Mallowing Around
Hello Yardeners! I hope everyone is enjoying the work as we prepare our gardens for spring. It was a cold busy weekend. But, I still managed to get my hands in the dirt on Sunday. I even picked up some new garden equipment.
March 10 Garden Updates
Location of Our Future Raised Beds
I am excited to report that the two raised garden beds I purchased in the mail arrived late last week. As exciting as that is, I need to do a lot of work before I can install them. First step is removing the grass from around where we will be installing these raised beds. All garden beds are expanding this year in addition to the two raised beds we are adding, and it is better to rip that sod out now then in the heat of the summer. Not to mention that I have plans for those spaces and before I can plant anything, the area needs cleaned up.
I started ripping our sod and quickly decided I was not prepared. For the past two years, I have used five-gallon buckets to move weeds, dirt, and other items around the yard. When ripping out sod, I saw that using the five-gallon buckets wouldn't cut it. We took a quick trip to our local Menards. I saw many contenders. Honestly, the number of options surprised me. I decided on the Gorilla Carts, Poly Yard Cart. This garden cart was the perfect size for my small yard and can hold up to 300lbs. Perfect to haul dirt and sod across the yard. That is where the outdoor work ended. My goal is to complete the removal of my sod either this week or next so that we can get our cabbage in the ground.
Gorilla Carts, Poly Yard Cart
The work continued indoors with the planting of our okra seeds. This year we are planting Okra Heavy Hitter from Baker Creek. Okra is in the mallow family and grows not only tasty vegetables but also a beautiful display of large moon-shaped flowers, similar to what you would see on your typical rose of sharon or hibiscus… also in the mallow family. What drew my attention to this specific variety of okra is the description that Baker Creek provided. According to them, a single plant can produce up to 250 pods per season. Do I expect to grow 250 pods per plant? I do not… Do I think it is worth growing for the experience and to see how many I can produce? Heck yeah, I do!
Okra Heavy Hitter
Okra lovers rejoice! This is the most productive okra we have ever seen, with plants producing as many as 250 pods per plant in a season and 44 young, tender pods in a single day. This unbelievable heirloom was selected and perfected over decades by one dedicated farmer in Oklahoma. Dry Creek Farm owner Ron Cook received seeds of Clemson Spineless okra in 1972 from a local gardening friend who had saved her own seeds for decades. Once in his hands, Ron began to select for heavy productivity. After many years of improvement and selection, the Heavy Hitter stands to be one of the most productive okras of all time with no compromise to flavor and texture. For those who love to grow a mess of okra, this is your variety. You can expect heavy crops of uniform pods, perfect for pickling and then savoring all season long!
Sun: 8-12 hours
Sprouts in 7-14 Days
Ideal Temperature: 75-90 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/2-1"
Plant Spacing: 18"
Frost Hardy: No
Happy Gardening!