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One of those vegetable the great unwashed either love or hate , okra is the young seedpod of a hibiscus - similar flower . It has what theUniversity of Massachusettscalls “ a gratifying , grassy look , ” its glue inspissation stew and soup .
The industrial plant originated in either tropic Asia or Africa before being brought to America by enslaved people . So , it prefer plenty of sunlight and heat and does n’t grow well in nerveless , damp clime . If you are only familiar with the often tough store - bought variety , study how to arise okra in your garden and you may soon be consuming okra with zest !
Growing Okra at a Glance
Common Names : Okra , gumbo , madam fingersScientific Name : genus Abelmoschus esculentusHardiness Zone:9 - 11Soil : Fertile , well - drainedLight : Full sunWater : MediumFood : Balanced constituent fertilizerPropagation : SeedSafety : Edible , causes impinging dermatitis
Okra Characteristics
Although lady’s-finger vegetable plants usually top off at about 6 infantry , they can change from 2 - animal foot gnome cultivars to 10 - pes jumbo Hibiscus esculentus ! Most produce 2 to 3 in pallid xanthous flower with red or burgundy nerve center , which bloom for only one day and in short are followed by greenish , bloodless , or red seed seedpod . obtain in the joints between the plants ’ stems and its haired five to seven - lobed leaves , those five - sided pods narrow to points .
Hardy in Zones 9 through 11 but ordinarily raised as an yearly , gumbo is ego - pollinating and does n’t requirehand pollination . It shit a goodtrap plantfor stink bugs , since it tends to reap those insect to itself and away from other nearby fruits and vegetables . The time of year for okra outpouring until autumn freeze , which will kill the plants .
Recommended Okra Varieties
develop dwarf varieties of gumbo to write space , spineless varieties to preserve your skin !
Planting Okra
Put off okra planting until your filth warms up .
When is the best time to plant okra?
Sow okra in your garden about 2 calendar week after your last spring frost particular date when the temperature of the soil has risen to 65 or 70 degrees . When constitute okra seeds , keep in mind that they be given to waste in cold , wet grease , so you might require to start up them indoors 6 weeks before your last frost day of the month .
Where can okra grow?
take a localization in full Dominicus with well - drained fertile soil that has a pH between 6 and 8 . Avoid locations where other plant susceptible to nematodes — such as tomato and sweet potatoes — have been in recent years . If your ground is impenetrable and miry , strain grow Abelmoschus esculentus plants in araised bedor container instead .
How do you plant okra?
Because the seeds have a hard coat that can slacken sprouting , scratch them with sandpaper or an emery board and soak them in tepid piddle for 24 hours before sowing them .
Can you grow okra in containers?
Due to okra ’s foresighted tap roots , you ’ll want to select pots for it that are at least 12 inch mysterious and hold at least 5 gallons of soil . To avoid a gangling face , select midget cultivar such as “ Little Lucy ” for container , rather than the more towering types .
Watering Okra
Okra produce best if provided with at least 1 inch of piddle per week from rainfall or drip mould irrigation . However , it is somewhatdrought tolerantand should be able to survive some ironic spells without decease . Once the works is spring up well , you may mulch it with 2 to 3 inch of constitutive matter such as grass trim to help keep its soil damp . Just invalidate mulching it too early with organic mulches that may keep its soil too insensate .
Fertilizing Okra Plants
Either before setting out your plant life or once they begin showing pods , work a balanced organic fertiliser such as 5 - 5 - 5 into their territory , trace the educational activity on the package . When the works have reached about 3/4 of their predicted superlative , you may want to repeat the program .
When growing okra , invalidate high levels of N , which can leave in lots of leaves and few bloom . The few blooms your plants get , the few pod you will reap .
Pruning Okra
Once your plant life reach 2 feet in height , pinch or snip off their tips to force them to branch out . Okra broadly speaking wo n’t require other pruning , butNorth Carolina Cooperative Extensionsuggests that you may want to taste ratooning if it stops flowering in midsummer . That intend reduce the flora back drastically to 6 to 12 inches above the solid ground to force it to produce fresh increase near its base . Keep that new ontogenesis well - fed and watered to verify it shoots up quickly .
Safety Considerations
According to theSouth Dakota Department of Health , “ The leaves , bud , flowers , pod , stems , and seeds of okra are all edible .. ” However , Michigan State Universitywarns that “ tangency with the okra plant stimulate some masses to produce a burn itch , ” due to the hunky-dory spines on its leaves and sometimes on its seedpod . Therefore , if you are civilize Abelmoschus esculentus , it ’s a good idea to keep your pelt cover as you form around the plant and to wear upon gloves when harvesting the pods .
Also , keep in judgment that okra contains solanine and oxalates . The former can be tough for people with joint take , the latter for citizenry with kidney consequence .
Potential Pests and Diseases
Okra may evolve root decomposition if sown or transplant into stale stain . you could prevent that by putting off such sowing and transplanting until your soil warms up . Okra pods also may rot when pocket-size due to fungus issues . To avoid that verify your okra plant spacing is fair to middling enough to let air to circulate around those plants and water them via drip irrigation rather than from command overhead .
Harvesting Okra
Your plants should begin producing bloom about two month after they were inseminate , with pods ready for beak about three to four days after that flowering .
When is the best time to harvest okra?
you could begin harvesting your okra pod when they are 2 to 4 inches recollective and still tender . Do n’t wait until those cod toughen and the seeds harden , or your okra will no longer be tasty . The works also will block up flower once it bring forth viable seed , so remove all the tough pod from it even if you ca n’t use them .
How do you harvest okra?
Remember to wear mitt when picking your okra .
How do you store okra?
you may store unwashed okra plant pods inside a paper bag in your icebox for three to five daylight . To stop dead your okra pods instead , trim back off the stem and blanch ( boil ) the pods for 3 to 4 minutes . After cooling them in ice water system , fan out them on a cookie sheet and stop dead them before packing them into freezer bag and returning them to the freezer .
see for more heat - sleep with fruits and vegetables ? Check out our guides on growingcantaloupe , cucumber , andjalapeno .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
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We ’ll help you localize up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a promote bed , or an in - ground plot out back — and take the right plant for your grunge and region .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
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Photo: istockphoto.com
