Okra in zone 4? - Page 3

chancethegardener · August 15, 2015

Joseph,

Bamya is one word and means Okra in Turkish. Tohum means seed and Sultani is the most common Turkish okra variety. This variety produces long pods with excellent flavor. Sultani is quite early (around 45-50 days) as well.

joseph · August 16, 2015

ChanceTheGardener: Thanks! I am still laughing about that.

Ken B · August 17, 2015

Sultani sounds interesting, where did y'all get seeds for?

joseph · August 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken B

Sultani sounds interesting, where did y'all get seeds for?

I don't keep those kinds of records...

joseph · September 17, 2015

I've been harvesting okra for about a month and taking it to the farmer's market. I sell out every week.

A couple weeks ago I evaluated the plants that were producing fruit. My notes are as follows:

Gold Coast: Pods were fibrous.
Lee: OK.
CowHorn: Really suffering. Most flowers aborted without setting fruit.
Burmese: OK
Gregg's: OK
Jade: Culled
Clemson: OK
Julie's: OK
Sultani: Great. Tallest plant in the patch. Still quite diverse phenotypes.
Jimmy T: Culled
EverTender: OK

No fruits yet on:
Cajun Jewel
Fife Creek
Missy's
Heavy Hitter

I've learned how to harvest okra so that it's tender. Helps to pick it about 3 times per week.

My landrace okra is fruiting well. Most every plant from my landrace is taller than anything in the foreign patch except for the one very robust Sultani plant.

Those tomatoes are: dehybridizing SunGold, Jagodka, and yellow pear. The muskmelons and tomatillos are my own varieties.

Cole_Robbie · September 18, 2015

I'm not an okra-picker, thank goodness. My aunt usually does that. But we have to pick every day in hot weather and then every other day after it cools off in late summer.

joseph · September 23, 2015

Last year I bragged that my okra was (a couple inches) taller than the farmer. This year one of the Sultani plants out-did even that. And it's likely to keep going for a week or so.

joseph · September 27, 2015

I've been culling okra plants/varieties as the weather turns colder. Some for slow growth all season. Some because the leaves are dying even though it isn't freezing yet. I noticed that most of the plants that are remaining, and that have thrived in my garden have frilly leaves like this:

Frilly-Leaved Okra.

Plants with fat, non-frilly leaves have tended to do poorly for me.

Fat-leaved okra.

joseph · October 17, 2015

I've been harvesting okra seed as it matures. Some of the varieties grew poorly for me and were culled a long time ago. We still haven't had our fall frosts, which are 6 weeks late, but it has been getting colder. Many of the okra plants have lost their leaves, but are still flowering and setting fruits. I am calling those seconds. The plants that still have a lot of green vibrant foliage on them I am calling "Best". They included Joseph's and Sultani so far. There are other varieties that are still green, but haven't produced mature seeds yet.

One variety which is currently NOID, produced branches off of branches. It is currently the most productive plant, and still vibrantly growing. It was way late to produce pods though, so here's hoping for mature seed.

Here's what the harvested seeds look like. The seconds that are being saved for seed for next year include:

Cajun Jewel,
Burmese,
Joseph's
Cowhorn,
Heavy Hitter

joseph · January 8, 2016

Here's a list of varieties that ended up producing seed for next year's crop.

What I am calling 'best' included:
Joseph's
Sultani

What I am calling seconds, but were still really good plants, so I'm intending to plant next year are:

Joseph's
Sultani
Cajun Jewel
Burmese
Cowhorn
Heavy Hitter (1 mature fruit on 6 plants)
Lee
Face of Earth
Fife Creek.

I also saved a variety that did poorly, because it had fat fat pods:

Alabama

I am still marveling about how much diversity there was within each okra variety that I planted even though they were named cultivars.

A big thanks to Ken B and the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for a generous donation to move this project forward, and to Starlight and the Hoggy swap, and to Alan Bishop, and to the participants in the Ogden Seed Exchange, and to whomever shared Sultani with me.

Deborah · January 12, 2016

Joseph, has anyone ever told you that you look like Richard Dreyfuss?

twillis2252 · February 4, 2016

Planted Clemson and Emerald in '15 Zone 6 located in the NC High Country near the Va/Tn border. Many there said the season was too short and would be fortunate to obtain a crop. I planted seeds on May 15 and picked the first pods 1st week of August. From August until October 20th I was harvesting at least four times week. Cut and froze quite a lot that we are enjoying now.
For '16 plan to add Ron Cook's Heavy Hitter to the mix. Enjoyed reading Jos. and others report on their okra experience...

efisakov · February 4, 2016

I plant my okra (Clemson spineless) around 1st of May in outside containers. I experimented with both side by side containers and in ground. Containers did better. Taller plants, better production. Seeds are big enough to grow fast. I trust seeds to know when to sprout. Soil gets warm soon enough in my area in May. If we get hit with the frost I have extra seeds to go. So far we were lucky. We have more okra than we can eat.
I recommend containers for okra. I plant 4-5 seeds in a 10 gal. container.

Worth1 · February 4, 2016

My okra wont go in till I pull some of the onions and I will still have plenty of time.

I think my record height is close to 12 feet.

Worth

January 8, 2016	#40
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	Here's a list of varieties that ended up producing seed for next year's crop. What I am calling 'best' included: Joseph's Sultani What I am calling seconds, but were still really good plants, so I'm intending to plant next year are: Joseph's Sultani Cajun Jewel Burmese Cowhorn Heavy Hitter (1 mature fruit on 6 plants) Lee Face of Earth Fife Creek. I also saved a variety that did poorly, because it had fat fat pods: Alabama I am still marveling about how much diversity there was within each okra variety that I planted even though they were named cultivars. A big thanks to Ken B and the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for a generous donation to move this project forward, and to Starlight and the Hoggy swap, and to Alan Bishop, and to the participants in the Ogden Seed Exchange, and to whomever shared Sultani with me. Last edited by joseph; January 8, 2016 at 02:54 AM.

January 12, 2016	#41
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Joseph, has anyone ever told you that you look like Richard Dreyfuss? __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

February 4, 2016	#43
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	I plant my okra (Clemson spineless) around 1st of May in outside containers. I experimented with both side by side containers and in ground. Containers did better. Taller plants, better production. Seeds are big enough to grow fast. I trust seeds to know when to sprout. Soil gets warm soon enough in my area in May. If we get hit with the frost I have extra seeds to go. So far we were lucky. We have more okra than we can eat. I recommend containers for okra. I plant 4-5 seeds in a 10 gal. container. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

August 15, 2015	#31
chancethegardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: WV Posts: 604	Joseph, Bamya is one word and means Okra in Turkish. Tohum means seed and Sultani is the most common Turkish okra variety. This variety produces long pods with excellent flavor. Sultani is quite early (around 45-50 days) as well.

August 16, 2015	#32
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	ChanceTheGardener: Thanks! I am still laughing about that.

August 17, 2015	#33
Ken B Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: central Virginia Posts: 243	Sultani sounds interesting, where did y'all get seeds for?

September 17, 2015	#35
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	I've been harvesting okra for about a month and taking it to the farmer's market. I sell out every week. A couple weeks ago I evaluated the plants that were producing fruit. My notes are as follows: Gold Coast: Pods were fibrous. Lee: OK. CowHorn: Really suffering. Most flowers aborted without setting fruit. Burmese: OK Gregg's: OK Jade: Culled Clemson: OK Julie's: OK Sultani: Great. Tallest plant in the patch. Still quite diverse phenotypes. Jimmy T: Culled EverTender: OK No fruits yet on: Cajun Jewel Fife Creek Missy's Heavy Hitter I've learned how to harvest okra so that it's tender. Helps to pick it about 3 times per week. My landrace okra is fruiting well. Most every plant from my landrace is taller than anything in the foreign patch except for the one very robust Sultani plant. Those tomatoes are: dehybridizing SunGold, Jagodka, and yellow pear. The muskmelons and tomatillos are my own varieties.

September 18, 2015	#36
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I'm not an okra-picker, thank goodness. My aunt usually does that. But we have to pick every day in hot weather and then every other day after it cools off in late summer.

September 23, 2015	#37
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	Last year I bragged that my okra was (a couple inches) taller than the farmer. This year one of the Sultani plants out-did even that. And it's likely to keep going for a week or so.

September 27, 2015	#38
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	I've been culling okra plants/varieties as the weather turns colder. Some for slow growth all season. Some because the leaves are dying even though it isn't freezing yet. I noticed that most of the plants that are remaining, and that have thrived in my garden have frilly leaves like this: Frilly-Leaved Okra. Plants with fat, non-frilly leaves have tended to do poorly for me. Fat-leaved okra.

October 17, 2015	#39
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	I've been harvesting okra seed as it matures. Some of the varieties grew poorly for me and were culled a long time ago. We still haven't had our fall frosts, which are 6 weeks late, but it has been getting colder. Many of the okra plants have lost their leaves, but are still flowering and setting fruits. I am calling those seconds. The plants that still have a lot of green vibrant foliage on them I am calling "Best". They included Joseph's and Sultani so far. There are other varieties that are still green, but haven't produced mature seeds yet. One variety which is currently NOID, produced branches off of branches. It is currently the most productive plant, and still vibrantly growing. It was way late to produce pods though, so here's hoping for mature seed. Here's what the harvested seeds look like. The seconds that are being saved for seed for next year include: Cajun Jewel, Burmese, Joseph's Cowhorn, Heavy Hitter

February 4, 2016	#42
twillis2252 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: SC & NC Posts: 258	Planted Clemson and Emerald in '15 Zone 6 located in the NC High Country near the Va/Tn border. Many there said the season was too short and would be fortunate to obtain a crop. I planted seeds on May 15 and picked the first pods 1st week of August. From August until October 20th I was harvesting at least four times week. Cut and froze quite a lot that we are enjoying now. For '16 plan to add Ron Cook's Heavy Hitter to the mix. Enjoyed reading Jos. and others report on their okra experience...

February 4, 2016	#44
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	My okra wont go in till I pull some of the onions and I will still have plenty of time. I think my record height is close to 12 feet. Worth