How does Okra Garden Supply 3D print?

Okra Garden Supply uses a Ultimaker S5 FDM 3D printer for our product design and manufacturing. Read more to learn about our 3D printing journey, including the print settings we recommend.

Ultimaker S5 3D Printer
Okra Garden Supply’s manufacturing center.

Jump to a section:

About the Ultimaker S5

Using Cura to Slice your 3D model

OGS Preferred Print Settings

About the Ultimaker S5

The Ultimaker S5 is manufactured by the Dutch company Ultimaker. This is a pre-built Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Printer. This means the manufacturing process adds material layer by layer to create the item. The S5 has dual extruders, so this means it can print two different filament materials without needing to change the spool.

We are using exclusively UIltimaker brand ABS (which stands for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) filament for Okra Garden Supply manufacturing. ABS is used to ensure our products can stand up to the sunlight and moisture they are likely to encounter outdoors. While this is one of the more durable materials that can be printed using a FDM printer, it can be difficult to get all the settings optimized for reliable printing.

We have found that the Ultimaker brand filament is much easier to print with successfully, so while it is more expensive than other ABS filaments available, we believe it is a good value.

The Ultimaker S5 has optional Air Manager and Materials Handler that go above and below the printer respectively, but we are not currently using these. The Air Manager provides temperature control of the enclosure and more controlled venting. The Materials Handler allows automated switching of filament and humidity control for extra materials. (Ultimaker spools have RFID tags that allow the printer to identify the content of each spool.)

For now, we are storing unused filament in vacuum sealed zipper bags, and have not had any issues with temperature control.

Using Cura to Slice your 3D Model

Slicing software is used to convert the 3D model into instructions for your printer. Okra Garden Supply uses Cura, which is a popular slicing software made by Ultimaker. Cura allows you to load the models, place them on the virtual bed of your printer, and adjust a bunch of settings for how the printer will be instructed to print the model. Then you click ‘slice’ for the software to process the model into printer instructions, layer by layer. This will then tell you how long the print will take, and how much filament is needed to complete the print with the selected settings.

Click print to send the job to the configured printer.

The print settings allow you to control the quality of your print. These settings include things like the height of each layer that is printed, effectively controlling the resolution of the print. They also include print speed, wall thickness, and the bed and nozzle temperature settings. There are hundreds of settings, although we have been printing successfully with tweaks to only a few of parameters. Below is a quick reference to Okra Garden Supply’s recommended print settings.

You can visit Ultimaker’s Print Settings Documentation for all the details.

These are the print settings used for typical product manufacturing for sale to end users.

SettingHigh Quality SettingsFor Faster Prints
FilamentUltimaker ABS 2.85mm (all colors)
Nozzle Temperature245.0 C
Build Plate Temperature85.0 C
Layer Height.15 mmup to .25 mm
Wall Thickness1.3 mm
Top/Bottom Thickness1.2 mm
Infill Density30%20%
Infill PatternVaries by design, triangle or octet
Print Speed60 mm/sup to 80 mm/s

Collard Greens: Yellow 7 (because that is the label)

Collard Green Sprout
This Collard has a good chance because it is in in a larger pot. The Squirrel guard fits perfectly in the his 3 gallon pot.

Collard greens are good to grow all year round in Harris County, Texas. I recommend planting seeds every week. This one planted probably, hum, about 4-6 weeks ago, so let’s say October 1, 2021. The green hexagon plastic that is in the pot is to discourage squirrels from digging. I find in my garden that the squirrels are often the first ones to enjoy cleared, fluffy soil. The same soil that is perfect for seedlings and germination. The squirrels don’t mean to do harm to my baby plants, but with their constant digging my baby plants are often innocent victims. If you have the same problem, pick up one of these – or a three pack – in the OGS shop.

Also, the plant labels are available. Maybe, like me, you can’t always remember all babies, these little signs help me. I asked Mr. OGS to make all the little signs. I want to keep track as they grow. I know what a collard looks like, so I just need to remember which collard I was talking about. I know you will all wonder about what happened to little Collard Green Yellow 7 – and now, with this wonderful sign, we can remember to check!

Happy gardening. ~ Fire Ant Lisa

Why is my Okra woody?

To avoid woody okra, harvest as soon as the pods are plump. Another indication of when to harvest is when the next pod up the stalk appears. It is better to harvest too early because once the pods mature to their woody phase they will not be palatable. Okra is an incredible plant that has sustained humans for thousands of years. The okra plant saves its own seeds by having this type of lifecycle. It is a gift to us all that the plant produces consistently and saves its own seeds. But, if you want the pods to taste delicious you need to harvest every day! Good luck!

Lyrics to the Okra Garden Supply jingle

Okra, okra, everyone loves
Okra, okra, watch it grow.

Every day, pick and slice and fry.
Eat for lunch, and you'll be satisfied.

Okra, okra, everyone loves 
Okra okra, watch it grow.

Okra is the namesake of Okra Garden Supply. (Learn why!) Today I want to provide a quick overview of growing and harvesting okra, and a recipe for Fried Okra.

Freshly harvested okra
Freshly harvested okra can be a treat.

Growing

We recommend Hill Country Heirloom Red Okra from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Unfortunately these seeds are currently out of stock. We will update you as we can share our experience with other varieties.

The good news is that most varieties should serve you well in the hot, southern climate of the US, which is the reason we recommend that the southern gardener grows okra.

When planting, don’t forget about the 4 S’s, and the different Okra Garden Supply Soil Pods and Garden Cubes to help you grow your okra seeds.

Okra Pods and Flower
The delicate okra flower is a contrast to the sharp edged pods they become.

Harvesting

The key to good okra is to harvest the pods as early as possible. If you let the okra fruit stay on the plant too long, it will become woody, which is no good to eat. From what I have seen, the young okra can be large and small, so it is a bit of an art to let them grow large enough for good production, but not too large so they can’t be eaten. Typically the ripe pod will be between 2 – 3 inches.

Once your okra plant starts producing pods, you can harvest continually until the end of the season, cutting off a few pods per day. Use pruners to cut off the pod at the stem to avoid splintering of the main plant stalk. Using gloves to protect your hands, as the okra often has a thin layer of fuzzy hair that can cause irritation to your skin.

The okra will last for a week or two on the counter after harvest if it is never put in the refrigerator.

Fried Okra Recipe

This recipe is very simple and a great way to make a small or large quantity based on your harvest. With this in mind, I am not providing any ingredient amounts, as you can adjust all of the ingredients to taste and bounty.

Ingredients

  • Okra
  • Corn meal (enough to allow breading for the amount of okra you have)
  • Garlic powder
  • Fresh pepper
  • Salt
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Vegetable or other frying oil

Procedure

  1. Mix the corn meal, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Cut the okra into 1/2″ or less thick slices.
  3. Heat the oil in a suitable frying pot or fryer to 350 – 375 degrees .
  4. Toss the okra slices into the breading mixture. The okra juice will cause the breading to stick.
  5. Carefully place the okra into your frying pot. Add slowly and do several batches if needed to ensure enough space for the okra to cook properly.
  6. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the breading is golden brown.
  7. Use a strainer to remove the okra from the pot, and place on a paper towel to drain.
  8. Serve hot.

You can place them on a baking tray on a paper towel in the oven on a warm setting to keep warm for longer.


Original Recipe as told to me by Kat Courtney, thanks!