Good day to you my hive family! Kindly accompany me to my Okra garden. I love okra as the title implies but I knew little or nothing about its plantation before now. All I knew was how to cook it and eat sumptuously. In fact, my journey into planting okra was a transformative adventure. A friend's suggestion sparked interest. I purchased its seeds from a local market and eagerly sowed them in well-prepared soil.
The first few days passed anxiously as I awaited germination. When the delicate leaves finally emerged, I beamed with pride. However, the growth soon slowed, and the plants became stunted. I was discouraged.
I expected my first attempt to be encouraging. The growth was not impresssive, leading me to neglect the garden for several weeks. After a long thought, I decided to go back to it, besides, nothing thrives without care. Hmm, the weed has taken over.
Undisturbed, I determined to revive my garden, I resumed care, meticulously uprooting weeds and watering the parched plants. Remarkably, the okra plants rebounded, producing vibrant flowers and eventually, tender pods. I became so happy, I meticulously tended the garden, ensuring optimal conditions. I spent hours admiring the okra's rapid growth, taking daily photos alongside my flourishing crop. There were okra already but I thought they should stay longer and grow bigger before I harvest it.
Unaware of optimal harvesting times, I delayed picking. My friend rebuked me for the childish act of taking photos day by day instead of harvesting the ripe okra. I never knew that overripe okra becomes unusable. Rushing to harvest, I discovered the okra had lost its freshness and became so hard to slice. Disheartened, I sought advice on what I could do with it. I really didn't want to throw it away.
My friend suggested cutting, drying and grinding the okra into 'Orunla' powder for future meals.
Intrigued, I learned about this traditional method, which involves drying okra and grinding them into a fine okra powder. This is called 'Orunla' in our local dialect. It is easily prepared by adding the power into a little water on fire and cook with the desired ingredients. I was so happy that my overripe okra wouldn't go to waste.
Also, I cut some of the okra to extra the seed and sundry it. Once, it's dry, it can be planted again. Saving me stress and money to buy seed for subsequent plantings.
Through trial and error however, I gained valuable insights. Timely harvesting ensures optimal flavor and texture. Home cultivation guarantees freshness and surplus, the ripe okra can be harvested as early as possible since it's at home and not a far place. The experimentation leads to discoveries like 'Orunla' (okra powder) The support of fellow gardeners and friends is invaluable as my friend mentored me till the harvesting.
Today, my okra plants flourish, and I'm better equipped for optimal harvesting. Home cultivation has become an integral part of my life, providing fresh produce, food security, personal fulfillment.
Thanks for reading with me, I will show you other things I plant at home in my next post.
All photos were taken by me.