Two questions (fertilizing timing & okra spacing)

[Brown Thumbs]

My garden spot is new and doesn't have any compost in the soil. Drains well and on rows. I added 8.8.8 when we planted it one month ago. Tomatoes, peppers, squash are starting to bloom now. Also have Lima beans and okra. When should I add more 8.8.8 or should I?

Okra plants are up and are 1-2 inches tall. I've thinned them to 6-8 inches apart. Most sites say 12-18", but it's a small garden and I want as many as I can get away with so have more to eat. What's the minimum spacing that okra can have?

[gumbo2176]

I space my okra 1 ft. apart in rows and generally thin them out to where I have 70-80 plants. They will get very tall, almost 8 ft. if left to grow and not topped, which I don't do. I really don't do any fertilizing other than once in the spring when I'll add some granular stuff my nephew gave me that they use at the university where he works to get their shrubbery and gardens a kick start in the spring.

Okra are big plants and I believe 6-8 inches spaced is a bit too close. When if full production, I pick between 40-50 pods of okra a day on average. Some days more, some less. The plants are heat and drought tolerant which is a good thing in the deep south where I live. Less need to water eases the water bill when things get dry. My plants produce all the way until September when I pull them to make room for the fall garden and by that time I have more than enough in the freezer and canned.

[jal_ut]

I would not add more fertilizer at this point. gumbo2176 gives you good advice about spacing. Give them 12 inches.

[imafan26]

Gumbo, that's a lot of okra. I am thinking about planting okra again. I used to grow them years ago. I think I only had 3 or 4 plants and they produced more pods than I could keep up with. The spacing advice is timely. Thanks.

[gumbo2176]

Gumbo, that's a lot of okra. I am thinking about planting okra again. I used to grow them years ago. I think I only had 3 or 4 plants and they produced more pods than I could keep up with. The spacing advice is timely. Thanks.

Well, us coonasses love our okra and it is used in a lot of our dishes we cook. I fix it many ways when in season. Sometimes I'll grill it like you would any other vegetable, pickle a lot of it, fry some of it breaded in seasoned corn meal, cook it down for 2-3 hours with onions, garlic, celery, diced tomatoes and a host of wet and dry seasonings to freeze and use in gumbos and soup dishes I make in the winter months.

Needless to say I still have more than I can use and give a good bit of it away to neighbors and family to share the excess. It is easy to grow and does very well in our climate but I'm always amazed how much they get for it at the supermarkets. I've seen it as high as $3.50 a lb. when in season and that is simply ludicrous.

[Brown Thumbs]

Thanks. Unfortunately my garden is small with just two rows of okra, and the rows are approximately 20 ft long. I'll thin them some more. Just want as much yield as possible cause I loved fried okra.

I've read where some freeze the whole pods, some cut it up, some put in oven first, etc. etc. Seeing you obviously store a lot of it...what's the best way? I use to wash pods off, cut them up, and vacuum pack years ago.

[gumbo2176]

Thanks. Unfortunately my garden is small with just two rows of okra, and the rows are approximately 20 ft long. I'll thin them some more. Just want as much yield as possible cause I loved fried okra.

I've read where some freeze the whole pods, some cut it up, some put in oven first, etc. etc. Seeing you obviously store a lot of it...what's the best way? I use to wash pods off, cut them up, and vacuum pack years ago.

I don't store much fresh okra, but when I do, I wash it and let it completely dry on a towel, slice it in 1/2" thick rings and put it in a freezer bag to use as needed. Vacuum packing would be a better solution and likely stay fresher for a longer period. I only fry fresh okra and the stuff I freeze is only temporary until I have enough sliced okra, (3 or more gallon bags worth) to smother down to use in making gumbos and added to soups as a thickener.

I've seen it frozen whole and sliced in the stores, so any way you decide is going to work unless it gets freezer burned.

[pepperhead212]

I freeze sliced okra, parboiled very briefly (just a min., then rinsed w/cold water), and vacuum sealed w/my foodsaver. Amazing how long things stay good with the foodsaver!

[imafan26]

I like fried okra and in gumbo. I usually just nuke them and eat the pods with some lemon and soy sauce. They are harder to give away here, not many people can get over the slime. I have the same problem with see gwa (loofa), I can only put that in soups and stir fries. The old ones are the ones they use for sponges, but it is usually grown for food not sponge here.