Okra Coming In Big Time

At this time of year the heat and stink bugs create conditions that are not conducive to gardening.  Most plants, like people, are tired out and exhausted with the heat.  Except for a few things.  Okra flourishes in the heat of summer.  Okra grows tall with healthy green leaves.  It almost creates its own little ecosystem providing shade and a respite from the scorching sun beneath its green leaves.

I employ the "chop and drop" mulching technique with the large leaves on the bottom.  This creates mulch beneath the plants and, most of all, provides an easier way of finding ripe okra pods to pick.  With too many leaves, sometimes it is hard to see the pods to harvest until they have grown so large that they are tough, woody, and inedible.

Okra grows fast!  It doesn't take very long between the beautiful bloom of the okra plant,

Until ripened pods are ready to pick.  Some people pick every other day, but we find that it is better to pick every single day.  If the okra flower above reminds you of a hibiscus bloom, it is because they are in the same family.

This year I planted black-eyed peas beside the okra plants.  Some of them vined, attaching themselves to the okra plants, weaving all the way to the top of the okra.  This trellising on the okra plants makes the ripe black-eyed peas easy to pick - no bending over.  They are right at eye level!

Right now the okra is 10 feet tall and still growing!  It dwarfs anything around it.

Each day we pick a fine "mess" of okra.  Tricia prepares it numerous ways.  We really like them cut up and "oven-fried," but simply 'cooking them down' in a cast iron skillet is a mighty fine way to eat them.  We'll pickle some and cut and freeze some for 'gumbo season.'

I plant three different varieties, and I've picked an example of each below:

Above on the left is the favorite, tried and true producer - the Clemson Spineless.  In the middle is a colorful okra variety - Burgundy Okra.  On the far right is a short, stubby variety with many ridges - Beck's Big Okra.  Other than enjoying eating okra, another benefit is it is incredibly easy to save okra seeds to use for next year's planting.  Simply allow the okra to mature on the stalk.  When dry and brown (but before the pods shatter open, pick and open the pods, saving the multitude of seeds within.