process in growing food when a seed breaks out of its dormant stage and begins its development into a seedling. Seeds require a certain temperature and moisture to transition out of their dormant state. Most seeds germinate in an environment between 68°F and 86°F.
At its lowest “yogurt setting” at 91°F, the Instant Pot is able to provide a controlled, consistent greenhouse-like environment, producing germinated seeds in as little time as 24 hours to seven days. Given that the temperature of the water is on the higher side, this method is best for warmer-weather crops or those that prefer a temperature range from 76°F to 86°F. We don’t recommend using the Instant Pot for cool-weather crops, such as those in the brassica family.
Instant Pot At its lowest “yogurt setting” at 91°F, the Instant Pot is able to provide a controlled, consistent greenhouse-like environment. (Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post via Getty Images) If you’re unsure about what may be the ideal temperature for your seeds and it doesn’t say on your seed package, the University of California has compiled this helpful cheat sheet.
Want to give it a whirl? Follow our instructions below.
What you will need: Seeds Plastic Ziploc bag Paper towel Sharpie Strainer Instant Pot Pie plate/casserole dish and lid (optional) Potting containers for germinated seeds Soil or potting mix Steps: 1. For every four or five seeds you are using, you will need one sheet of paper towel. Soak your paper towel sheets to the point that the sheet feels damp but not sopping wet. If it is too wet, it can make your seeds susceptible to mold.
2. Dump your seeds on the bottom half of each sheet. There should be an inch between each one so the roots have room to grow. Fold the top half of the damp paper towel sheet over your seeds and place it inside the Ziploc bag.
3. Label your bags with a Sharpie.
4. Pour a half-cup of water into the pot and place your strainer inside. The water not only ensures that the appliance has something to heat up once it is turned on but will help foster a warm, humid environment. Make sure to change the water in your strainer every two to three days to avoid bacteria from brewing.
5. Turn your Instant Pot on the lowest temperature on the yogurt setting at 91°F. (This will be the water temperature). You will need to restart your Instant Pot on this setting every eight to 99 hours. This depends on the version of your appliance. The maximum amount of time it is set to run on this setting can vary.
6. Place your bags into the strainer. You can stack them as high as you want. Cover your Instant Pot with your lid. This can be a casserole or other appliance lid if you don’t want to attach the Instant Pot lid. On the strainer, the seeds inside the bags will be contained in a temperature of 86°F. If you have seeds that thrive in slightly lower temperatures, you can take a glass or metal pie plate or casserole dish and place it over top of the strainer. Put your bags on top of the plate and cover it with a casserole dish lid. The extra plate provides an additional barrier from the water and takes about 10°F off the temperature.
7. You should check on your seeds twice a day after about 24 hours. If your seeds have been recently purchased or have a softer coating, you may notice that they start to germinate within a full day. Other crops can take up to a week for the majority of seeds to germinate. You will know that they are ready to be removed and transplanted when the seeds have sprouted a tiny white root about an inch or two in length. As you check on your seeds, make sure your hands are clean and be mindful of mold. If you start to see white fuzz growing on your seeds or on your paper towel, you have mold. You can kill it in its early stages by spraying it with a mix of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide.
8. Remove your seeds from the bags once they have germinated. Take a sanitized pair of tweezers and use your tweezers to grab the seed body—not the root—when you transfer them to a container with soil. Removing and transplanting the seeds as soon as they are germinated can prevent roots from getting tangled or rotting inside the bags.
9. Once you’ve transplanted your seeds, make sure you have dug a tiny hole in the soil in your pot or container. Place the seed with the root pointing down towards the soil. Bury only the white root part and keep what remains of the seed above the soil line. Then give it about a tablespoon of water.
Additional Care Tips: After germination occurs, seedlings require about 12 to 16 hours of light each day. If you do not have access to sunlight for this amount of time, grow lights are a helpful tool. Your potting mix should also have good air flow to prevent damping off disease. University of Minnesota Extension explains how to identify, prevent and manage the disease here.
You will also need to “harden off” your seedlings for a few weeks before you move them outside. This essentially means gradually introducing your seedlings to outdoor-like conditions while they are indoors to ensure they transition well when it is time to plant them in the garden. The University of Maryland Extension provides a few tips on best practices here.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2021 17:31:13 GMT -6
How about that! This is something I'd pull off, only I don't have an instapot. I'm using a heat mat now and I LOVE it.
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Post by macmex on Apr 13, 2021 6:39:53 GMT -6
My son and daughter who don't live nearby have both recommended that we get a rice cooker, which, on my own, I would probably never do. After all, "if I can do it with a regular pot, why get another gizmo?" Well, while visiting my daughter she proudly showed me her rice cooker and how well it made rice. It too, has a yogurt setting.
I wanted to start a sourdough culture while visiting her and settled on using the rice cooker on the yogurt setting. That's the perfect temperature for initiating a sourdough culture. It worked like a charm.
Last week I received an unexpected package in the mail. My daughter got me a rice cooker....
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 17, 2021 19:23:19 GMT -6
One of you Rice Cooker folks needs to germinate a Ziplock baggie of warm weather seeds and let the rest of us know how it worked out.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 25, 2021 23:58:00 GMT -6
Gardening Trick When hacking weeds, roots, and all, out from your garden, a common, straight claw, framing hammer works better than any other tool I've ever found, (No matter what the fancy name or the high price).
It's plenty heavy enough to sink deeply into the ground with only one blow, it's highly affordable, it's durable, It's got a dual purpose for driving nails, as well as pulling weeds, it's deadly accurate and well balanced, plus it's made of tooled steel that is designed for bouncing off of hard objects with little or no harm done to the claws.
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Post by macmex on Apr 26, 2021 5:47:02 GMT -6
One of these times I'm going to have to get me one of those!
Oh, and yes, I've already used my rice cooker (set on yogurt) to start pepper seeds. It worked very well. Makes good yogurt too.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 26, 2021 10:41:41 GMT -6
Thanks, for the report on using the rice cooker turned to the yogurt setting. That's good information to have. All the heating pads I can find have a 'safety' shut-off after only an hour or so of use. That makes them useless as heat mats for germinating seeds. I usually end up carrying okra seeds around in my pocket to keep them warm because I'm too cheap to buy a regular gardening heat mat. Carrying Ziplock bags of seeds around in my pocket is more reliable than using the Walmart-type heating pads that I can find for sale around here.
The new Harbor Freight Store in Tahlequah has all-steel framing hammers at a good price.
I bought mine, years ago, on eBay for $9.00 it's a 22 ounce Estwing framing hammer that costs around $60.00 at Lowe's. Sometimes, you can get really good deals on eBay, other times, you just get ripped off. I think I'd rather shop at Harbor Freight.
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Post by macmex on Apr 26, 2021 14:55:18 GMT -6
Ron, I believe I have purchased a couple of cheap heating pads at the Dollar General Store. They didn't have an auto shut off. They, too, work well. But since my daughter got me a rice cooker, I've been using it. Tonight, though, I think ... I'll make some rice
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Post by chrysanthemum on Apr 26, 2021 19:53:33 GMT -6
We had rice for dinner tonight, too, served with our pepper steak. It was cooked in a pot on the stovetop, not a rice maker, since I don’t own one (and just passed one up at a yard sale.). I do, however, have a heat mat for plants since we used to start our plants in a cool basement in Virginia. I hadn’t used the mat since moving to Texas, but this year I pulled it out during the big freeze to keep the plants a bit warmer. Since it was already out, I thought I’d go ahead and use it for my current round of Ajicito Pepper seeds. When I don’t have a heat mat and want extra warmth for seeds I use several options. The top of the refrigerator is often warm consistently, but I’ve been sprouting ginger this spring and have been keeping it on top of the microwave, and that has worked well. We don’t cook in the microwave but use it periodically for reheating leftovers or making a hot beverage, and that periodic warmth seems to linger (maybe because it’s under a cabinet), and for me it’s a convenient place to place soaking seeds.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 27, 2021 21:23:19 GMT -6
I sometimes leave seeds on top of the hot water tank. It's usually consistently warm up there. It's just not the most convenient place to get to.
Today, I carried moist seeds in ziplock bags, in my shirt pocket all day. I had two planting sessions, one this morning, then another one around dusk as more seeds sprouted during the course of the day. I got about 200 okra seeds planted out in my black Plasticulture. The County Agent in Logan County called to ask if it was okra planting time yet. I told him, "I hope so, since I started planting it today."
I never put all of my eggs in one basket though. I'll continue planting okra seeds a few every week until June. That way, I'll have okra that doesn't all come on at once, or play out all at once. I'll be harvesting tender pods from late-June until Frost.
Before I started selling seeds, I harvested about 2,000 pounds of tender pods each season for the Farmers' Market. Then, last year, Covid-19 pretty much shut down the farmers' Market, so it turned out that I had a lot more seeds to sell than usual.
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Post by macmex on Apr 28, 2021 4:21:18 GMT -6
Well, that worked out well! Wouldn't you know, this was the year that the whole world decided they wanted Heavyhitter Okra!
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Apr 28, 2021 6:51:11 GMT -6
Survivor Library While browsing gardening websites to pass the time until the rain lets up enough to go open my henhouse door, I happened onto an interesting website that gives a person access to pages, and pages, of old book titles that are out of print. It's called, "The Survivor Library" It has links leading to pdf format pages of all kinds of neat information on gardening, farming, beekeeping, making cheeses, making soap, shoemaking, sewing, medicines, machinery, stone masonry, and many more. I'll definitely be reading through a lot of old books today.
Here's the link: www.survivorlibrary.com/library-download.html
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