Okra

I luckily escaped a disaster this morning. I mentioned a while back that a wasp had nailed me when I was retrieving the daily newspaper so I’ve been careful to look inside the box before sticking my hand in ever since. I did the same this morning but unbeknownst to me, a covey/herd/gaggle/flock/swarm of wasps had started working on a nest, in earnest, after I got the paper yesterday. As I started withdrawing the paper I heard the unmistakeable buzz and did a high speed yank out and backing up move. A few came out but I was far enough away to avoid their vengeance. I came up to the house, got a can of wasp spray, and blasted the nest. There had to be at least a dozen working the nest so it was a clean wipeout. Unlike bears, I don’t think wasps are a protected species but I still won’t call the wildlife folks to report the encounter.

Starting to spot small okra pods forming. Most people haven’t seen okra growing so I’ve added the pic’s. The blossoms are particularly pretty and dress up the garden nicely. They look a bit like hibiscus blossoms. I’m not sure how tall these plants will grow but right now they’re 3′ with no sign they’ve peaked out. I’m going to keep a very close eye on them and be sure to pick the pods earlier than I have in the past. The particular varieties I’ve chosen this year are totally different than I’ve grown in the past so maybe they won’t get woody as quickly but I’m not going to let them get away from us this year. One variety is called Star of David so maybe this is a Kosher crop. The picture doesn’t show it too well but it’s more deeply furrowed and more plump than the Clemson Spineless most people grow. I’m going to put this guy on the grill and see how well it performs in that venue. The other variety is called Annie Oakley so I don’t have a clue what to expect that is reminiscent of a female sharp shooter.

So far, so good on the mid summer cucumbers. Cucumbers are right up there with tomatoes in terms of what people want. The plants are looking beautiful and loaded with small cucumbers and blossoms. My calculation says we’ll be picking 8/24 but they look a bit ahead of schedule to me. Deep down inside I really expected that the high heat and humidity would be too much and that still may be the case but I’m really encouraged at this point. I have two varieties going, time and location spaced, so the youngest plants have not yet developed any fruit but have great looking foliage. I’m going to start a couple more in a few weeks and see if we can keep cucumbers on the table through November. That will be a big change from the past.