Okra

[jvs]

Over the years of having a home vegetable garden, I often wondered about trying to grow Okra.  Every time I saw a packet of seeds in the Spring, I looked at them and never bought them, until this year.

I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised at how easy Okra is to grow and how versitile it is in serving.

If you never tried Okra in the garden, I recommend it. 

After this year, Okra will be as common in my garden as Peppers, Tomato's, Green Beans, Rhubarb, Horseradish and Onions.  Next year I will plant more than just one packet of Okra. 

Okra is an easy addition to just about any recipe or as a stand alone serving, and it can be Blanched and frozen like any other Pod Veggie.

 

[Ranger J]

Okra is a yearly planting in my garden.  Just one raised bed will supply us with a good supply of the pods.  I have to pick mine every two days to keep it putting on new pods.  My problem this year was that I went on a two week vacation and the people I turned the garden over to did not have any okra eaters in them and they let the patch sort of go to seed.  I had an abundance of 6 to8 inch woody pods.  I am just  now getting it back in shape.  How is every ones fall plantings going.  I have two verities of turnips and some Daikon radishes up.  I am fighting the bane of fall gardeners--the wild morning glory.  Don't know who is going to win yet.

RJ

[jvs]

If you let Okra go to seed, will it grow true?  Or is it a hybrid ?   Saving seed might work if it is not a hybrid.

There is only two ways I know of to get rid of Morning Glorys, Wild Roses and Poison Ivy...  Get all of the root out or get a good herbicide.   Even though I don't like using herbicides, when it comes to wild morning glorys, wild roses and poison ivy, I use it.  It is the only way to know for sure that you got all of the root.

[Ranger J]

If you get one of the old verities such a Cow Horn or Alabama Red you could save the seeds.  This year I went for my usual Clemson Spineless, which is a hybrid.  I may let some of it go to seed and plant it in our historic garden where I work just to see what I get the second year.  I wanted pumpkins in that garden this year but I waited too long to find any seeds in the local stores and just to have something growing I got a package of butternut squash instead.  I wish everything I planted was as vigorous as that hill of squash.  We had one the other night with dinner and it was delicious.  I cut it in half, scooped the seeds out of the small seed cavity and put it in a covered glass dish with a little water in the bottom.  I sprinkled some brown sugar and a pad or two of butter on top and cooked it in the microwave for twenty minutes at hi power.  This verity is said to be a good keeper and I can only hope so as I quit counting at 20 squash the other day.

RJ

[jvs]

Now that you mentioned it, I did get Spineless Okra.  So it must be hybrid and instead of wasting my time, I will just buy more fresh seeds next year. 

Hybrids revert back to the weakest parent and hardly ever work out, regardless if it is Okra, Tomato's or anything else.  And at $1.69 a pack, it won't send me to the Poorhouse to buy freash seeds.

Butternut Squash is a tasty dish.  Microwaving is fine, but I like them made into pies and baked in the Oven.

I suggest you try Acorn Squash sometime.  Those are great too.  This time of year, Acorn Squash is available at many local Farmers Markets.  So you can try one and decide whether you would like to plant them next year.  Made the same way you suggested for Butternut, or better yet, baked.

[Ranger J]

I spent  some time yesterday looking at Butternut recipes.  It looks like I can do anything with it that I might usually do with pumpkin or sweet potatoes.  The first two I will try is one for Butternut (pumpkin) pie and one for Butternut casserole that looks suspiciously like my Mother in Laws sweet potato casserole.

RJ