Old Reliable
Veteran Member
My first time growing sweet potato in my raised bed garden.
Me quests can you grow sweet potato's and okra in the same bed?
Thank you
Me quests can you grow sweet potato's and okra in the same bed?
Thank you
Planting Sweet Potato's and Okra.
- Thread starter Old Reliable
- Start date
They don't grow well together in the same bed. Wait at least a year before planting okra where you have planted sweet potatoes.
If nitrogen issues don't get the okra, the nematodes will. Here in Florida nematodes are enemy #1.
If nitrogen issues don't get the okra, the nematodes will. Here in Florida nematodes are enemy #1.
China Connection
TB Fanatic
Crop Rotation
Okra should not be planted in soil previously utilized to grow vine crops such as sweet potatoes and squash as these crops tend to increase nematode population in soil.26 Oct 2020
Companion Planting For Okra • Insteading.............................................................................................
Okra, sweet potatoes grow well during summer heat
ORLANDO SENTINEL
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Growing vegetables in the garden can be a difficult task this time of year in Florida. With the high temperatures and high humidity, there are not many plants that will produce a quality, edible product.
Luckily for the avid gardener, there are a few that will do quite well this summer. Sweet potatoes and okra are two vegetables that love the summer heat.
The sweet potato is a succulent, warm-weather vegetable native to the Americas. The skins and flesh of sweet potatoes can range from nearly white to brown, pink or even purple. In the United States, we prefer yellow or orange-fleshed varieties.
Sweet potatoes can be planted in the spring, after the danger of frost has passed, through the end of June. They will produce best in sandy soils. Use plants or cuttings of sweet potato plants that are free of disease and insects.
The sweet potato plants do not require a lot of nitrogen fertilizer. Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer on sweet potatoes, such as 5-10-10 or 2-12-12. High-nitrogen fertilizers will cause the plants to produce a lot of foliage, but not many large tubers.
A long growing season, nearly four months, is necessary for sweet potatoes before they're ready to harvest. Once they are harvested, store them in a warm room that is well-ventilated for at least two weeks before eating. This will allow some of the starch to convert to sugar.
The only major pest of the sweet potato is the sweet-potato weevil. The sweet-potato weevil tunnels through the tubers, making them inedible. Control methods for the home gardener are mostly inadequate. Cultural controls of the sweet-potato weevil include crop rotations. This means that the plants should not be grown in the same location in recurring seasons.
Okra is also a warm-weather vegetable and can be planted from February through August. Unlike the sweet potato, okra does require regular fertilization with high nitrogen content throughout the growing season.
The plants will thrive on quickly available plant nutrients, so a soluble plant fertilizer labeled for use on vegetables should be used. A soluble plant fertilizer is a liquid fertilizer, usually a powder mixed with water. The fertilizer should be applied to the plant every three weeks.
The okra will be ready to harvest in just more than two months and will continue to produce throughout the summer. The edible pods of the okra should be collected within a few days after the flower has fallen off the tip and when they are about 3 to 4 inches long. If left too long on the plant, they become very tough to eat and also develop a stringy, fibrous flesh.
Root-knot nematode is okra's major pest. Nematodes are round, unsegmented roundworms that are very hard to see with the unaided eye. They feed on the roots of plants, causing the roots to become swollen with the appearance of knots on them. There is currently no chemical control for nematodes in the home garden.
Soil solarization and additional organic material, such as compost, animal manure and peat, for the planting beds can help to control nematodes.
Soil solarization is a term that can be translated into "baking the soil." During the hottest time of the year (June through August), place a clear plastic covering over the planting bed. Secure the ends of the covering with soil or bricks, allowing no air to enter.
Let the soil "bake" under the plastic for four to six weeks. This will kill any diseases or insects that may exist in the soil, basically sterilizing it, which can make vegetable gardening in Florida a little bit easier.
For information about vegetable gardening in Florida and answers to other plant questions, contact the Osceola County Master Gardeners. They are available to take calls Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 321-697-3000.
If you prefer planting trees to vegetables, then attend this upcoming tree program. The ReLeaf Osceola tree-giveaway program is very popular and still going strong. If you own property in Osceola County and have not gotten your free tree from this program yet, call 321-697-3015. The next classes will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday and July 9.
Funding for this program is provided by the U.S. Forest Service and the Florida Division of Forestry.
Okra, sweet potatoes grow well during summer heat
Growing vegetables in the garden can be a difficult task this time of year in Florida. With the high temperatures and high humidity, there are not many plants that will produce a quality, edible pr…
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About a week ago I planted sweet potatoes in my brand new raised bed. I had no idea they encouraged nematodes. I fight those things with my tomatoes every year. Nematodes and squash bores are the bane of my existence every year when gardening time rolls around. BTW we had our first squash of the season last night sauteed in a fritatta and fried southern style tonight.
Old Reliable
Veteran Member
What is the best way to control squash bores?