So I learned something very interesting this weekend. We had some severe weather here on Friday with a lot of rain. It pretty much fell from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon. My okra has not been making any impressive growth this spring and I was starting to suspect that they would not be a strong crop this year. However, after 2 days of rain and NO sunshine they have exploded! I mean these things were maybe 8 inches tall maximum and then yesterday I checked on them and they must be 18 inches tall and already have okra growing on them. That is the amazing miracle of nature.
This prompted me to wonder what made fresh rain so incredible versus my rain barrel water and such. Here is the best information that I found out there.
Nitrogen is one of three important fertilizer elements used to support plant growth, together with Phosphorus and Potassium. Lightning does enhance nitrogen in soil. It works by breaking down Nitrogen in the atmosphere, so it can combine with Oxygen; the resulting molecules dissolve in rainwater and falls to the ground. About 5 to 8% of the Nitrogen used by plants (or available in the soil) originates in this way. By the way, Master Gardeners tell me it's important not to depend only on chemical fertilizers-that organic substances found in compost, for example, and other sources are also critical to plant health and growth.
So get your rain makers out and do a rain dance. I would love to have 1-2 rainy days a week!
Here are pictures of my habanero pepper plant last Thursday and then again on Monday this week!
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