Adding okra to your home kitchen garden
THIS week I would like to continue with the theme of good choices for your home kitchen garden.
Okra is a handsome and heatloving plant that bears tasty pods. Of course locally it is better known as ladies’ fingers. Background
Okra are tender and slender flavoursome and nutritious pods that are abundantly produced by a fast-growing plant. The vigorousgrowing plant has attractive lobed leaves and showy, creamy white flowers with maroon centres. Each flower can produce a ribbed pod that points straight up.
These can grow as long as 25 centimetres. In fact, some new cultivars are known to produce pods that are up to 12 inches long.
Mature pods can be tough and inedible, so if you wish to use them in your kitchen, they have to be harvested when young and tender.
In the 1990s, the case of okra size and length became an issue for exporters to the Japanese market. Malaysian farmers could not produce okra in uniform sizes and lengths.
You see the Japanese market required okra that were no longer than six inches as they were being consumed whole. Thus Malaysian okra was not suitable for this export market and the deal fell through.
There are a handful of varieties available in seed markets today. Locally there are two common varieties – dwarf and tall types. The former are not the choice of consumers thus less planted.
The tall types come with various names such as Perkins Mammoth, which produces the 25-centimetre long ‘fingers’ and Burgundy – a tender attractive ornamental that produces dark red pods not seen locally. Most of the varieties would begin to yield pods in 50 to 60 days after they are grown from seedlings. Planting guide
First, decide where to plant. Here in our tropical country full sunlight it is not much of an issue for this plant, which is a relative of the hibiscus plant. The planting site should be sunny and well-drained. You can also use large containers that are not waterlogged. Ensure that you do not choose a shady site for this plant.
If we buy seeds for planting, ensure the seeds are not outdated. Alternatively buy small plants in pots that are ready for planting. Avoid plants with yellowing leaves or crowded roots.
We can also start our own planting materials by using seeds collected from mature pods. You can use the black seeds to generate seedlings.
Sow the seeds in soil and water well till the seedlings appear. The seeds should germinate within two to three weeks.
When the seedlings are sturdy, that is when they have reached around five inches in height, they should be suitable for transplanting into the garden patch. This is exactly what I did recently, when I was given 10 seedlings by a friend. Apparently this variety will grow okra pods that are up to 12 inches long! I still have to wait for the results.
Do note that the soil pH for okra is best adjusted to between 6.5 and 7.0. Our Sarawakian soil is rather acidic and liming would improve conditions. Otherwise you can also work in plenty of compost to improve the pH level towards neutral.
You should also enrich the soil with nutrients. Okra grows well in very rich soil. Use compost, bagged organic fertiliser, or 4-6-6 slow release fertiliser. Before planting, the soil is best raked to a depth of 12 inches. Use compost on the top few inches.
The planting distance should be about one to two feet in rows that are three feet apart. Dig holes large enough to hold the seedling’s root ball well. Add back the soil and pat down firmly.
Water well directly into the soil and not on the foliage as wet conditions may encourage diseases.
Weed the base of the plant or use mulch on the bed while the plants are still young. Hand-weeding is recommended as weedicide may hurt the plants.
Keep an eye out for pests like aphids and earworms, which will feast on the leaves, damage growth, and thus reduce pod production capabilities.
Harvest the pods while they are still young and tender enough to eat. It is important to cut them out and allow new flowers to bloom and eventually bear new pods.
A well-maintained garden of okra will last a long time – even up to one year with constant production of pods.
We know that we can boil okra whole, use them in soups, or slice them for stir-frying. Did you know that you can also roast them? Try this with olive oil.
I hope every gardener will be rewarded with these delicious pods two months after planting okra in the garden.
Do send me an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy gardening.