Okra Eating you up!!

Marysgoats · #1 07/13/10, 06:19 AM

Anyone got a idea to keep okra from eating up picking it? Gloves, long sleve shirt.
But it still stings. HELP!! What can you do?

mammabooh · #2 07/13/10, 06:23 AM

What is stinging you? I'm confused. I've grown okra a few times and never had it sting me.

Rockytopsis · #3 07/13/10, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marysgoats

Anyone got a idea to keep okra from eating up picking it? Gloves, long sleve shirt.
But it still stings. HELP!! What can you do?

Gloves, long sleeves, benydril before picking.

I also have a allergy to the hairs on okra and the leaves. There is a hairless kind, don't remember the name of it.

My friend gave me some seeds and I have no problem picking it, and save seed every year to replant.

Nancy

7thswan · #4 07/13/10, 06:35 AM

Alot of things bother me like this. I have cut off a pair of socks, and made a thumb hole. You can roll down the top of the sock when not weeding or picking.

Silvercreek Farmer · #5 07/13/10, 07:49 AM

Clemson Spineless variety should give you some relief...

Txsteader · #6 07/13/10, 07:54 AM

Even Clemson Spineless makes me itch. Long sleeves and gloves are the only ways I know to avoid it.

Harry Chickpea · #7 07/13/10, 10:16 AM

Simple. Use garden pruners to cut all the leaves off. I'm serious. If you don't believe me, try it on just a few plants. By the time it starts putting out the pods, it doesn't need the leaves any more. Then use the garden pruners to harvest the pods as they grow.

luv2farm · #8 07/13/10, 11:26 AM

Never heard of this but you can bet I'm gonna try it!!! Blame okra and green beans EAT ME UP!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harry Chickpea

Simple. Use garden pruners to cut all the leaves off. I'm serious. If you don't believe me, try it on just a few plants. By the time it starts putting out the pods, it doesn't need the leaves any more. Then use the garden pruners to harvest the pods as they grow.

hippygirl · #9 07/13/10, 11:41 AM

For some, it's the price you pay for growing your own. Okra doesn't bother me, but it tears my BIL up. He's tried everything, but, so far, nothing helps.

plowhand · #10 07/13/10, 12:13 PM

I grow okra for the local market, mostly restraunts, and I cant work in it without long sleeves and gloves. I also cut the leaves and most of the suckers off. I was always taught to cut the leaf off when I harvest the pod of okra growing above it. I snap my okra instead of cutting it, so I mostly just go back through and cut the lower leaves off with a sickle like tool. Last year I had almost a half acre of okra, that was 8 to nine foot tall.

byexample · #11 07/13/10, 12:14 PM

Wish I had okra to harvest. For whatever reason it's the one thing that we just can't seem to catch a break with. When I grew it back east the dern stuff was weed-like. Wasn't long before we were moaning about all the okra. And we only had like 6 plants or something.

Here, it just never seems to get to be more than 24" tall and, if it produces anything, it's small, woody, and you only get 1 or 2 at a time. We've tried several different varieties. Perhaps it's just too dry here?

Don't recall it bothering me much... but some folks are more sensitive than others. I suppose the only option you have is to cover-up. Perhaps aloe might help alleviate the irritation?

Enjoy your okra!!

DamnearaFarm · #12 07/13/10, 12:19 PM

Clemson spineless is my fave. The first okra of the year came from a friend's garden and it'd been so long since i'd picked anything BUT spineless it tore me UP.

Marysgoats · #13 07/13/10, 02:00 PM

Well, I guess I'm not along with this Okra Stinging. It stings picking an washing to cut up. I've tryed everything but, nothing helps. I just thought someone had a cure for this stuff.
I do love it tho guess I'll just have to suffer. About everyother day we get also 4 bushell an more off 4 rows. I'm drying alot and sharing with friends. But...you can't get anyone to pick there own tho. They would like to have it cut too, but I'm not going that far.
It's so good in gumbos, fried, smothered w /onion an tomatoes. Lots of ways to eat okra. Wish some of you were close you could get all you wanted.

mammabooh · #14 07/13/10, 07:56 PM

Clemson is the only kind I've grown, so I didn't know that other kinds would bite you!

wanda1950 · #15 07/13/10, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marysgoats

Well, I guess I'm not along with this Okra Stinging. It stings picking an washing to cut up. I've tryed everything but, nothing helps. I just thought someone had a cure for this stuff.
I do love it tho guess I'll just have to suffer. About everyother day we get also 4 bushell an more off 4 rows. I'm drying alot and sharing with friends. But...you can't get anyone to pick there own tho. They would like to have it cut too, but I'm not going that far.
It's so good in gumbos, fried, smothered w /onion an tomatoes. Lots of ways to eat okra. Wish some of you were close you could get all you wanted.

When I come in from cutting okra, I wash my hands & arms in the hottest water I can stand & use plenty of soap. Do it for several moments. It will itch & burn at the time but will stop quicker than if I don't do this.

I've always grown the Clemson spineless & it eats me up anyway.

Did you'all have as hard a time as I had this yr. getting okra to come up? I had ONE of my original seeds come up & it is almost a foot taller than the replants.

Aintlifegrand · #16 07/14/10, 09:25 AM

Clemson okra is fine for me...I get a bit of stingy itch but not near as bad is with fig and squash leaves..both of those keep me itchy all summer..lol. I do wash all the way up my arms with goats milk soap as soon as I come in and that helps some..