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Post by hedgeapple on Nov 19, 2021 6:02:39 GMT -6
Ron, I recently joined a seed swap group on Facebook and have sent out about 70 envelopes of okra seeds (Old Red Blush) over the past month. In total, I have only cracked about 30 pods, picking out the obvious duds, blowing out the chaff, and in doing so have developed an even greater respect for your diligent labor. For me, the biggest learning curve has been everything relating to the mailing of the seeds, including packaging, and my eyes have certainly been opened as to why you send instructions with your seeds! I've had multiple people contact me to say they have never received their seeds and one person messaged me yesterday under the impression that they could plant their okra now, in November, in Indiana... Cracking the pods and chasing each segment does appear to be a time consuming element. In terms of quality, I noticed that in a good pod there may be a few underdeveloped seeds per pod, but in a bad pod they can all look moldy and shrivelled. No rhyme or reason to it as I only keep good mature pods from the best-of-the-best plants, and all under the same conditions, but nature has a mind of its own, LOL. Maybe rather than a "seed extractor" I am thinking of a "pod crusher". Same thing? It would have to be spaced just right for maximum seed ejection. Here's an industrial scale prototype I came across: www.researchgate.net/figure/Prototype-okra-seed-extractor_fig2_228662483
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Nov 20, 2021 19:58:44 GMT -6
Hedgeapple,
Thanks, for posting that. Some kind of pod crusher would be a really handy thing to have around. I've noticed that even the geese chewing the pods to crush them is a big help. They are a nuisance when I'm shelling pods because they tend to step on my pans and flip seed everywhere, but every time they crush a pod it is appreciated. Too bad they tear up more than they fix and I eventually end up running them off, because they are good company and an entertaining distraction at times.
I used to work on a lot of powerhouses back when I was younger, the coal pulverizers were just big, steel cylinders that rolled over the coal, like a giant rolling pin, or a steam roller, turning the coal chunks to 'face powder' so it could be blown into the boiler cavity to burn. Thinking about that set up makes me wonder if a stationary spindle with a wheelbarrow tire or car tire on it could be mounted in a steel channel, so that okra pods passing trough the channel would be crushed? Gravity flow caused by inclining the channel might be sufficient as a way to feed the pods through if the tire was rotated by a hand crank or something. I'll have to give that some thought. The clearance needed between the bottom of the channel and the surface of the tire could be adjusted by tire inflation. The tire would probably have to rotate very slowly or it would make a huge mess but it might be worth the effort of drawing something up and building a prototype this winter in my down-time.
(Thanks, for getting my 'brain wheels' to turning by your pod crushing suggestion.) The main drawback of most steel tooth thrasher designs would be the possibility of destroying the seeds in the process of thrashing the pods. A rubber tire might alieviate that problem.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 1, 2024 22:46:19 GMT -6
Hey there gardening friends.
This is Heavy Hitter Okra, my seed selling website has been down for the past month, (since January 1, 2024) due to a clerical error.
The problem has now been resolved (as of February 1, 2024). Sorry about any inconvenience that may have caused.
To reach my homepage click the following link: www.heavyhitterokra.com/
Or just Google search, heavyhitterokra.com
I appreciate your patience, Heavy Hitter Okra February 1, 2024
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