Okra ‘Jing Orange’ on Sunday, August 16, 2020.
Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well and you enjoyed your weekend. I have been wanting to do a few videos because I seem to get behind writing posts. I take a lot of photos and then don’t have time to write the post. This morning I took quite a few photos then I needed to finish mowing the yard. After that, I needed to work on the Okra and plant the second row of snap peas where the fava beans were earlier.
Okra ‘Jing Orange’ after pruning a few leaves.
I have planted several varieties of Okra since 2009 but this year I planted ‘Jing Orange’. I like experimenting and there are probably several hundred varieties of Okra. When I lived in Mississippi Okra was popular so I had no problems giving it away to friends and neighbors. Here it isn’t as popular so I freeze a lot of it. I like it steamed and fried but you can use it in a variety of recipes.
When I lived in Mississippi I became acquainted with an older gentleman by the name of Mr. Step. I forgot his first name… Anyway, I went to visit him one day in his HUGE garden and he was in his Okra patch with his pocket knife whacking off the leaves. He said, “You have to chop off the leaves to get “R” to em.” What he meant was they need good air circulation to produce well so you have to remove the big leaves. So, I have been doing that each year and they have done very well. Probably better than I needed.
I made a few videos about the okra, tomatoes, and watermelons but you can’t just upload to WordPress. SOOOOOO, so I created another YouTube channel. GEEZ!!! Of course, it is called The Belmont Rooster. 🙂 I actually need something a little different because it takes a VERY LONG TIME to upload a good-sized video. I just took the videos with my camera but I may need a video camera.
The first one is longer and it took HOURS to upload. I am pretty new to doing videos but we’ll see where this leads… There is some way you make the size of the videos smaller. Hmmm… That’s not quite what I want to say. You go to some settings and change the size somehow, kind of like when you change the size of photos so they will upload faster. I’ll figure it out somehow. 🙂
Well, I better close for now and think about going to bed…
Until next time, be safe and stay positive. I hope you have a great and blessed week. Get dirty if you can and take a big breath of fresh air.
The Belmont Rooster 
My favorite way to eat okra is dried. I like to use them for dips.
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Hello Lisa! Sounds good! Take care and thanks for the comment!
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I loved the videos. I agree, uploading is time consuming and I don’t put videos up very often for that reason. Thanks for posting informational gardening how-to’s and tips! Most of us need all of the help we can get!! 🙂
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Hello Laura! We could all use a little help, sometimes more than we want to admit. You either have to take several short videos or wait forever for them to upload. I am glad you liked the videos. Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Very interesting about the okra. We don’t grow it here, but my southern Grandparents loved okra, so always had a few plants. It never did really well—but well enough they could enjoy a few pickings.
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Hello Linda! Okra is big in the south for sure. Mine always did well where I lived in Mississippi and it has always done well here. This year it has been weird… Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Heck! My okra NEVER got big enough for this. I have not given up yet. Our weather is too mild for okra to do well. I would be pleased with just a few.
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Hello Tony! Okra definitely prefers it hot. You have to plant it when the soil temp is warm enough for it not to rot. One year in Mississippi the temp was good so everyone planted their okra then it cooled down again and everyone’s seed rotted. We had to replant… Full sun and heat are best. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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It ‘can’ get warm enough here for it, but not often. I know my grandparents grew it, but that was in Santa Clara, where the climate is slightly cooler. When it gets warm enough here, it is also so arid that the foliage roasts. Also, because it does not stay warm at night, the plants do not get very big. They may enough, but not much.
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Ahhh… I see. I wonder if there are varieties that might do better there. There are hundreds of varieties. Maybe varieties with the shortest maturity dates. Mayby using a black plastic mulch would keep the soil temperature warmer.
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I do not want to add plastic. I did not think of trying other varieties. I just get what is at the hardware store because I figure it is available locally because it is a good cultivar for the local climates. There are only about two or three to choose from. I can get any available cultivar online.
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You would certainly think if it was at the local hardware store they would work there. I would try ‘Clemson Spineless’ because they start flowering when very young, around 14-18″ tall (which most okra does), and should start bearing in about 50 days if not sooner. From the many cultivars I have grown, they are about as fool-proof as any. I think I grew them two seasons and I try to avoid them because they are so productive they drove me insane. ‘Red Burgundy’ is also very productive and I have found “red” or “burgundy” anything seems to tolerate cooler temps. Do not plant ‘Burgundy’ because it didn’t produce well for me. The one called ‘North and South’ has good reviews from gardeners in a variety of climates but I have not tried it.
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Hey; ‘Clemson Spineless’ happens to be what I try to grow, and the most commonly available variety. ‘Red Burgundy’ is the second most popular variety, although I have not grown it. It looks weird to me. Even though they have not done well, I intend to grow okra again next year.
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I am surprised Clemson Spineless didn’t do something. Don’t give up!
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Oh, it definitely did something. It languished and died. I will grow it again though.
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🙂
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Impressive looking plants. It’s a vegetable I know about but have never yet tried. I really should be more adventurous. These are the UK growing instructions, so if we can grow I’m sure most people can.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/okra
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Hello Simon! The ‘Jing Orange’ are beautiful plants and would even look good in a flower bed. This variety seems to be shorter growing but some can get very tall. You might want to check on that before you plant. Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Never knew that about Okra. Have you ever picked your tomatoes when they start to blush? We do that every year and because we were told once they start to blush they don’t grow anymore. Inside they avoid any bugs, rain etc.. and ripen beautifully inside. Try one and see what you think.
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Hello Diane! You know, I had a few Mortgage Lifters in the windowsill in the kitchen that I had picked early because the vine broke. It seemed they never fully ripened and just rotted. When I was in Mississippi the neighbor said in the fall he picked his tomatoes before a frost and put them in a cooler and they would ripen. I tried that and it did work but they didn’t taste that good. Maybe it works better with some varieties… I will keep working on it and maybe that would keep them from splitting so much. I have just been a believer in vine ripened tomatoes so long I just “think” they are better. Hmmm… Maybe I should do more experimenting. Thanks for the comment and take care.
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I shaded my okra with my popcorn this year in my small patch. I got my first okra this week. So sad to have such a light production: last year i preserved mine by dehydrating. It was lovely in soups in the winter. Did you know okra greens are edible? I haven’t had enough greens production on my okra to try them, but i’ve eaten the greens from the relative plant roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). These were tart: what i’ve read about okra is that they are mild. I’m also eating my sweet potato greens and quite pleased: they are very mild, so i’m adding basil or the tart roselle greens.
We’re having a wet year and i’ve lots or rotten potatoes, anthracnose on my tomatoes, and i am wondering how early i can pick my popcorn so that (1) i can save it from worms and snails and mold and mildew and (2) so the okra can get some light!
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Hello Judith! I didn’t know okra leaves were edible so I will have to try it. A few years ago my GF (from the Philippines) said she preferred white sweet potatoes so I bought some slips. She also said they ate the leaves so I tried them in the steamer. They were very good. The white sweet potatoes produced very well and were very good but the voles did some damage. I wanted to try a bush type this year but didn’t get to order any. Maybe next year. I haven’t tried eating the greens of many plants that are edbible so maybe I should be a little more adventurous. I am sure the difference in flavors would be interesting.
Rotting tomatoes is sure a dissappointment for sure. I am n a lot about picking tomatoes when they just begin to ripen but I haven’t had much luck with that but maybe that would be something you should try. I am not sure about picking popcorn early but that may be worth experimenting for you as well. I would be interested in knowing how that works out for you. My dad used to grow his own popcorn but hadn’t for many years. I grew popcorn in the early 1980’s but the raccoons ate a lot of it…
While okra does prefer full sun, I grew a big patch in Mississippi that received a little more shade than before and it did fine. You just never know. I have more buds on my okra and I saw a flower a couple of days ago so hopefully, it will do better now. Take care and thanks for the comment! Always good to hear from you and your progress.
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I’ve been picking the tomatoes early: the fungal spores must get on them pretty early. The spots appear inside. They do ripen up nicely inside though, and that helps with the worm damage. Last year i had a large Roma vine that had volunteered in a shady location. Just as the first frosts hit, it was covered with many just barely turning Roma tomatoes. I let them slowly ripen on a tray on top of a bookshelf. Every couple of days there’d be ripened tomatoes which went in stews or sautes. After a while i just made a big green tomato saute with the rest.
By the time the rain left us, the popcor husks were turning brown. I picked most of the plants – – cutting down the stalks and then trimming the stalks so the ear was left on, the husk pulled back, and i could put them in a big vase like a bouquet. They are drying out inside like that. I had lots of mold or mildew and lots of worms, but there’s still a nice collection of ears. I’m trying to select for purple ears and there are a few nice ears to use for seed next year.
Now to hope the okra gets some time in.
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I need to read about the fungal spores. For the most part, my problem with tomatoes is liking the varieties that get HUGE which always have problems with splitting. The ‘Rutgers’, which are smaller, have no problems with that and almost the entire tomato can be eaten. I have a lot of tomatoes still coming on but not as many as before. The heat causes many of the flowers to fall off. I will pick as many as I can before we have an “F” so they will finish ripening inside.
I am glad you were able to harvest some popcorn despite a few issues. So, you are selecting for purple popcorn? What variety is it? Sounds interesting.
I have picked a few okra pods and there are a lot coming on now. FINALLY! I would still like to know what the deal with it was but I guess it may be an unsolved mystery.
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Nice blog
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Hello Saania! Thanks for your comment. I hope you are doing well.
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I am, what about you? And my pleasure!
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Glad to hear you are well I am doing fine, thanks.
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I love okra (okra and beef curry or even by itself in curry is my fav). I also love the flowers on the plant but have not been successful in growing it. I should take a look at the link Quercus posted – but I have a feeling it will involve greenhouses, which I don’t have. Anyway, I’m glad that your are able to grow okra with success!
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Hello Helen! I finally picked a few pods yesterday and they were delicious! I thought okra would grow anywhere but I am finding out that isn’t the case. Have you tried starting the seed in packs then transplanting them to the garden? That’s what I did this year because I didn’t want the moles eating the seed and it worked great. Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Yes, I’ve grown them from seed in pots, first. For the issue is climate rather than moles 😉. Enjoy your okra anyway.
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Ahhh…
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