River,

If you are seeing any sort of stink bug around the garden, they may be the cause of the little blister or pimple type spots. They pierce the pods with their little mouths and suck out fluid. The pods then can develop lumps, bumps, lesions, etc. in those spots. In addition, the pods may show distorted growth.

However, sometimes these types of bumps show up on okra and there is no known reason.....probably because it so seldom occurs that universities will not commit research dollars to study it. Clemson University simply says the cause of the bumps is unknown, and they do not address whether the okra is safe to eat. (It probably is, but I don't know how you could know for sure.)

There have been reports this decade of fruit mosaic disease on okra in India and Pakistan but it is not yet well-understood and I haven't seen any photos of it. Usually with a fruit mosaic disease, though, you see mottled discoloration on the fruit in addition to distorted growth.

I've never seen this type of thing on my okra pods. Maybe someone else has seen this on their okra pods and can give you a better answer.

Good luck,

Dawn

OkieDawn,
I'll get out in the garden tomorrow and get a picture. Should have done that anyway, but I was in a hurry doing other things. Kinda makes me sick to let it go to seed, but I have all I need and I doubt anyone would want to take it with it looking like it has the measles,LOL. I am starting to get cherry tomatoes like crazy but you know what? They taste like their watered down. After sitting in the fridge and getting ice cold, they do taste alot better. Getting lots of hot peppers and my lemon drops are coming on. hope they hurry up and turn before the first freeze, they are the most beautiful pepper next to my carribean reds, and I really do love the flavor. It's quite unique. I grew the peter pepper just for the fun of it because I'd heard so much about it. LOL. It really lives up to its name.

River,

Poor okra! Must not have had its MMR immunizations!

Our cherry tomatoes are producing well too, but they don't taste quite as marvelous as they did in July/August. If you've had a lot of rain, it may be watering them down. Otherwise, it is just that end-of-the-season malaise they get where the flavor gradually decreases over time. I think the flavor changes are related to decreased hours of sunlight AND less intense sunlight and heat as well.

The peppers are doing well here also. You know, sometimes when I have a pepper plant I TRULY adore and it is ripening fruit late, I dig it up and put it in a pot, getting as large of a "root ball" as I can. Then, I water it heavily and keep it pretty moist AND in full shade for a few days. After it wilts a bit from transplant shock, it then perks up and I move it back out into the sun. That way, the late fruit can continue to mature, and I can carry it inside the house or garage once the nights are routinely dipping into the 40s. My uncle, on the other hand, pulls up the plant roots and all and hangs it upside down in the barn. He is able to harvest peppers for weeks after that, although I've never asked him if they continue to ripen, or if they hold "as it". I would assume they continue to ripen up to a certan point, because I've done the same thing with cherry tomato plants...and have been able to harvest for about a month after pulling up the plant.

The peter pepper is a hoot! It does live up to its billing......I remember the first time our DS saw one of them when he was in his early teens. He was quite amazed and amused....and said "Mom, we have to grow this pepper!"

Dawn