2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Okra, or okra, is an exotic vegetable, the popularity of which is gradually gaining momentum in our latitudes. And one should not be surprised at this, because okra is not only tasty, but also very useful: it is very successfully used both for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, stomach ulcers, atherosclerosis and a number of other ailments! This wonderful product can be used both as a side dish and as a dressing for soups, moreover, okra goes well with paprika, ginger, onion, garlic, tomatoes and a whole range of other products. So why not try to grow this most useful plant in your own area? Moreover, this does not require any special skills at all
Which variety should you prefer?
The most preferred option for self-cultivation will be bush varieties of okra that can perfectly tolerate short and not too hot summers. In addition, such plants boast impressive resistance to short-term droughts and all kinds of ailments.
The best varieties for growing in conditions near Moscow and in the middle zone will be Bombay, Green and White Velvet, as well as Juno and Vlada. White cylindrical okra is no less popular.
Growing seedlings
In order for okra seeds to germinate well and quickly, they must be properly prepared. As a rule, for this purpose, they are soaked in warm water for a day. It is quite acceptable to resort to the help of special preparations that accelerate and improve germination.
It is advisable to sow this culture for seedlings only in sufficiently deep containers - since the roots of the okra are pivotal and very long, small containers for these purposes are categorically not suitable. Ideally, each seedling should be provided with a separate vessel (peat pot, plastic cup, etc.). As for the use of common boxes, it is extremely undesirable, because okra does not tolerate transplantation very well.
The substrate for sowing seeds should be fairly light and rich in various nutrients - a ready-made substrate sold in specialty stores is also quite suitable. Nutritious soil mixtures intended for growing all kinds of vegetable crops have especially proven themselves.
Each grain is deepened when planted to a depth of about three centimeters, while placing more than two seeds in the same container will be impractical. And so that young seedlings appear as quickly as possible, containers with seeds sown in them are covered with glass or transparent polyethylene. However, you can not do this, only then the first seedlings can be seen only after three weeks, not earlier. And, of course, light-requiring okra needs good lighting!
Seedling care and planting in a permanent place
It is recommended to feed the newly hatched shoots of okra with mixtures rich in phosphorus. An excellent feeding would be, for example, nitrophoska - a tablespoon of this drug is diluted in five liters of clean water, after which everything is thoroughly mixed and the seedlings are watered with the resulting composition. Such dressings are carried out until several pairs of true full-fledged leaves are formed on the seedlings.
Also, do not forget that the soil in containers with seedlings must always be well moistened, and the water intended for irrigation must settle well and have room temperature.
Okra is moved to open ground only after several pairs of leaves appear on each seedling. And the temperature of the soil by that time should not drop below plus fifteen degrees - the seedlings planted in unheated soil do not take root well and may even dry out altogether. And, of course, for planting in the ground, only seedlings that are not too elongated should be selected without signs of any diseases.
As for the site for planting okra, it must be well lit, since this culture is very photophilous. In addition, this area must be reliably protected from drafts. And if the soils are acidic, it will not hurt to pre-lime them. And the best predecessors for okra will be nightshade.
When planting seedlings in open ground, a distance of thirty centimeters is maintained between the bushes, and half a meter between the rows.
Okra planted in open ground is watered every other day, and when hot weather is established for a very long period of time, watering is carried out daily (either early in the morning or after the sun sets). It is also necessary to carry out systematic weeding - this is necessary in order for the soil to let air through much better.
At the stage of active growth, this culture is fed with complex mineral preparations or high-quality organic mixtures, and as soon as the first fruits appear on the okra, feeding with a high potassium content will not be superfluous.
Growing okra from seeds will not cause the slightest difficulty even for novice summer residents, which means it makes sense to try to plant it on your site!
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