THE MAGIC OF GARDENING
Growing Okra:
How do I stop this itching?
Alabama Red Okra pictured
I have only met one person in my life who said he actually enjoys picking okra. This strange man is the retired superintendent of the Cullman Research Station, Arnold Caylor. Arnold is a good friend but a strange person. Most true Southerners love okra, but hate picking it and I count myself among this majority. When we moved to the home where I currently reside, the landscape was completely bare, and I decided it was too late to start landscaping but just the right time to plant okra. I planted the entire front yard in okra. My young children were not happy with my crop choice, but it kept them busy for the summer, which was my goal. Some may call this child abuse, or a violation of the child labor laws, but I called it a good life lesson. I hope the statute of limitations has passed. Despite its historical connection to the South, okra is not native to America but is a very well-adapted species that likely originated in East Africa. Okra belongs to the same plant family as cotton (Mallow or Hibiscus family) and like this other distinctively Southern crop, it requires a long growing season and a very warm soil for seed germination. If you plant okra seed before the soil has properly warmed it will often rot in the cool wet soil. Therefore, the wise gardener will patiently 52
Cooperative Farming News
wait for the soil to warm to 75 degrees. You can start a little earlier if you grow or purchase transplants. The impatient gardener may wisely help the garden soil to warm faster to get a jump on their neighbor. Who doesn’t want to be the first in the area to have fresh okra? Raised beds with lots of dark organic matter will warm faster by absorbing heat better. In addition, covering the soil with black plastic mulch will increase the soil temperature considerably. Apply the mulch to the loosened soil about a week before planting and hope for sunny days. As mentioned earlier you can even get a greater jump on the season by starting the seedlings indoors about three weeks ahead of transplanting or by buying the transplants ready to set in the garden. Just remember the warm soil is still a must and a full sun location is a necessity for good okra production. You may use a light application of liquid fertilizer at about half the recommended rate once the seedlings have sprouted. Regardless of whether you start seed indoors or not, it is a good idea to soak the seed overnight before planting. In the absence of a soil test before planting in the garden, mix in about 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer (or equivalent) per 100 square feet. Excessive nitrogen
