Fast Okra Blossoms

This is my first effort at raising okra, and I find the plant fascinating. I have 17 plants -- a recently discovered web site suggests 4 or 5 plants for a family of 4. Whoops. It's just the wife and me. Guess we'll be doing some freezing. One of the fascinating features of the plant is how briefly the blossom is open. I finally saw some open today. This morning I found three open, or mostly open. At 3:00pm I took my camera out to capture their delicate beauty only to find they had closed already. From the looks of things, I'll have plenty of opportunity, but apparently I'll have to get out there earlier in the day with the camera! I've only picked a couple of pods so far, but the bounty looks like it will be coming on soon.

My plants are Clemson Spineless. Anyone else see the half day blooms on their okra?

For the cognoscenti, is Clemson Spineless a hybrid, or will it grow true from seed? I'd love to save from seed from this year if it will work.

Hi Jeff. I'm growin okra too. Just planted some seeds a week ago. Might be too late in the season I don't know but I had them so thought i'd try them. I thinkd I have the same type too. At work so I can't look at my notes. I read that okra was a relative of the habiscus family. that would explain the pretty flowers. I have about as many plants too and it is just me and DH. Hope the neightbors want some or I'll have lots of pretty flowers.
Good luck!
dawn

According to the VA Ext planting guide, okra can be planted in my zone (6b) through this week, so ya'll should be fine :) I have about 10 plants, so I guess I'll be overrun as well, especially since I'm the only one that eats them...lol! Maybe I can find a good canning recipe for stewed okra and tomatoes; my grandmother used to have that a lot when I was a kid; hated okra then, love it now!

Mornin' Jeff. From what I see, Clemson Spineless (not the "80") was introduced in 1939, and is considered by some to be an Heirloom variety. It's funny, I live very close to Clemson, but didn't plant any, though I meant too :). I have Burgundy, Emerald and Dwarf Green. You have me a bit concerned about my harvest, though. I am the only one here who eats Okra, and I have at least 10 plants...lots of Gumbo in my future :):)

jeff. Save your seed. It does go true here. grow it year after year and always have good luck with saving the seeds, that is if I can try and keep a friend's grand child fromeating them all. The little tyke loves them. he walks by and if there is an okra growing, no matter what size, he picks it off and pops it in his mouth and eats the heck out of them raw like that.

My plants are loaded with blossom pods, but only a few open each day. Of course, it was one or two a few days ago, three yesterday, four today...it will probably keep accelerating.

Thanks for the info on the seeds. I will let a few pods mature later in the season.

We always had a big garden when I was a kid, but here I am at 50 with my first vegetable garden other than a few tomatoes and herbs in pots. I'm having a ball. The okra is a fascination, and so are my tomatoes. Most of my plants are from seeds that my MIL's neighbor gave me. We had never grown tomatoes from seed before. When my wife started the seeds in March, I was sure that we were doomed to failure -- they tried to die three or four times, but kept coming back. Even when I set them out, I was skeptical. Now they're pushing 5 feet tall, showing no sign of slowing down, and loaded with green tomatoes. I am reasonably sure that they're Brandywines. Two little tomatillo plants are covering us up. I have a couple of grape tomato plants that are prolific, too. I'm already out there planning out how much more of the yard I am going to take over for next year.

Oh, and guys, don't worry too much about being overrun. If I remember, the place I read about 4 or 5 plants being enough for a family of four was from a university in either Iowa or Illinois. What do a bunch of Yankees know about eating okra? ;-)

Looking at the tomatoes and the okra and thinking about the guy down the road that sells his yardbirds -- Man, am I gonna cook some gumbo here in a couple weeks.

4 or 5 plants for a family of 4? It *HAD* to be a Yankee writing that description.

I have no idea how many plants I have, but there are 4, 15 foot rows with the okra spaced about 8" apart. (and my husband won't eat it)

Clemson Spineless is a great old Open Pollinated variety, and is considered an heirloom in most circles simply because it was developed before 1940. A great number of commercial varieties of many vegetables have that distinction. Brandywine tomatoes among them. (yep, they were a commercial cultivar too)

You can blanch and freeze the whole pods, and you can slice and cut the pods in chunks and do the same thing. Okra can be dried or dehydrated too. The dehydrated okra is great in soups and stews.

I am growing an heirloom that isn't available commercially called Dad Speegle's Special. I got it through a Seed Savers Exchange request. It isn't a tall growing okra, and it branches. The pods stay tender a long time too.

Enjoy your okra. It is a very mis-understood vegetable and deserves more respect.

melody, melody, melody. That simply isn't fair. Sigh.

Off to SSE.....

Sigh.....

Melody, thanks for the references to freezing and dehydrating; I hadn't thought of dehydrating my okra. Freezer space is rather limited right now, but I can always stuff a jar or bag of dehydrated stuff in one more niche :)

I must join SSE this year; I just love reading about the veggies, in addition to eatin' them!

Okay, it isn't listed, so I went back and read your post. What does a "request" mean.

maybe I don't really want to know. In my foray I did find some summer squash (my waekness) I don't have.....

Melody,

I read a lot of your posts here, and I have to ask, how big is your garden?

SSE is a non-profit organization that promotes the preservation of old heirloom and open pollinated fruits and vegetables. What you are seeing on the website, is the retail catalog that is available to the public. Which is wonderful, by the way, and I also support with an order each year. The 2008 Yearbook has 13,280 unique listings. Members pay $35 a year in dues. This money is used to maintain the Heritage Farm in Decorah, IA, and promote education about heirlooms and OP varieties. You also get the Yearbook and several other publications each year.

For members, they get an annual Yearbook with the seeds, plants, tubers, scion wood, whatever that other members are preserving all around the world. You can request a 'sample' of something directly from the person who is growing it. It is not a seed catalog, you get enough to start your own plants that can then be used for food or seed saving. The actual purpose is to preserve unique old edibles and re-offer them to other members.

Some things are very rare, and others, (like the Clemson Spineless okra) can also be obtained commercially. You pay each member who you request something from. They do not profit, as request prices are set by SSE, and usually covers packaging, postage, and just a touch for transport to the post office.

Jeff, my vegetable garden is roughly 40x70 this year, but I broke both ankles in a car wreck this past Dec. so, my sights are a bit smaller this season. I usually have stuff poking out of pots and flowerbeds all over the property, which is about 4 acres. I'm doing good, but still have flexibility issues that have slowed me down this season.

My okra came directly from a gentleman in AL, who is growing it.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have. I have been a member for about 10 years, and if I can't answer your questions, I know people who can.

I just visited the site. Wow! Ordered the basic catalog. I think membership is in my immediate future. Decorah isn't all that far away. May have to make a pilgrimage here in the next few weeks.

The Iowa floods did some damage to many of the gardens at Heritage Farm. They are cleaning, repairing, and seeing what is salvageable for the season. I'm sure that they would still gladly welcome visitors, but do not base what is happening there this year on one visit. Like so many in the area, they have taken a hit. (which means they need loyal members more than ever)

Thanks, Melody.

I Mapquested it, and it is farther than I thought. I may postpone the pilgrimage for a season or two, and stick with membership and a big seed order for next year.

Oh yes, my okra blossoms close up too. They are about 1/2 to 3/4 closed right now. I just looked. (forgot to answer that question earlier)

I went out an counted Okra plants, looks like I'll be fine. 31 plants, some that I didn't think would germinate must have liked the recent rain.Yeehaw!!

So in an eggplant thread a few weeks ago we got some great recipe and serving ideas flying around. I use okra in gumbo, stir fry or stew it with corn and fresh tomatoes, and at least once a season, battered and fried. What am I missing out on, you fellow okra lovers?

Oh yeah, I love pickled okra, too, but I've only bought that. If we have the bumper crop that we might, I may try to pickle some, as well.

Lots of fantastic okra receipes. I like making a mixture of rice and hamburger almost like ya would do for stuffed peppers and instead of a pepper, I stuff the okra and cook it ina tomato sauce and yum yum.

Last night I had okra, sweet peppers, onions, yellow squash & halved cherry tomatoes sauteed in a few drops of olive oil. A little salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon at the time of serving.

Melody's recipe is a tried-and-true one in the South........fresh okra, onions, fresh tomatoes added last, salt & pepper and enjoy!! Anything else added is a plus.
You can also bread your cut okra and freeze it. We use the seal-a-meal bags for everything and no freezer burn.
One thing I've learned about okra.......if you see a pod 2" in the morning, be sure and pick it that afternoon or the next day it will be a baseball bat!!

Got back out to the garden with my camera earlier today. A little macro photography of an okra blossom.

One more.

Beautiful Jeff! And I sure am glad supper is in the oven cuz those recipes made me hungry!

Starlight, I am intrigued by your "stuffed okra" How big do you let them get to stuff them? I've been vigilant about picking at 2" so they don't get tough.

FYI okra is in the hibiscus family. Hibiscus only bloom for one day. I have beautiful plants already and the blooms (which will soon be fruit) are a plus.

The picture below is of a hibiscus....really looks like okra but it is not. It is currently about 8 feet tall and blooms several blooms a day. The okra is in the veggie garden and growing like mad. Hooray!!! One of my most favorite vegetables.

Christi

I LOVE okra, but don't have a large space to dedicate to veggies or herbs, so most everything goes in the gardens. I love the blossoms and the plants are great at the back of a flower bed since they get so tall. This year I was a bit late, so they are just now blooming. Clemson spineless for me - from saved seed from last year.

Here's a link to the recipe forum here - some great ideas for okra. I'm one who loves the baby okra pods simply steamed with butter and a bit of salt. I grew 6 plants last year and that was just enough for me every week and some for freezing. My DH won't eat it... his loss!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/737976/

jeff..... I nevr really measured mine. I let them get long though and try and get a bit fat. I let them grow bigger than 2" for sure. If I had to take a guess, I would probably say about 3 to four inches. Then I take the seeds out and stuff. When ya cook them like stuffed peppers, the outside aren't tough.

The other way I eat mine is to bread and fry them. I can eat a mess of fried Okra. A bit time consuming to make , but worth it in the end.

I gonna have to give that " tried and true south" reciepe a try. haven't had em that way before.

Starlight, I'll have to abandon all the concerns about toughness and let a few go for a few more days. I love stuffed peppers, and with my gears turning I am thinking about crossing chile rellenos with your stuffed okra --- that is stuff them with ground meat and cheese, then batter and fry. What do ya'll think? With both redneck and German influence in my life, it's hard for me not to think "battered and fried" for just about anything. ;-)

Had the camera out in the okra patch this morning. Thought I'd share...blossom, day old fruit and ready to pick in the first shot.

Wide view of the bed.

Hi jeffinsgf,
Do you feed your okra? I've been worried mine would starve since more came up in some spots than I expected. I thought they were way too close together, but yours look marvelous!
Care to share?
Margo

I'm in a raised bed, so I thinned them, but not as thin as the seed pack recommended. The bed was amended with yard waste compost and composted herbivore manure from the zoo. Since coming up they've had a couple doses of Neptune's Harvest -- a fish by-product and seaweed blend -- and some other organic blend (forgot it's name -- I can look it up if you're interested). The okra have been my crowning achievement in the garden this season. I've got some huge tomato plants right behind the okra, but they're not setting much fruit, and I'm fighting some kind of fungus that's defoliating them from the ground up. But, my okra and peppers are flourishing.

Thanks! I'll get on it:)

Well, the "4 or 5 plants" suggestion was definitely a Yankee. My 17 are giving me 7 or 8 pods a day. By the time I get enough for anything, the oldest ones are getting bad. Are they just getting started, or is it common for the plants to open one blossom every other day?

I made Melody's okra stir fry last night, with the addition of a few bits of ham crisped up in the oil while I was browning the onions and peppers. Threw in an Anaheim pepper, too. Next time I'm going to throw in one small jalapeno, some garlic, and a couple ears worth of corn.

Catmad,

I know it's hard, but have you thinned yours? That's been one of the hardest things for me to learn about gardening.

The problem is that the ones properly spaced are spindly. Some are just getting started (it finally rained) so I think I need to wait to evaluate...
Yes, I'm, justifying, and yes, I will thin. I will.
Sigh....

"Spindly" goes away quick once they start growing.

Hit them with a little fert -- synthetic or organic, your choice -- Miracle Gro if you're a fan, and then water regularly if the rain doesn't keep up.

Sounds like ya had a yummy meal.

Jeff. Wonder if they not getting maybe a bit to much fertilizer, too much nitrogen and so are more leafy than making lots more pods at once. Your plants do look beautiful though. : )

I only fertilize once...when I plant seeds in the spring. They are on their own after that, and they don't seem to mind at all.

The fish and seaweed stuff I use is phosphorous heavy. (2-3-1) I've got lots of pods, they're just coming in one at a time.

I am going to chalk it up as a lesson learned. I designed the whole garden (all 64 square feet of it) based on producing vegetables for two people for one summer. The reality is, that if you want enough of any one thing to prepare a meal, you need more plants than necessary for the total production you expect. And, if you're going to go through the trouble of tending the garden, you ought to plan to put up some stuff, as well. I've been eyeballing the yard around the raised beds and have a plan formulating to cut in a terrace and take over most of the backyard. The four raised beds will be the center of the garden, but raised beds, for all their appeal, have a couple of drawbacks, I am learning. The biggest of which is that indeterminate plants eventually get hard to maintain. My okra is about eye level now, and growing a few inches every day. My tomato and tomatillo plants are almost two feet over my head (and I'm 6'). If those were planted at ground level, instead of 16 inches off the ground, they'd be easier to tend. My new terrace garden is going to be the best of both worlds -- at least for the tomatoes. I'll be able to work from the retaining wall side when the plants are small or if the ground needs work, and from the terrace side later in the season. The beds will still be nice for early season things, since they warm up quicker and drain better than the ground. They're also so nice for root veggies, since the compost heavy soil works so nicely.

Sorry for the ramble -- it's just been a very fun and rewarding summer. I haven't had a vegetable garden since I was a kid -- and then it just seemed to be work Mom & Dad made me do that kept me from fishing. I learned a lot this year, and most of what I learned is that I have a lot to learn.

"I learned a lot this year, and most of what I learned is that I have a lot to learn. " Amen to that! Same lesson I'm learning, over and over again...LOL!

My okra is very tiny still, but survived 2+inches of rain and hail this weekend. I'll take the rain any way we can get it :)

I still think you have gorgeous plants!