They were just the beginnings of roots (enough to let me know the seeds were alive). I want to grow them in a different spot (so, I didn't leave them there). None of them were under the soil; they were all on top, and it's moist right now (so, that might have made a difference). It's starting to warm up into spring, but it still freezes once in a while.
I know peppers sometimes start to grow roots, but can take a long time before they come above soil. So, I'm not sure how long the okra would have taken to open up, if I just left it there.
The parent seeds that I purchased had very low germination rates in our soil (I direct-seeded). Some varieties didn't germinate at all. I got a couple plants, maybe, from a whole packet of seeds. I might not direct-seed them all, this year, but I probably will some (including the ones I saved seeds from).
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