Okra

A member of the hibiscus family, okra is an annual (a plant that germinates, grows and dies in a single season or year) that can grow from 3 to 8 feet tall, depending on the cultivar. The plant is a rather coarse annual with large lobed, slightly spiny leaves and a thick, semi-woody stem with few branches. The flowers are showy: hibiscus-like with pale yellow or cream colored petals and purplish hearts. Okra blooms and produces over an extended season, usually until first frost, bearing yellow flowers that give rise to the familiar okra pods so valued in Cajun gumbos.
Okra is native to the Old World tropics - probably West Africa - and has become established in the wild in some New World tropical areas. It is generally believed that okra first reached the New World during the days of slave trafficking. Okra is a popular and important food in Third World tropical countries. It is widely used in India, Africa and the Middle East, but almost unknown in Europe and northern North America.

Light: Full sun for best production. Moisture: Keep fast growing okra well watered. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 - 11. Okra is a hot weather annual. Don't even think of planting your okra seeds until summer has arrived and the nights stay above 55 F. Best growth occurs when soil temperatures are above 65 F. From seedling to first harvest takes only about 60 days, however. If your warm weather growing season is shorter than that, start the plants indoors, setting out after all danger of frost has passed, and maybe even use a cold frame on the cooler nights. Propagation: You can speed up germination if you soak okra seeds in water for 24 hours before planting. Sow seeds about a half inch deep in one long row or in rows 3' apart, and thin to 12 or 18" between plants.

Abstract:

The objective of the study was to assess the growth contributing characters of biofield treated bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) seeds. The seeds of both crops were divided into two groups, one was kept aside and denoted as untreated, while the other group was subjected biofield energy treatment. The variabilities in growth contributing parameters were studied and compared with their control. Further the level of glutathione (GSH) in okra leaves, along with DNA fingerprinting in bottle gourd were analyzed using RAPD method. After germination, the plants of bottle gourd were reported to be strong and erect with better canopy as compared with the control. The vegetative growth of okra plants after biofield energy treatment was found to be stout with small canopy, strong steam, and more fruits per nodes, that contributed high yield as compared with the control. However, endogenous level of GSH in the leaves of okra was increased by 47.65% as compared to the untreated group, which may suggest an improved immunity of okra crops. Besides, the DNA fingerprinting data, showed polymorphism (42%) between treated and untreated samples of bottle gourd. The overall results suggest that the biofield energy treatment on bottle gourd and okra seeds, results an improved overall growth of plant and yield, which may enhance flowering and fruiting per plant. Study results conclude that the biofield energy treatment could be an alternate method to improve the crop yield in agricultural science.

List bees as pollinator

"Poor quality without bees:Strawberries, peppers, eggplant and okra."

Okra should be picked every 2-3 days before the pods become tough and woody. This usually means before the pods exceed 5" in length, although size doesn't really matter: it's the age of the pods rather than their length that determines if they are too woody and stringy to eat. Use your thumbnail to test for tenderness. Even if you aren't going to use the okra, picking every other day encourages continued production. Cut the pods off on the stem with shears or a knife; don't cut off the caps as this will cause them to "bleed" and become slimy. Use okra as soon as possible after harvesting and do not store in the refrigerator. In tropical climates, it is common to cut back mature okra plants to the ground for a second flush of growth and pod production. Be sure to side dress with a balanced fertilizer. NOTE - Many people get an itchy (but short-lived) reaction from the little spines on the leaves and stems of okra, and should therefore be careful when working in the okra patch. Wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt if you are bothered. However, even highly sensitive individuals do not get the reaction from eating okra.