GARDEN: Growing okra in your garden

07 Feb, 2016 - 00:02 0 Views
GARDEN: Growing okra in your garden

The Sunday Mail

Andrew Mangwarara
Okra seed can be produced by carefully selecting plants, removing those that are undesirable since it is cross pollinated. Good distances must also be maintained with other fields which have the crop.

GROWING up there was one vegetable I did not fancy and that was okra until I discovered later on as an adult that you could actually fry it as opposed to boiling it.
Okra is a vegetable delicacy for many, which can be enjoyed with sadza. It is given the Shona name derere rechipudzi or gusha and in isiNdebele idelele. Botanically it is referred to as abelmoschus esculentus belonging to the family malvaceae, as with your hibiscus lot. It is widely believed to have originated from Ethiopia or West Africa.
There are many vegetables eaten as okra is but this particular one is unique as it produces pods, which can be green or red depending on the variety. The leaves can also be consumed as a vegetable. Nutritionally, okra is known to be beneficial for diabetes patients, digestion, eye sight, cancer prevention, asthmatic patients, keeping skin free of pimples and wound healing.
One can grow okra all year round particularly in the hotter regions of the country since the ideal temperatures for growth are above 25 degrees celsius. Okra grows better in well-drained sandy loam soils, high in organic matter.
Okra prefers an acidic pH of 5,8 to 6,5. It responds well to fertile soils but easily succumbs to drowning in clay soils. Plant spacing can be done at 60cm between rows and 5cm in-row. Germination can take 5-14 days being enhanced by soaking the seed overnight.
It is always healthier to use chicken, kraal manure or compost for a successful okra crop. Inorganic fertilisers can be used at a rate of 100-200kg per hectare for compound D. High flowering and fruiting can be enhanced by also applying potassium nitrate fortnightly at 20-30kg per hectare. The pods can begin to be harvested as soon as they are 4-7cm in length, the tender they are the better before they harden, or else you have to leave them on the plant for seed. The good thing about okra is that it keeps bearing the more you harvest.
Okra seed can be produced by carefully selecting plants, removing those that are undesirable since it is cross pollinated. Good distances must also be maintained with other fields which have the crop.
This vegetable is susceptible to nematode attack so crop rotation is an important practise for pest and disease control. As most plants in this family it is attacked by a range of caterpillars and also whitefly, aphids or mites. Scout the crop regularly for pests and diseases. Insects that eat the pod can greatly affect your yield. It is best to resort to traditional methods of controlling pests since there are few products registered to be used on okra. This can include using organic garlic sprays or growing okra with other repellant plants such as marigold.
There are many ways to enjoy okra or the lady`s finger including pickling them for future enjoyment. They can also be safely frozen away for those times they are in short supply. There is indeed a place for some indigenous veggies in your garden.

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