Perfectly Spaced Rows with the Garden Seeder
Garden Seeder
The Hoss Garden Seeder is the ideal tool for planting various different seed sizes and accurately plant seeds without overplanting. This tool is constructed with Amish-crafted hardwood handles that contain 15-inch steel wheels and a powder-coated steel frame. It includes six different plates that vary in size for different seed varieties. The first seed plate works great for crops like broccoli, cabbage, mustard, turnips, and cauliflower. The second seed plate is ideal for crops such as onions or small coated seeds. The third seed plate is for okra and pelleted carrots, beets, or lettuce. While the fourth seed plate is made for smaller sweet corn seeds and the fifth is ideal for small beans or peas. The sixth seed plate that is used with the seeder works best for medium size beans and peas or large corn varieties. The seed plates should lay flat in the hopper to ensure they flow through the seeder properly.
Perfectly Spaced Rows
On this week's episode, Travis is planting perfectly spaced rows of okra using the garden seeder. He has a 30 x 35 area that is one of the six subplots that has been established in the dream vegetable garden. When preparing the garden for perfectly spaced rows of okra plants, he is not going to use drip irrigation and is planning to direct seed. Before planting you will need to make sure the seed plate is calibrated correctly for planting and the seeds are flowing properly through the seeder. When using the third seed plate for planting okra it contains six adjustable holes and based on the seeder gearing the seed spacing should be a little over 3 inches. Then, Travis can thin them out around 8 or 12 inches to allow for plenty of room during the growing process. The planting depth for okra should be about half an inch which can be adjusted on the depth gauge located on the seeder. Travis is going to use his row marker accessory for the seeder to ensure he gets straight planting lines in the vegetable garden. The row marker has several different spacing options and it can extend out to 36 inches or 3 feet. The row marker is going to fit and slide inside the groove that is located on the back of the garden seeder frame. Travis uses the row marker for the first row to achieve a perfectly spaced row and the rest of the rows should be straight following the first. When planting with the garden seeder a slow and steady pace is the best to ensure you get accurate seed planting. Overall, summer planting is the ideal time to grow a maximum crop of okra that is able to withstand the hottest temperatures.
Okra Varieties
The several different okra varieties that we have available are all excellent in production and flavor profiles. The first variety is the Jambalaya which is a hybrid that produces the most productive okra in the vegetable garden. Next, is the Red Burgundy which is another excellent variety that produces deep red pods that remain tender when growing longer pod lengths. The Silver Queen is an heirloom variety that creates light green pods that are almost white. Another heirloom variety is the Cowhorn Okra that makes slender pods that remain tender even when grown at 6 to 10 inches long. However, the Star of David variety is the go-to okra for frying because of it’s thicker pods and the Clemson Spineless produces pods that can reach 7 to 9 inches in length and be harvested between 3 to 4 inches long. The newest okra variety that is now available is the Perkins Long Pod which is an heirloom that creates elongated pods that tend to produce early in the vegetable garden.