All About Okra
What is your take on okra, the young seed pods of Abelmoschus esculentus?
For some, this warm-weather vegetable also knowns as lady's fingers, is particularly slimy in texture, but for others this finger-shaped pod is versatile and delicious, with a mild almost grassy flavor. Okra is part of the mallow family along with cotton, hollyhock, and hibiscus. It is popularly grown in tropical climates around the world, including Asia, Southern Europe, and the southern United States. I also grow lots of okra every year and pick when the pods are small and tender. It adds a wonderful crunch to soups, stews, and so much more.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This year in my new and very large vegetable garden, we grew a variety of okra seeds. Many were from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. We also grew seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a seed source I have been using for quite some time.
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- My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted the okra seeds in early June. These seeds should be planted about a half-inch to one-inch deep in nutrient-rich soil.
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- We dedicated an entire bed for our okra crop. These plants need lots of room to grow. Ryan made two big trenches and spaced the okra seeds at least 10 inches apart.
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- Here, okra can actually be seeded directly into the garden in an area of full sun as late as July and still produce a good late-summer crop. Ryan rakes over the trenches, covering all the seeds.
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- Just a couple of weeks later, we had a bed full of young okra sprouts. Ryan then assessed the condition of each one and pulled any that were weak to give the others more room to mature.
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- By the beginning of August, these plants are already waste high with giant leaves. Okra plants mature in about 55 to 65 days. It’s good to keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and water plants deeply once a week if there’s no rain.
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- Okra leaves are very large – up to eight inches across. They are also heart-shaped and lobed.
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- Depending on the variety, okra leaf margins vary from slightly wavy to very deeply lobed.
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- And last week, the okra plants were more than six-feet tall. Okra will continue to grow until the first frost.
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- Here is a view of the two rows. We grew green okra on one side and red okra on the right. There’s not much difference between red and green okra other than color.
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- Okra is self supporting and rarely needs staking. The strong stems are about an inch in diameter.
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- Upon close inspection, the stems can be either bristly or hairless depending on the variety.
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- Okra flowers begin to appear 50 to 60 days after planting. The flower petals are generally pale yellow to white with purple to red ring markings midway down each flower petal.
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- The okra flower opens for one day only, after which a small pod forms and grows behind the dead flower.
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- Pods appear approximately four to five days after the flowers. Once the pods reach two to three inches long and are vibrant in color, then it’s time to harvest.
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- Here is one of the red okra pods. Okra is also very healthy – it’s high in fiber, vitamin-C and full of antioxidants.
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- In ideal conditions, okra plants can produce up to more than 30-pods per plant.
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- A common mistake is harvesting the pods when they are six to eight inches long, when most will have a woody taste.
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- Okra is a “cut-and-come-again” vegetable. Keep cutting the pods every day or two, and they will keep on growing. Because okra roots have a fragile hold on the ground, it’s best to snip rather than snap the stems cleanly above each pod, leaving a bit to grasp
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- Ryan harvested a trug bucket full of okra. We’re looking forward to many more bounties of this delicious and interesting fruit through September! What is your take on okra? And how do you enjoy it? Share your comments in the section below.
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