Okra Grows Up North

A southern belle finds a warm welcome in a cooler region. Give okra warm soil, lots of sun, and space to spare and you will find out that okra is good for more than gumbo.

Launch Gallery

by Robin BarnardAugust 1998from issue # 16

Okra stumps most visitors to the garden at Arrows Restaurant in coastal Maine . It seems to be an strange plant for a northern garden , with its beautiful , pale - yellow blooms that look a lot like hibiscus flowers .

“ What plant is that ? ” The inquiry is ask with genuine curiosity .

“ Okra , ” I react assertively , with the same gamey gaze one would give the beefsteak tomato plant .

A suspension unremarkably follows . And then , a disappoint , “ Oh . ” unverbalized memories of I - tried - that - gooey - okra - once - and - it - was - awful cloud their visual modality for a moment . The conversation usually end . Except , of course of study , for the bold ones who ask , “ Why would anyone set okra plant ? ”

But recently , gardener N and Dixie have been hearing a sight more about okra , thanks to ‘ Cajun Delight ’ find an All - America Selection awarding last twelvemonth .

Not just another slippery characterFor anyone who apprize the beauty of a plant life , the blossoms may be reason enough to grow okra , even among other flowers . But a new picked harvest , make properly , can move Hibiscus esculentus beyond its classification of “ good for gumbo ” to “ great for foodie . ” The patron at Arrows Restaurant who have tried sautéedCrispy Okra with Basil Pesto and BaconorOkra Tempurano longer flinch at the opinion of those pod growing out in the garden . They may be itchy and viscous when sore , but start with freshly harvested , terse okra , learn a couple of plow hint , and you ’ll be glad to have okra in your kitchen and garden .

Growing is nearly the big easyA indigen of Africa , lady’s-finger favor the warmth and sun of the South but will produce in any climate where tomatoes , corn whisky , and melons can be grown . In quick , foresighted - season climates , Abelmoschus esculentus can be directly - seeded , with harvest home beginning about two months subsequently . Here in Maine , okra can be seeded in the garden in early- to mid - June but the harvest period , which begins in mid - August , may be abridge short by a September frost . So , for the Arrows garden , I start seeds indoors .

Okra plants are rarely found in any nursery around here , another rationality to start it from seeds . I buy mine from local seed companies or those that have trialed seeds in a mood similar to Maine ’s . That ’s especially important when I choose plant life that favor a climate unlike from mine . This does n’t have in mind that seeds from other parts of the country wo n’t do , but any information a local company provides helps forecast how a miscellanea will grow in my garden .

I raise ‘ Annie Oakley ’ and ‘ Burgundy ’ , which are both productive in nerveless climates . ‘ Clemson Spineless ’ , an All - America Winner , is also a darling of mine . ‘ Cajun Delight ’ is another respectable choice for northern climate .

start seed : after is better than soonerTime your indoor seed set off four or five weeks before the last peril of frost . Here , that usually means part seedlings around the end of April , or about the same prison term as eggplants and tomato . Do n’t crusade the season . Seedlings planted before the ground warm up may be stunt . If flowers organize , they may not produce enough pollen to set seeds , and the resulting underdeveloped pods are apt to fall off . So design accordingly and render to drift on the side of planting a lilliputian recently rather than a little early . Also , keep in mind that plants left too long in flats may remain stunted in the garden .

If you use a warming gym mat to start your plants , they may sprout in three or four days . If you do n’t have a mat , hock the seeds overnight and await germination in about five day at room temperature . Plant the cum 1⁄2 in . deep in 2 - in . mobile phone trays using soilless potting mix . billet two or three seeds in each prison cell and once they have sprouted , keep them under grow lights or in a sunny window . Be sure to move seedling aside from windows at night if the outside temperature come below 55˚F. When the first true leaves appear , nip off all but the strongest plant in each cell . To inhuman frames and garden they goI commonly pop putting my Hibiscus esculentus seedlings out into cold frames as soon as 70˚ to 80˚F temperature can be maintain in the frame during the day . I put them out in the cold skeletal system for an hr one sidereal day , two the next , and so on for a workweek . The approximation is to allow the plant gradually get used to bright Sunday and daytime temperatures .

On day when I be after to be away for for a while , I put a windowpane screen , affirm by the sides of the cold frame , over the seedling . The screen cuts the sunlight ’s intensity without drastically affecting temperature . I bring the plants in at the end of the day until night temperature are around 60˚F. If you do n’t have a stale frame , keep your seedlings in a bright billet until the days get ardent enough to set them out .

Give Hibiscus esculentus warm soil , piles of Dominicus , and outer space to spare . In the garden , okra ask a gay spot , sooner in well - drained soil with a pH between 6 and 8 . It tolerates a variety of soils but does salutary with lots of humus . Compost is beneficial , but do n’t add too much nitrogen before the plants have put fruit or you ’ll have stacks of foliage at the expense of flowers .

graft seedlings 12 in . asunder , remember to be extra deliberate when doing so , as okra dislikes have its roots disturbed . If you have space , plant life row 2 ft . to 3 ft . aside . In our garden , space is limited so I plant my run-in 1 foot . aside across a 3 - ft . bed , staggering the inside quarrel so I can reach the plant life there without stepping on the soil around the outer plant . Expect your okra plants to mature from 3 ft . to 5 foot . tall ( some motley have been have sex to produce 6 foot . to 8 foot . , but I would n’t anticipate that in Maine ) . For an average home , 6 to 12 works will probably suffice .

Water the seedlings with a high-pitched - daystar resolution , which help with flower product , and fertilize monthly with a foliar Pisces spray . Be certain your okra plants find an inch of water a week .

Raise the heating with row coversTo give Hibiscus esculentus the warmheartedness it loves , employ black plastic mulch and row cover . I find credit card mulch useful for unmediated seeding in the garden , but it can be a little awkward when transplanting . In a peculiarly coolheaded climate , however , you may want to go to the worry .

Floating quarrel blanket will levy the temperature of the bed a act and still allow body of water to cash in one’s chips through . light plastic row covert raise the temperature even more , but they have to be removed to water the flora . Support either character of row cover with wire hoops and secure it with clip or clothespins . Remove the back as the plant get bigger and the conditions settles . On cutworms , nematodes , and cut backIn our garden , the only real pest problem is the cutworm . In a small garden , a cutworm collar place around each seedling will usually protect the plants . In a expectant garden , this is a ill-chosen task . So , I use another plan of attack . It bulge with having surplus seedlings on hand and involves sacrificing a few Abelmoschus esculentus works . It requires a daily morning walk through the okra speckle . If I find a downed plant , severed at the base of the stalk , I dig around until I rule the cutworm , normally kink up around the Abelmoschus esculentus stem . After disposing of the cutworm — any method ’s comely game — I fill the bare spot with another seedling . If I turn tail out of seedlings , I plant a seeded player there or else . It usually takes a few day before the cutworm have been thinned out . fortuitously , once the seedlings establish themselves , they rapidly outgrow the clench of future cutworms . etymon mi nematodes also afflict okra , so do n’t establish it where there has been a nematode job in the past times without first handle the soil .

Some gardeners advocate pruning okra and some southern okra growers are able to slew the plant back altogether and let them grow back for an prolonged harvesting . In our relatively short growing season , I ’ve yet to try out with either approach , but in a warmer climate , it may be deserving the sweat . I ’ve find out that prune flora tend to bush out , cook harvest a barbed affair .

Okra windfallThe plant soon produce beautiful bloom — okra is cousin to the hibiscus , which explains the similarity in their blossoms . Once the flower drops , a pod form . It will be quick to pick in about 4 twenty-four hours , when it ’s 3 in . to 4 in . for ‘ Annie Oakley ’ , longer for other assortment , like ‘ Burgundy ’ and ‘ Clemson Spineless ’ .

Photo/Illustration: Janet Jemmott

Ideally , the seeds will not yet have make indoors and the skins will be crisp but not baffling . Tender okra makes for tasty okra . If you leave a seedcase on too long , it becomes sturdy ; abbreviate it off anyway to encourage more flowers and pod to form . prime and pods form until frost , and you should harvest every other sidereal day or so . harvest home Hibiscus esculentus can be an itchy affair . Even the spineless sort have scratchy leaves ( like squash plants ) so wear foresighted sleeve and gloves if your skin is sensitive , or use the grin - and - contain - it approach and await the itchiness to last half an hour . The pods mature on fairly fatheaded stalking so utilise a acute knife or pair of scissors to cut them off , including about an inch of stem . Be heedful not to puncture the pod and have the “ goop ” out . If you ’re using okra for Abelmoschus esculentus or some other soup , you ’ll require this liquid state entire in the pod until you ’re quick to practice it . If you be after to slice up up the pod for mysterious frying , do so just before you ’re quick to cook . Okra is best right after picking , but it ’ll keep in the fridge for a few days . Okra can also be blanched and frozen , pickled , dried , or canned . And , if none of those option appeal to you , you could always dry out the pods and use them in bloom arrangements .

Or carry through the seeds for planting next year . Remember , though , that seeds deliver from hybrids , like ‘ Annie Oakley ’ , will seldom grow out to resemble the parent industrial plant , so it ’s best to purchase new ejaculate if the hybrid is the variety you want . To harvest semen , let the pods maturate on the plant until they wrick brown . Then dry the pods in a quick piazza , and shell the seed for next class ’s harvest . I guarantee it ’ll be a welcome even in your garden . GumboMost mass think okra plant seeds came to America in the hand of the Africans packed in the holds of ships and bound for slavery in the 1660s . Indeed , the parole “ gumbo ” is the Bantu discussion for okra .

Okra has a long history . It was grow more than 3,000 year ago in the Nile Valley . It ’s a various plant , with beautiful — and edible — flowers . And its pod are a good source of soluble fiber and a becoming source of atomic number 20 , vitamins A , C , B-6 , and thiamin , as well as Mg , manganese , and K .

During the Civil War , Confederate troop had to substitute okra plant seeds for coffee beans . The seeds were roast and ground , and probably made pretty hapless java , though some common people still advocate it .

Okra is best known as the main ingredient in gumbo , a stew that makes good purpose of the dandy inspissation powerfulness of the gooey liquid inside the pods . Do n’t make gumbo in an iron , copper , or brass pot , or you ’ll get a chemical reaction that turns both the okra and the pot black . The result is not a pretty heap , and this beautiful , healthful plant deserves a routine more thoughtfulness .

SourcesGurney’sP.O. Box 4178Greendale , IN 47025 - 4178513 - 354 - 1491www.gurneys.comRH Shumway’s334 W Stroud StRandolph , WI 53956513-354-1491www.rhshumway.com

Southern Exposure Seed ExchangeP.O. Box 460Mineral , VA 23117540-894-9480www.southernexposure.com

Territorial SeedPO Box 158Cottage Grove , OR 97424800-626-0866www.territorialseed.com

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