Has anyone planted okra "square foot garden" style? [Gardening (container/Raised Bed/Etc)]

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Maybe I overlooked it, but I couldn't find a spacing chart in my copy of Square Foot Gardening for okra. I took a chance and planted about 50 seeds in the 4x4 like a corn patch. Do you think this will work? Has anyone tried a different layout in their SFG? Thanks.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 08, 2001

Answers

I prune my okra. When I pick a pod I cut off the leaf at the base where the pod is. I also prune leaves without pods. This makes my Okra very big, bushy and tall. Therefore My okra would not do well in a Sq. Ft. Garden. I have also not had any luck with corn in a Sq. Ft. garden. I had plants but no ears

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 08, 2001.

The Feb '96 issue of Organic Gardening contained an article by Mel Bartholomew that was a "supplement" to his Square Foot Gardening book.

One of the things he mentions in the article is planting 4 corn per square foot, instead of just one per square foot as described in the book. He claims it has no adverse effect due to overcrowding, and you get better polination because the plants are so close together.

Anyway, if you can plant corn that closely together, you could probably get away with okra too.

-- Brett (brettinokla@aol.com), April 08, 2001.


Hi Jay, you must be a really big okra fan!!! 50 seeds?? I have done okra in the square foot garden style and would recommend you plant the okra like you would pepper plants for spacing.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.

diane,

While liking okra a lot (I snack on pickled pods), I plant heavy to have enough to take to the local growers market also. I'll let you know how the spacing works.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.


Jay, pickled pods?? Sounds like something my hubby would love. Share your recipe?? Good luck, I am thinking of doing some market gardening also this year.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.


I plant my dwarf okra (available from Victory Seeds -online) 14" apart, and they seem to do fine. I found them to be very productive for their size, and the shorter bushes allowed me to plant them in a northern square, instead of all the way to the south because of height. I adore okra at 1.5", fresh off of the plant.

Anyone have a receipe for hot and crunchy pickled okra??

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), April 09, 2001.


I was just looking up the exact same thing in my Square Foot Gardening book and noticed there were no instuctions for planting okra. I plan to space them about 6" apart. I have a bed that is long and narrow (12" wide). I will plant two rows. Can't wait to fry up some okra with potatoes and onions, too. Yum!

-- connie in nm (karrlelewis@juno.com), April 09, 2001.

diane & Marty : When Lynn and I get in from the gardens tonite (I heard the email alert while harvesting more wormcast for her) I'll have her get the pickled okra recipes (mild and hot) she uses for mine.

connie in nm : I'm planting mine a little closer than yours (3 inch spacing). I listed your email address in my garden journal with a note to compare results if its o.k. with you.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.


Heres the recipe that Lynn uses for pickled okra.

7 lb small okra pods 2/3 cup pickling salt 6 small hot peppers 4 tsp dill seed 6 cups water 6 cups white vinegar (5% acidity) 8 to 9 garlic cloves

clean and trim okra. Prepare your canning jars and keep them hot. Combine salt,hot peppers, dill seed, water and vinegar in large saucepan ( not aluminum ) and bring to boil. Pack hot jars firmly with whole okra pods, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Place 1 garlic clove in each jar. Add boiling liquid to cover okra, leaving the 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims and tighten lids. Process in a boiling water-bath canner for 10 minutes.

To make em hotter, add one of the peppers along with the garlic.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.


Got it Jay. Thanks a bunch!!!

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 09, 2001.


Jay,

Are you a square foot gardner? If so, I can use all the help i can get. I'm reading the book (Square Foot Gardening - by Mel Bartholomew) but I don't have much time to read and at the rate I'm going, I fear it will e well into NEXT spring before I get finished reading it. If you could give me a few quick tips on where/how to get started, I'd sure appreciate it. I only have a tiny spot (about 8' x 10') and right now I'm in dire need of improving the soil due to the fact that it has a few weeds n it along with cat poo, and alot of ants. Do you think the cat "fertilizer" is a problem? I've heard that it can contain parasites harmful to humans etc. How would you go about keeping the cats out of the garden? Also I think I'm in zone 10 (South Florida) so if you know what veges would grow best in warmer/hot climates and which ones I should steer clear of, it would sure help me out. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Anyone with any suggestions please feel free to email me directly. Thank you.

-- Greenthumbelina (sck8107@aol.com), April 11, 2001.


Greenthumbelina,

I started SFG intensely last season (have done it for 20 years if you count my tub and rooftop gardens at the apartments). I plan to lay out a grid 6 squares by 20 squares as the material become available for walkways. The cat poo will be a problem and you should try to set up where they will stay out of it . Cate feces can transmit toxoplasmosis to humans. As far as your zone and suitable crops, I would suggest checking with local growers or your co-op. Kristin has relocated to LA and may be able to help you more. Myself, i generally consider one square as one row. I seldom mix up my plants as mels' book suggests, instead I will plant an entire 4x4 with one veggie so that I have extra to sell. This year Lynn and I are putting the same crops in a SFG and traditional garden on our place to compare yeilds also.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.


Jay,

Thanks for asking this question- We were sweating out the okra spacing too. Thanks to both you and Lynn for sharing your pickled okra recipe- I can't wait to try it- we love the stuff, and it's too expensive to buy at the store.

GREENTHUMBELINA,

Forgo the radishes,spianch, broccoli,cabbage, cauliflower, parsley and beets right now. It's already too hot for those. But, we can plant them for late crops so it all evens out. I found a good site for my zone, which is 8, that gives you a calendar. For zone 10, try this: http://www.organicgardening.com/almanac/zone10.htm

-- kristin, in LA (positivekharma@aol.com), April 12, 2001.


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