Growing Okra - Benefits and Instructions
Benefits of Growing Okra
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Medicinal- Okra has been linked to many health benefits including; lowering bad cholesterol, improving digestion, managing diabetes and increase endurance levels.
- Nutritional Profile - Okra is rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, fibre, vitamin A,C,E and K.
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Use in: Soups, stews, roasted, pickled, fried, stuffed.
Growing Instructions
Culture:
Sun Exposure: Choose a full sun location.
Soil: Well drained, fertile soil with a slightly acidic soil pH.
Moisture: Okra will do fairly well under dry conditions. However, watering every 7-10 days will give higher yields. Keep the soil of young plants evenly moist but not soggy.
Planting: Soak seeds in warm water for twenty-four hours before planting, this will speed up germination. Seeds can be started 5 weeks before the last frost, or direct sow in late May to early June.
Spacing: Plant 1 okra plant per square foot of growing space using Square Foot Gardening Method. Or plant in rows 36 inches apart.
Sow seeds: Sow 1⁄4-3/4 inches deep
Harvesting:
For most tender and flavourful quality, harvest when pods are 3-4 inches long and cook as soon as possible. Pick on a weekly basis to encourage continual fruit set. The more you pick okra the more you’ll get. When picked often, okra will keep producing until the first frost.
Storage/Preparation:
Okra tastes best the day you pick it. Use pods immediately or they will begin to lose quality and flavor. Okra does not store well fresh, but if you must keep okra more than a day or two, store pods in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator. However okra holds up well to freezing and canning or pickling quite well.
Companions:
Cucumbers, peppers, melons, basil, cosmos, zinnias.