|
Post by glen on Nov 20, 2018 13:40:31 GMT -6
I have some foto's to post that I am so proud of that I am posting them on the wrong thread! Look at these Heidi tomato plants. Now, there are no tomato's yet, but I couldn't wait to show the progress. No chemical pesticides have been used so far. Its possible that I will have tomato's by Xmas. I have never had success with paste tomato's in my 9 years of living in Panama. Now, these plants are growing in small pots which will affect the size of the plants and the yield. But, with some luck there will be a decent harvest. Remember, my soil is infested with nematodes. If these plants provide a yield at all it will be a miracle, even if the length of the harvest is cut short. In my province, you can look around all you want in the barrio's and you will not see paste tomato's being grown. Its considered a waste of time. My hopes are high! Happy ThanxGiving to all before I forget!
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Nov 20, 2018 16:55:18 GMT -6
Glen,
What a beautiful post, thanks for sharing. The photos came out great. You and George take way better pictures than I ever do. From that angle, it's almost like being there. Those photos will be my official "Feel Good" spot for the rest of the day.
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Nov 21, 2018 7:10:11 GMT -6
We ought to start a "Heidi tomato" thread under tomatoes! I'm tied up today, but if you'd like, maybe Glen could start the thread and I'll see about moving that post to the thread. That would make it way easier for people to find the information.
Glen, that IS a wonderful set of photos! Looks like you are headed for success!
|
|
|
Post by glen on Nov 21, 2018 14:16:34 GMT -6
George, there is already a Heidi forum thread. I posted on it already. This time of year, people aren't really browsing the tomato forum. My tomato season is a little out of whack. I finally discovered that for me, Oct is the best month to grow Tomato's, bittermelon, jalepeno, Cow-pea's etc. April-May is the best time for me to plant okra and malabar spinach.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 6, 2019 15:26:24 GMT -6
Hello everyone and Happy new year! Its been awhile since I have posted. I have been seed saving. I donated 5 lbs of seed to the Panama Peace Corps. I do not know what is going to happen with that. I may never hear back from them again. I will mention any information they give me about what people think about AfricanX okra. If I get any. I didn't sense much enthusiasm from the representative that I worked with. But, I cannot let that discourage me. George also sent a sample of this seed to Echo in Florida. The lady at Echo mentioned that they do plan to plant a sample but do not plan to save any seed from the trial. This tells me that they try different seed probably every year and rarely do they find something they are interested in. Fair enough. At any rate, I know that this okra is a fine variety. That has to be good enough. Once I get started on my new planting for 2019, there will be more posts. There is nothing really to post about this time of year. Oh, I have been sending seed out to people to try but not much. There is just no demand for AfricanX okra at this time. Not even if its free.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 8, 2019 15:27:40 GMT -6
Ok, if you haven't noticed I did post a heidi tomato review on the tomato section of the forum so make sure and check that out. The variety is a very special hot weather resistant tomato.
It is early I know to be thinking about gardening. However, here in Panama it is considered summer. The kids are out of school. Its hot and windy with clear sky's and zero rain. I am growing Heidi tomato's, Tam Jalepeno and Malabar spinach right now. The malabar spinach is left over from last April's planting. I thought it would all die. But, it has returned and is growing like brand new. I do not know that much about Malabar spinach since last year was the first year I really got into growing it. It is very easy to grow. And, it tastes almost like traditional spinach. I cannot even taste the difference. I have been trying to coax my plants into making some seed for me. Or, if that doesn't work I will take cuttings and plant it that way. I did not know that Malabar spinach could be kept alive this long. It is very practical to grow and I eat it every chance I get.
I also planted 2 okra plants in 10 gallon pots in early Oct. I wanted to try AfricanX okra during the dry season. The two plants are very small now, even though they are over 3.5 months old. I do not know the reason. I have had this experience with other okra in the past. They stay small and produce less during the dry season. I water them regularly and care for them properly. Plants are full of okra now. Probably 20 or so okra on each plant. They are only about 24 inches tall. They look nice but look like little runts. I have not cut any okra off either plant. I will however, save seed from the best plant. And, I will plant a nice sample of that seed in April or beginning of May, my normal okra planting time. The pods look nice and fat but they are still green. Everything is happening extremely slow for these 2 okra plants. Dry season is not the time to plant okra in Panama. They will grow, but not exceptionally well. Nor do they produce a lot of okra. I do not know the reason. Other variety's are the same way. They grow much shorter and produce much less okra. At any rate, the seed on these plants should be fine and will give me another generation of genetic stabilization that this new okra desperately needs. I will plant some of this seed.
If you have been keeping up with this garden blog at all you know that normally, AfricanX okra grows to be over 7 feet tall and is very wide and branchy and produces slowly, but for a very long harvest season. Most of my plants produce way over 100 pods over a 5 or 6 month harvest season. Way different than traditional Abelmoschus Esculentus okra.
We still do not know what part of the okra family AfricanX okra belongs too. I am predicting that it will fall in the African okra, or Abelmoschus Caillie part of the family since this okra seems to look more like African okra and perform more like African okra. I guess it really doesn't matter does it?
AfricanX okra is tough as nails and produces the goods. It hasn't let me down yet.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 8, 2019 15:43:20 GMT -6
A few folks, like George and Ron, have been following me on this journey with the okra and Panama Gardening for a long time. I can see where this project is getting long in the tooth. There aren't many followers nor readers. That is ok. There aren't many people in the world interested in okra, nor is this a blog that is marketed to a mass audience. I appreciate the small audience I have and the friendships I have made. I will continue logging my experiences with AfricanX okra right here, on Green Country Seed Saver. And, I will continue to share seed with those that would like to have some. I don't have to worry about being over-whelmed with seed requests do I?
At any rate, I am already planning to do something different this year with a small sample of AfricanX okra. I plan to plant 6 specimans in the ground this year in a known nematode infestation area. The nematodes are present in my garden area and they have been there for several years. I claim that my AfricanX okra is nematode resistant. So, here is the plan.
I will dig a hole in the ground, about 24 inches wide about a foot deep, throwing the dirt in my wheel barrow. I will then add a huge helping of Abonat compost. Abonat is fermented, composted wood shavings and is the compost product I buy every year. I bought 1000 lbs of this stuff already. I will add 25 lbs of compost to the wheel barrow plus a hand full of fertilizer and a hand full of lime to the wheel barrow. I will then use a hoe and a shovel to mix the soil up extremely well before returning it to the hole in the ground. This will make a mound. In a row, I will repeat this process for the next plant, until I have 6 mounds.
I will tamp down and shape the mounds. Making sure that there will be at least 30 inches between plants in the row. If I make 2 rows there will be 6 feet at least between rows. So, it might be 2 rows of 3 mounds.
I will sew about 10 seeds in each mound, letting them compete with each other and I will cull them until there is one plant left.
All the work will be done with a pic mattock and a shovel and a hoe.
This will tell us once and for all if these plants are nematode resistant or not. I will sew the seed towards the end of April. This will be an interesting project.
I will also have my normal 19 plants in 10 gallon pots.
Again, to those who follow this blog, thanx for sticking around. I know my project is getting long in the tooth.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 8, 2019 17:37:36 GMT -6
Threads about gardening never get long in the tooth. Especially in the offseason. Anything we read in the Winter months is highly appreciated.
Thanks, for the update, Glen.
|
|
|
Post by macmex on Feb 9, 2019 9:34:08 GMT -6
I'll be looking forward to hearing how things work with the intensive compost approach. I understand that abundant organic material retards nematodes. It certainly shouldn't do anything apart from helping.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 9, 2019 9:48:25 GMT -6
Lots of compost is good. It can be over done. For example, if you add to much compost it can make the soil real soft and supple. If you are growing a plant that grows very tall and big, this might not be good. The soil may not support the plant, allowing it to fall over. I am hoping that the okra will throw off sufficient roots to anchor itself in the soil so it does not fall over. We will find out easily enough if the plants fall over.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 9, 2019 23:09:29 GMT -6
Hello Bon! I am glad that you will be trying AfricanX okra. George and I have seed so one of us can send you some seed so you can try it. I suggest that you grow your favorite variety of okra also. This will extend your season. Your favorite okra will produce the majority of your early harvest. By the time that harvest is played out, AfricanX okra will be in full production, giving you an extended season. Just plant AfricanX okra as far away as you possibly can from your other variety so they don't have much of an opportunity to cross. Both variety's will get along splendidly.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 10, 2019 13:33:19 GMT -6
Thanks, for the comments, Bon. They are appreciated. Sometimes, when you grow so much okra (The way Glen and I do) it gets to be kind of a 'four letter word' with members of your own household. It's nice to know someone out there appreciates what we're doing.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 10, 2019 20:06:06 GMT -6
Bon, I am hearing you talk about fried okra. I like fried okra. But, I never eat it that way. I mostly eat it steamed. Just throw about 20 pods in a small pot with some salt and water and steam em whole for about 5 minutes. They are practically calorie free and are incredibly good for you. No mess either. I eat em with my fingers. You get tons of fibre, plus lots of vitamins. Plus, you get the slime, or mucilagen. This slime is a kind of lubricant fibre that our digestive system needs. Makes everything in our gut work better. No matter what I am having for lunch, I like to have some steamed okra on the side with it. Its very medicinal. Now, its not as delicous as fried okra nor will the kids like it steamed most likely. But, when you start eating it this way, it grows on you. The more lightly steamed veggy's you eat, the better off you are. I like to eat a lot of steamed cabbage and brocolli and cauliflour as well.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Feb 11, 2019 17:56:03 GMT -6
Bon, if your Husband's family was raised anything like mine, they probably boiled the heck out of everything!
Not too long ago, it was done for food safety. All their canned goods came from the garden and were stored down in the basement all Summer, and Autumn, until it was cold enough outside in Winter to live off of whatever you had stored in canning jars. By then, lizards, mice, cats, and who knows what had climbed all over the lids. I remember grandma sending us kids to her basement to fetch her a few jars of green beans and a sack of potatoes. We would marvel at the tiny tracks we'd find along on top of the dusty fruit jar lids. It was a special treat to find a lizard skeleton.
Grandma would boil everything for at least 20 minutes before she served it. Especially green beans and other low acid foods. They were scared to death of botulism. Probably for good reason. My grandma was born in 1898 and my grandpa in 1890. Imagine the tales they must have heard while growing up in the backwoods of Arkansas with no doctors for 15 or 20 miles in any direction.
|
|
|
Post by glen on Feb 12, 2019 15:51:12 GMT -6
Bon, what is Egyptian spinach? I grow something called Malabar spinach here in Panama. It is a vining type plant that you pick the succulent leaves off of and it quickly grows more leaves. You can start more plants by cutting the stems and then planting them in different pots. It tastes just like regular spinach to me. People call it different names also so I was wondering what Egyptian spinach was.
|
|