Harvesting Okra and Succession Planting for Summer
June 16th, 2021
Okra is officially in season! Remember when we said that okra produces flowers similar to its family member hibiscus? Check out the beautiful okra blossom above! Each blossom produces a single okra pod. Okra is a quick grower, taking only 3-4 days from the emergence of the bloom until the pods reach harvesting size. In addition to being a quick and prolific producer, okra typically seems unfazed by our hot summers. We should be harvesting okra throughout the rest of the summer season so we hope you have your favorite okra recipes ready!
We transplanted more successions of peppers, eggplant, squash, and cucumbers over the last week in preparation for summer harvesting. Staggering multiple plantings of the same crop (called succession planting or successionalization) helps to lengthen our harvest window and maintain more of a steady supply of produce throughout the season. Succession planting also helps in the event of any weather or pest related problems we might incur, like a nearly month-long rain event!
Purslane, the first of our summer greens, was transplanted this week. Purslane, not to be confused with the herb parsley, is a succulent in the Portulacaceae family with edible leaves, stems, and flowers. The leaves have a slightly tart taste and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach. Purslane is one of three summer greens we’re experimenting with this season in an effort to provide leafy green options as the temperatures rise. Since purslane readily self-sows, we’re hoping that it will begin to crowd out the weed seeds and lessen the amount of weeding we have to do over time.
