Gherkin and Okra

[angelique]

Hi All,

I have a couple of non-tomato questions. First, are Gherkins worth growing or are they more of a novelty item? Secondly, how many okra plants does a family of two need? (ie. am I better off buying a couple of plants at the loca nursery?)

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,

Angelique

[Earl]

On the okra, I'd say 4-6 for 2 people and I'd give them a 3 foot spacing. Cajun Delight is a good one that nursery's have. If you don't have much room, don't grow anything you're not sure of producing a good crop.

[angelique]

Thanks Earl. I don't have that much room. For some reason, I thought that okra was planted more densely with better production.

Oh well.

Angelique

[Worth1]

Hi Angelique



I plant okra in an 18 inch grid and pour the water and fertilizer to it.
I use 13-13-13 or strait compost.
The thing about okra is that if it has a lot of water the pods will get very long and still be tinder, if the plant gets water stressed at all, the pods will stop growing and start to mature.
((((((I have a t lot to say about okra so brace your self.)))))
Even then at some time the pods will mature and become inedible.
You can tell if the pod is worth eating if you cut ate the base of the pod and it cuts easily with out feeling like you are cutting into rope, you can hear a popping sound as the blade cuts through the coarse fiber. Use a smooth bladed knife to do this.

My favorite okra is Louisiana Green velvet, this pod will get to be about 8 inches long and still be tinder as long as it has water.

As for how much to plant I suggest about 25 plants with this you will cut about 25 pods almost every two or three days and when they start to branch out you will pick more often.

You can cut the plants at about 3 feet tall and they will start to branch or you can leave them be and they will do it on their own but will get about 10 feet or more tall.
I like a tall plant my self.

If you leave pods on the plant their growth starts to slow down and they produce fewer pods.
So keep them cut even if you have to give them away.

Okra seems to be a plant that never dies; they do great in hot weather green velvet is a good one for this.
They do well in cool weather and the only thing that has killed the plants around here is frost.
I don’t know how long they would live if that didn’t happen.

The plant for its flowers is a good enough reason to grow it if for no other reason.

Seed saving is an easy thing to do and you can save seeds for years and they always come back true to the original plant.

At the end of the year I will let the pods mature and dry out then I will sit over a big sack and strip the seeds from the pods and let them fall into the sack.

I will then remove all of the big pieces of trash from the seeds them I will winnow them in the breeze to remove all of the chaff from the seeds.
I love doing this and it makes me feel like I’m back in time about 3,000 years.
I feel like it’s a grand exorcize in an age old tradition in harvesting and saving seed for next years crop.
I like that sort of thing.

I do this with a large colander out side and usually get about 3 pounds of seed.
I toss about a quarts worth up in the air and catching it again after the breeze has blown away some of the chaff.
((((I can’t find my sees after I moved darn it or I would send you some.)))))

There are a lot of different varieties of okra out there they even have some that puts out red pods.

An all around great plant and a real addition to anyone’s garden, trust me, ‘you do have room for okra.
Here is a great link.

http://www.physiology.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/

Worth

[Rena]

I second the motion GROW OKRA! Okra with fresh maters, a little basil and some onion..yum yum over some rice. Good eating!

[shelleybean]

Hi, Worth. I'm glad to read you liked the Green Velvet. I'll be growing the White Velvet from Victory. I'm sure I'll be the only one eating it here but I haven't grown okra for six or seven years so it'll be fun, I think.

[amideutch]

Angelique, I think the answer to your Gherkin question would be, do you like to eat them, are you into canning and preserving, and do you have the space to grow them. If you grow your own you can determine the flavor by the spices and type of vinegar you use in the pickling/canning process. Here in Germany the standard "gewurzgerken" arn't sweet or sour like the dills just kind of in the middle. In the past couple of years dill pickles have began showing up on store shelves.
Cornichons are baby gherkins about the size of your little finger. Again flavor depends on the spices and vinegar used. Ami

[angelique]

Thanks Amideutch. I have never tried Gherkins, so I guess what I am really asking is do gherkins taste good? Also, can they be eaten raw?

Every year, I try to add something new to my garden. Last year, I grew Jelly Melon. It was a big disappointment. I also, grew Pepino Dulce v. Vista. I purchased the plants late in the season, so no fruit yet.

[amideutch]

Angelique, Check out this website.
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593598
If you want to give them a try, let me know and I will send you some seed. Ami