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Post by macmex on Sept 19, 2015 14:52:40 GMT -6
Glen, It's been a tough season here too, albeit, probably, for different reasons. We had much more rain than usual. But some of that rain came at the worst possible times, preventing us from planting crops which needed the time to grow. A lot of our tomatoes rotted, due to the high humidity. And now, I believe I probably have thousands of rats, out in the field, which are eating crops in the garden. I just had to purchase poison to try and kill them before all my sweet potatoes are gone.
George
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Post by glen on Sept 19, 2015 20:07:49 GMT -6
George, Ron has been filling me in on some of the challenges you have been experiencing. Oh, I hate those rats myself. I am having them come into the house continuously. This year being the worst. My issue is field mice. Everything has gone wrong for me this year. Sorry you guys are experiencing problems also. Sweet potato's are important to me as well. They just can't form on the vines in this weather I am having. They need sun. I will be pulling up all my sweet potato's very soon. I mean, vines. There are no sweet potato's. This year I proved that even sweet potato's can be screwed up. How can ya screw up sweet potato's? That's where Murphy's law comes in I guess. Absolutely nothing I have in the garden is performing real well. Nothing. It's a famine.
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Post by glen on Sept 24, 2015 17:37:25 GMT -6
I cleared out the area where I planted chinese sweet potato's. They had purple vines. I only harvested a couple of taters. They were a strange reddish tan color with white flesh. They are also less dry than the morado, or purple skinned white flesh potatos. I saved a couple of small spuds to use as seed. I am sort of out of the sweet potato business now since I grew so many sweet potato's for so long in the same soil. I have to give the soil a break.
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Post by glen on Sept 24, 2015 17:44:39 GMT -6
The mexican creme pole beans are doing fairly well but not great. I am tending to them to try and make sure they have the best chance since I really need to produce some seed. Quite a few have died. They just wilt and die. Some have damped off. They just fall over and break off. The ones that have not died are growing. The vines are very thin and not robust but they are grabbing the fence and climbing. For awhile there, I was replacing the dead or dying plants with new seed. I quit using Mex creme seed and started putting in my own long bean variety. I have to conserve the Mex seed. Of course, my local long bean variety is pretty much bullet proof and they never die or damp off. They are just boring and common to me and I need this Mex seed to do well. Its unique as far as I am concerned. Lets wait I guess and see. It may take a few try's to get it acclimated.
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Post by glen on Sept 24, 2015 18:03:39 GMT -6
The African okra trial. I am very excited about this project. At the same time I am very disappointed in what is going on with my seedlings, which are now 27 days old. I sent some photo's to Ron. Ron's opinion is that I have some of the saddest looking little sick Africans he has ever seen. Beleive me, I am not ready to invite you over to see these little sick vagabonds. About half are sick with a viral or bacterial desease that causes the leaves to crinkle up in a ball and stunts the growth of the seedlings. I just call them sick for lack of any knowledge of what ails them. I should have known better from the beginning since I had sweet potato's and HH okra in the same area before and the same desease was evident at that time. Most of the HH okra pulled thru it. But, the plants were runts. They did produce pods though. The sweet potato's seemed to pull thru it but they did not produce any sweet potato's. Vines got huge but no cigars at the end of the day. I attributed that to the fact that we have experienced constant and consistant overcast weather Since May and we still are eperiencing it. At any rate, not all the African's are sick. None have died. Growth is very slow as they are only about 6 to 7 inches tall. The secondary leaves that aren't afflicted are heart shaped with no lobes yet. Stems are whitish in color, leaves are yellowish green with traces of purple in the veins and also in the stems. Main stalk is somewhat thick on some plants but I wouldn't call any of the plants robust. It appears that I may have some survivors even in a worse case scenario where some of the plants begin to die for whatever reason. Today I thinned out the plants, weeded, added a quality fertilizer as a side dressing and luckily, we got a nice rain shower shortly thereafter. Maybe that will kick em in the arse? Boy, they need something.
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Post by glen on Sept 24, 2015 18:15:27 GMT -6
I am guessing folks on what ails the Africans. The seeds came form ECHO in Florida. ECHO has been using this variety of African okra for a long time. I believe they probably grow this okra out in Ft Meyers Florida or some where not far from there. This means that this okra would have adapted to Florida's conditions over a period of time. The last photo I saw of this variety was taken in 2006 and the plant was grown out in Tampa Florida. Most likely ECHO has been experimenting with this okra longer than that. Florida is not a short day climate. So, bringing this plant back to a real short day climate after being in Florida probably for more than 10 years is going to present its challenges. It is my hope to get some seed out my current planting so I can continue to grow it and possibly get it to acclimate to Panama's short day climate which means, 12 hour day length. A true, short day climate. I need some luck I think. I am confident that I will have a few survivors so I can get some seed out of the deal. I like the way this plant looks. It is unique. I have seen a few photo's of African okra online. The plants show a great deal of diversity in Africa. Many of the variety's are very drab in appearance. This variety is anything but drab. In fact, it is very ornamental.
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Post by glen on Sept 24, 2015 18:35:26 GMT -6
I have several panamanian okra plants that are 30 days old and look great. Tall and robust already. Acclimation matters.
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Post by glen on Oct 1, 2015 17:32:55 GMT -6
African okra has leaf curl virus. Fortuneately my other okra is resistant to it. The African okra is growing slowly and most of it will survive. I expect that this okra will develop a resistant to his virus in the next trial if I am fortunate enough to see a seed crop. Plants are about 10 inches tall now and beginning to show bigger leaves. Not growing robustly at all but part of that is the overcast weather. Mexican creme pole beans are growing slowly but growing. They are about 3 feet tall some of them. I think that all that have survived will survive at this point. This variety is delicate and has not acclimated to my weather and climate yet. It should. Peanuts are growing like the devil. I have also planted more Zeehitter and Heavy hitter okra. In the near future I will be planting a new bean variety. It has a small reddish brown colored seed. I think its a half runner. I just learned this term. It doesn't get real tall but it needs a trellis. Very productive. I picked a few pods from some plants I saw at the fair here locally. This bean is not for sale in stores. But, it is vigorous and highly productive, puts on small pods with 6 to 8 little seed in each pod. I am not sure if the pods can be eaten when immature or not. I have to grow it to know it. I probably have at least 75 of these seeds. I consider them rare since they can only be obtained the way I got em(theft). I have never seen this variety anywhere except in the fair's public garden. Very attractive plants. The bushy half runners were absolutely full of pods when I viewed this plant. I was very impressed. I think I will name it. Panama red? That seems like a good enough name to me unless you have a suggestion George?
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Post by macmex on Oct 1, 2015 18:52:11 GMT -6
Glenn, nine chances out of ten that local bean will outperform anything imported. As far as a name goes, perhaps you might name it after the fair or the city where you got the seed. Surely with time you will find other beans down there, even red ones, and "Panama" might be too general. Just a thought.
I have harvested a bittermelon and need to read your thread again to figure out how fix it. Better yet, I have found a couple ripe ones and have a decent amount of seed now.
Thanks for keeping us updated!
George
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Post by glen on Oct 1, 2015 20:31:39 GMT -6
Thats a good thought about that name George. I need to grow it and use it before naming it. I actually got 3 different beans from the fair to try but the reddish Brown one caught my eye the most. Congrats on the bittermelon and the seed you saved. I got some of that bittermelon juice in the fridge right now. Its like a free energy drink George. Put in on ice before drinking that stuff and drink it fast. What you think about it after that I am interested in hearing. I love it. I was able to save hundreds of sedes this go round. I would like to be a fly on the Wall to see the look on your face when you first taste bittermelon juice. But, it sits in your stomach like a good friend and you will feel better. More invigorated. Ready to go to work.
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Post by glen on Oct 2, 2015 18:36:15 GMT -6
Today I was able to get out there and swing the pick axe. I churned up enough space to mix in about 40 lbs of composted wood shavings and raked up 2 10 foot rows. Then I planted 40 of those reddish brown bean seeds. I still have to go and find some poles and some of that plastic mesh material so I can rig up a little trellis for them. The area is a little shady but I have no space in the garden. Sometimes beans can make a go of it in diffuse sunlight. We'll see what happens. I have grown my long bean variety under shade cloth successfully. The leaves get bigger, the plants grow slower, but I do get a nice crop even in diffuse sunlight conditions with that variety. Especially if there are clear sky's. All variety's grow differently I think. I am sore. I swing a pick axe quite a bit at times but never really get used to it. It wouldn't be practical to buy a rototiller for a garden as small as mine. The pick axe has to do. I think I am getting old.
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Post by glen on Oct 4, 2015 12:17:05 GMT -6
The African okra is now 36 days old. The plants are not happy, but are pulling out of the leaf curl virus. Roots are shallow. Several plants are looking terrible. Several have thicker stalks and are able to support themselves. Many fall over. They are beginning to put on normal looking leaves. It appears that there will be survivors but I also believe that some are not going to make it. Okra should be putting down good deep roots in the first month of growth which is not happening. Not enough sun for one thing. And, the virus are both kicking this okra in whatzy's. I would say that the best plant is 12 inches tall, maybe a little more. Not good. As an experiment I planted some hh okra seed near and around these plants to see if they would catch this virus. They aren't catching it. Every African okra plant has traces of this desease. And, it affected the seedlings very early on. My hh landrace is resistant to it.
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Post by glen on Oct 4, 2015 12:25:00 GMT -6
I have 2 Panamanian okra plants as a control for my African okra experiment. Panamanian okra is a late season okra also. I planted them 2 days before the African okra. Both plants are robust, thick stalks and happy as a pig in the muffin pit. There is also a Zeehitter volunteer that just came up nearby and it is tall, thick, happy and getting ready to bloom already. They panamanian okra won't bloom for a very long time as this variety needs to grow big and tall before it will even think about putting on the first bloom. They don't branch much but they are hardy and will form a very thick stalk. They sink deep, knarly roots and don't need much water. One plant is over 2 feet tall, I didn't measure it yet but its tall. No virus, just hardy. The last planting of Panamanian coffee okra took over 4 months to put on the first pod. A true, late season short day okra. I do not know this variety's providance. It could be Abelmoschus Caillie. Abelmoschus Esculentus does not grow like this. At least, none that I have ever heard of.
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Post by glen on Oct 4, 2015 12:32:53 GMT -6
For the readers that don't know. Abelmoschus Caillie is a new specie's of okra. Well, it might be new. It is actually a cross between Abelmoschus esculentus and Abelmoschus manihot. The cross can be in varying degrees of course and there are hundred's of different variations of this cross. Africa is where you would see the variety and diversity of this cross because in every farming village they have their own version. Many are not even named. The plants can look very much different. Pods can be erect, or pendulous. Color can be drab, or colorful. I would say that it would be very difficult to identify this species in the field, but most are short day variety's. Some are tall and erect, some are shorter and bushy. They are usually late season okra which means that they will put on the first pods beginning after the farmers have already finished the rainy season harvest of early season okra. Most African subsistance farmers grow this okra along with esculentus as it extends their harvest. And, this okra variety gets big, before it starts putting on pods and is very drought resistant once it develop's the deep roots.
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Post by glen on Oct 4, 2015 19:23:03 GMT -6
Oh, I wanted to give a quick update on the Mexican creme pole beans that George arranged to have sent to me from Hawaii. The plants are beginning to look better. This variety is very delicate and sensitive. Out of 15 seeds, about 10 look like they are going to make it. I have had to replant a few. I got tired of using up my seed so I started using my long beans in few spots but there are at least 10 survivors. All are at least 2 feet tall and one is almost 6 feet tall. Vines are very thin and delicate looking. I side dressed with a good quality fertilizer a about 10 days ago. That was a mistake. The lower leaves on a few plants got burned. I used only about a teaspoon of fertilizer per plant. Long beans like this. Mexican cremes don't. Maybe had I waited a full month or so it might not have been a problem. At this point, the plants look good. No pest problems. Vines are growing like mad now and the little leaves are trying to catch up. Pretty neat variety. About a month old. Lets keep an eye on them. Hoping for a good seed crop out of this first planting since the seed is rare.
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