If you grow okra in your garden, collecting okra seeds is a cheap and easy way to get seeds for next years garden. Silver queen okra seeds buy seeds by the packet or in bulk. Saving your own vegetable seeds world vegetable center. To my surprise, the seeds soaked in bleach and in water sprouted more readily that those given no pretreatment. Ive been harvesting 15 of the plants for the last three weeks and frying up a bunch of okra. To ensure viable seeds, save seeds from at least 1 plant. Saving seeds for next year saves money but also ensures seed security for years to.
A seed to stem celebration and millions of other books are available for instant. I really do like to save seeds from the heritageheirloom varieties we grow. Smith is an excellent storyteller who weaves humor and wit throughout this meticulously researched book. Saving seeds is a vital part of every gardening season. People have used okra varieties for years in a variety of family favorite dishes. Planting, growing, and harvesting okra plants the old. Covers all major and minor vegetable crops, many herbs, and unusual or rare vegetable crops. The remaining stock is on sale for 40% off while supplies last. Basic seed saving, easy step by step instructions for 18 vegetables and 29 wildflowers. Place the dry okra seeds in an airtight container, such as a plastic baggie, and store them in a cool, dry location until it is time to plant them. Traditionally used in southern cuisine, okra can be used to thicken soups and is delicious when fried. You can start okra seeds indoors in peat pots under full light 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date in warmer areas, you can also start okra directly in your garden 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date as long as you cover the plants with a cold frame or grow tunnel until the weather warms up fully. A powerhouse of nutrients, okra has a mild flavor that many compare to eggplant.
Growing microgreens makes total sense if you are saving. The following is an excerpt from janisse rays awardwinning book about seeds and seed saving, the seed underground. We have a few varieties of okra vegetable seeds to buy, but actually have more varieties to pick from on our organic okra seed page. Buy premium bulk nongmo okra seed varieties for planting. Simply allow some pods on your best plants to mature and dry. If youre saving seeds for genetic preservation of a rare variety, save seeds from 25 plants. Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 8 inches. The whole okra is enthralling, literally from seed to stem. Okra seeds have hard seed coats an soaking seeds in hot water for 12 hours prior to planting improves germination. We understand how important it is for our customers to have access to the best okra seeds for planting, and this is what theyll get when they purchase our nongmo heirloom okra seeds.
He gives directions for saving seed for replanting, for a breeding project. Greenishyellow edible okra oil is pressed from okra seeds. Plant 34 seeds every 12 inches in rows 36 inches apart. Sep 21, 2016 okra seeds are some of the easiest seeds to save. Eliminate weeds when the plants are young, then mulch heavily to prevent more weeds from growing. Okra the complete guide to growing okra from seed to seed. I grow okra and have saved the seed pods to dry out and also have left them on the plant for a little while they pretty much worked the same i just leave them in the pods in an uncovered bowl till the following year and when i am ready to plant just break open the pod in the bowl to get seperate the seeds from the chaf.
Okra pods continue to increase in size when left on the plant beyond the edible stage. Seed saving basics by janisse ray organic growers school. In northern areas okra is sometimes transplanted but this is not an established practice for large scale commercial production. Soak the seeds in a jar of water for 24 hours before planting. Grow okra in a different place every year to avoid problems with pests and diseases. As seeds savers this is good news because it keeps things. I have, however, fallen in love with okra and have tried to approach this book with. Jun 10, 2019 the whole okra is foremost a foodies book, but smith also provides practical tips and techniques for home and market gardeners. He gives directions for saving seed for replanting, for a breeding project, or for a stockpile of seed for making okra oil, okra flour, okra tempeh, and more. We understand how important it is for our customers to have access to the best okra seeds for planting, and this is what theyll get when.
Separate any plant debris from the seeds, and leave the seeds on the paper toweling for another 24 hours. A thorough and comprehensive book on seed saving for both new and experienced seed savers. Growing microgreens makes total sense if you are saving your own seeds, because seed saving produces a surplus. Sow okra seeds in full sun and average, wellworked soil after danger of frost.
Okra is a warmweather, annual vegetable from the same family as hollyhock, rose of sharon, and hibiscus. This fall grab one of these 5 books to learn the art of seed saving. It has more about okra than you knew you wanted to know. Whether you love okra or hate it, you will love this book. Lovely plants that grow 78 feet tall and have deep red stems. The whole okra is foremost a foodies book, but smith also provides practical tips and techniques for home and market gardeners.
Although there are tips here on this page, if you are interested in skillfully learning seed saving, we highly recommend obtaining a copy of the book, seed to seed by suzanne ashworth. Chris, please keep exploring, seed saving, and writing. Okra flowers are perfect, meaning they can fertilize themselves. Smith has grown over 75 varieties of okra, and he describes the nuanced differences in flavor, texture, and color. Make sure that the covering is 2 to 3 feet tall so. When directsowing okra, space seeds 2 inches apart and thin to a final spacing of 1218 inches apart. Grow and save okra seeds grow okra seed savers exchange. The whole okra is foremost a foodies book, but smith also provides practical tips and. Okra will tolerate a wide variety of soils and once established is heat and drought tolerant. Many persons contributed to the making of this book. Okra is a warm season vegetable that produces long, thin, edible pods nicknamed ladies fingers.
The key is knowing when to pick the pods, and when not to. These annual, self pollinating crops require little to no isolation, and only a few plants are needed to reliably produce seeds. It is important to grow some bean plants specifically for seed, rather than simply collecting the leftover pods at the end of the season. Okra is a frost sensitive annual that requires full sun and welldrained soil. Okra vegetable seeds buy okra seeds everwilde farms. From now on, my okra seed get an overnight bath before planting. A delicious heirloom from alabama, this variety has fat, redtinged pods that are great fried or in gumbo.
This brand new book is a lot of fun, and the photos are stunning. The cow horn okra is an old heirloom dates all the way back to the early 1900s and is best harvest at 6, but it can remain crunchy up to 10 long. But the experiment piqued sufficient interest, and now you can order okra microgreens through sunbursts website. Okra is a vegetable that is used in soups and casseroles or is fried and boiled. Okra seeds provide one of the prettiest vegetables you can grow. Covers all major and minor vegetable crops, many herbs, and unusual or. Okra plants are tall, so space out the rows 3 to 4 feet apart. The greattasting pods are long and thin, being quite tender even when longer than most. In his classic 1863 book, field and garden vegetables of america, fearing burr lists four varieties, which indicates okra was a widespread market crop by the middle of the 19th century. The seed savers handbook details seed savers foundation. When maintaining a variety over many generations, save seeds from 510 plants. Saving seeds is one of the most basic of gardening skills, and saving okra seeds is easy and a great way to get started.
Okra seed for sale in the uk from the real seed catalogue. At 794 kgha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial. Find high yield okra seeds that grow quickly and love the sun available at burpee seeds. Okra, emerald green velvet 100% heirloomnonhybridnongmo the emerald green velvet okra plant grows to about 2 tall and produces heavy yields of 79 long spineless dark green okras. How to save your own heirloom seeds seed saving basics from. Saving your own seed at home is really simple but just as with growing the vegetables themselves, you need to know what to do for each variety. Discusses pollination dynamics, methods of maintaining. It was written in 1993 by michel and jude fanton, founders of the seed savers network, especially for australian and new zealand cultures. Some crops like peas, beans, lettuce, and tomatoes are great for beginning seed savers. The seed savers handbook is a complete reference for growing, preparing and conserving 117 traditional varieties of food plants.
Help preserve heirloom varieties or breed something new. Clemson spineless okra seeds and plants, vegetable gardening. Level with a rake to remove clumps of grass and stones. We store our seeds in optimal usda recommended conditions. Jul 09, 2011 saving seeds is one of the most basic of gardening skills, and saving okra seeds is easy and a great way to get started.
Okra is also sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in flower gardens, as it can reach a height of up to 6 feet and produces flowers similar to those of. If you are saving okra seed, you will often have more seeds than you need to. Nicking the seed coat of okra seeds can help improve germination rates. The almost sisters by joshilyn jackson, the fifth sacred thing by starhawk, franny and zooey by j.
If youve ever thought saving your own seeds was too much to tackle, let janisse provide some encouragement and inspiration. One of our most popular varieties, it is unique and rare. Grow heirloom okra plant silver queen okra seedsdelicate creamycolored. It is a warmweather crop, so it is primarily grown in southern climates. Planting okra has a thick seed coat and does not germinate easily. How to grow okra microgreens chelsea green publishing. The whole okra by chris smith chelsea green publishing.
In warmer regions of the country, seeds are often directsown. Abelmoschus esculentus jade okra seeds 55 days jade okra was developed by the university of arkansas and released around 1991. Growing vigorously, okra begins bearing its delicious pods when about a foot tall, continuing until frost if kept picked. Some people even use the okra leaves in fresh green salads. They are described as light green leaves with faint red stems, and a mild okra flavor. While it is jampacked with valuable information each page is entertaining and beautifully illustrated.
All varieties will cross if not isolated in cages or by long distances one mile is recommended, so its best to grow only one variety of okra in years you plan on saving seed. You can soak the seeds overnight in tepid water to help speed up germination. Okra is an annual crop hardy to zones 10 and above but can be grown in any temperate summer climate once dangers. Okra is easy to grow if you nick the hard seeds with a clipper first. Seeds that are only a year old, or slightly older but whose packets are still unopened, generally germinate nicely. The okra pods are harvested when green, and can be eaten raw in salads, or boiled, cooked, or pickled.
All seeds germinated and i thinned out 2 seedlings from each space leaving 16. That wouldnt make it an heirloom, but it is an open pollinated variety and properly pollinated you can keep seed from it to replant next year. The oil content of some varieties of the seed is about 40%. How to save okra seeds okra flowers are perfect and selfpollinating, but they are so large and showy they attract lots of bees to help get the job done. Texas, i sowed 48 seeds in a 4x4 raised bed, 3 seeds per square. We hope to encourage you to begin saving your own seeds with this simple 46 page book that covers all the basics to save seeds from the vegetables and flowers in your garden.
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