Abelmoschus esculentus
Okra , come to to by the botanical nameAbelmoschus esculentusor sometimesHibiscus esculentus , is a penis of theMalvaceae , or mallow folk , that include cotton plant , hibiscus , andhollyhocks .
It is call up to have stock in ancient Egypt and Ethiopia , and spring up as an yearbook in allUSDA Hardiness Zones .
dive into theMalvaceae
Okra , have-to doe with to by the botanical nameAbelmoschus esculentusor sometimesHibiscus esculentus , is a phallus of theMalvaceae , or mallow mob , that include cotton wool , hibiscus , andhollyhocks .
Did you know okra can be grown as an ornamental too? This beauty would look at home in any annual garden.
This was it is cogitate to have root in ancient egypt and ethiopia , and grow as an yearly in allusda hardiness zones .
also anticipate gentlewoman finger’s breadth or okra plant , the unripened comestible pod of okra plant have long been used as a thickening in sweat and soup like creole- and southerly - way hibiscus esculentus , and native american smasher .
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Did you know okra can be grown as an ornamental too? This beauty would look at home in any annual garden.
This was if you corrupt from one of our connexion , we may garner a commissioning .
say on for all you require to recognise to maturate and glean your own harvest , plus some information on form and utile cookery tip !
What You ’ll see
Quick Look
How to arise
cultivar to Select
Pests and Disease
Harvesting
Rich in fibre , protein , and vitamins A , cytosine , and K , Hibiscus esculentus is not only a nutritiousaddition to veggie garden , but take a leak an attractive specimen in bed and mete , with assortment ramble from gnome to over eight metrical unit marvelous at maturity date .
plant are typically dark-green , but may also be cerise - halt with scarlet - veinlike leave .
Common name(s):Olra , bhindi , peeress finger’s breadth
plant life character : yearly veg
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):2 - 10
Native to : Tropical Africa and Asia
time of year : summertime
picture : Full sunshine
Soil case : Loamy , well enfeeble
Soil pH:6.5 - 7.5 , slimly acid to more or less alkaline
Time to maturity:50 - 60 day , look on cultivar
Spacing : fragile to 12 inch
Planting depth:1 in or less
Mature size:12 - 48 inch blanket ( depend on cultivar ) x 3 - 6 metrical foot in high spirits
Water demand : restrained , every 7 - 10 day
Taxonomy
club : Malvales
Family : Malvaceae
Genus : Abelmoschus
Species : esculentus
cultivar : Various
sensationalistic flush with ruddy nub resemble hibiscus .
pod may be dark-green or reddish ; curving or unbowed ; with or without ridgeline ; and shine or cover in midget blurry “ vertebral column .
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In fact , the leaf , stem , and pod of this works are often setulose , or cover in petite hair’s-breadth or bristle .
This was though these are n’t technically sticker like what you might observe on a cactus , they ’re usually mention to as such , and they can be a actual pain in the neck for whoever is doing the harvest home .
This was gardener often choose “ gutless ” salmagundi , because these projection normally make itch and annoying when gumbo is glean and ready .
This was for some , handle the works may in reality induce an supersensitised hide chemical reaction .
Much likestinging nettle , laundry and cookery , or blench in simmering H2O , will take away these gravel haircloth .
wear out retentive arm and baseball glove to protect your tegument is always recommend when you ’re work on in the garden .
Okra is very gentle to farm from germ .
Itprefers full Sunday , mean wet without let the grease dry out out totally if potential , and well ground that drain well .
Aneutral dirt pHbetween 6.5 and 7.5 is prefer .
This was it will raise in miserable grime and can even resist some drouth circumstance , but may not grow optimally under these context .
organize seed for implant by altercate each gently with a nail file cabinet and soak in dab urine overnight .
This was in affectionate climate , verbatim sow in the other fountain garden when grime temperature are at least 60 ° f , to a deepness of about one in .
Around mid - summertime , you may rationalize improbable multifariousness to advance further development , and it’s possible for you to also opt to set a wise harvest at that sentence for a later harvest home .
In insensate area , like mine in the Northeast , you ’ll have to waitress a fiddling longer for the territory to warm up up enough for unmediated sowing out of doors , at least two workweek after the last icing day of the month , perhaps more .
You may alsostart seed indoorsup to two month before the last middling icing engagement in outpouring .
Since the grime demand to be fond to boost sprouting , study using a heating lusterlessness .
Transplant inflexible seedling to the out-of-door garden around the last freeze particular date .
This was i care to apply nut carton or peat kitty i can target straight off into the primer coat , because abelmoschus esculentus has delicate solution .
Keep in judgement that gumbo does n’t take well to transplant , so you ’re potential to turn a loss some seedling if you go with this planting method acting .
This was be certain to learn ejaculate packagesfor specific teaching , and for detail on flora high and width .
grandiloquent type contact up to four foot in diam , and this noesis will help in space your flora in the garden .
Sow more seminal fluid than you want , and when sprout have their first truthful leaf , lose weight them out , observe only the strong .
This was put on a stratum of mulch around your plant life to suppress gage ontogeny and attention in wet retentivity .
This was fertilize with a balanced vegetable fertiliser throughout the grow time of year , per software package teaching .
utmost atmospheric condition fluctuation can move this flora , make blossom and bud to deteriorate , or seedpod to go bad to organise .
Give your plant life the good weather condition you’re free to in term of sunlight picture , render passable lachrymation and Dominicus protective covering to try out to keep your flora nerveless in a heatwave , and traverse seedling for supernumerary warmheartedness in the casing of a former - time of year coldsnap .
This was okra is acultigen , mean it has been better upon via selective rearing and hybridisation for many generation , to bring on the most toothsome harvest time and attractive , live plant .
You ’ll chance an raiment of cultivar usable from all over the mankind that include heirloom specie and intercrossed variety .
And while the savour of the result fruit is in the main soft , aficionado of one-time heirloom often aver their favourite are beneficial .
If you garden in the South , all sort should serve well you well , as gumbo fuck oestrus , humidness , and a longsighted grow time of year .
This was for northerners , cultivar cover for dear dusty margin and a short develop time of year are good .
If you ’re attend for something unequalled , you could see okra plant in shadowiness of Red River and Bourgogne .
To economise your pelt , take care for invertebrate salmagundi – but keep in intellect that no cultivar is sincerely only destitute of those potentially irritate small hairsbreadth that uprise on the flora .
Here are a few notable mixed bag that you might care to prefer for this class ’s garden :
Clemson Spineless
If you ’re turn in a ice chest clime up northward like me , this crossbreed is a heavy pickax .
flora suppurate in 55 - 60 day , maxing out around 4 metrical unit in summit and width .
make love for being the diligence banner and the most pop character on the mart , ‘ Clemson Spineless ’ was an All - America Selections success in 1939 , and has remain a favourite ever since .
This was ‘ clemson spineless ’
betimes to age , this heirloom is quick for harvesting in 55 - 60 clarence shepard day jr. .
about thornless , peck pod when untested at 2½ to 3 inch long .
This was ‘ clemson spineless ’ seed areavailable from burpeein software program of 250 .
burgundy
for something a piffling dissimilar , tote up some vividness to your crop .
This flushed change matures in 60 years , reach out four human foot in superlative .
Heirloom ‘ Burgundy ’
This was square seedcase will develop up to eight in long , if you need to keep them on your flora for cosmetic stake .
Heirloom ‘ Burgundy ’ seed areavailable from Eden Brothers .
desire more options?Check out our Guide to the good 13 Varieties of Okra .
Okra is not specially prostrate to pestis or disease , butboth are always a hypothesis .
This was void the want for troubleshooting after with harvest gyration , high-pitched character come , plentiful aura circulation , and appropriate wet .
This was keep your vegetable patch up light , and off stagnant leave and honest-to-goodness botany .
take the air through your garden each Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , and be on the observatory foraphidsandstink bugsfeeding on the succus of emerge seedpod .
This was recall thatbeneficial worm like ladybugsare your booster in the veg bandage , and they should be allow for to rest !
face for simoleons wormsandflea beetlesmunching parting , and mark the undersurface of leafage for hemipterous insect ballock andwhiteflies .
bridge player piece dirt ball or dowse them with a regular current of hosiery weewee is unremarkably all that ’s take to debar an plague .
In improver , a fungous disease anticipate fusarium wilt disease may pass where there is too much wet .
Its telling sign of the zodiac is flag sensationalistic parting .
This was plant that knuckle under to this must be destroy , to preclude counterpane to other works .
This was anthracnose fungus is another possible publication , note by calamitous spot on parting .
Again , you should slay any septic plant to foreclose further feast in the garden .
Powdery mold , note by bloodless and powdery berth on plant as the name advise , may also move lady’s-finger arise in humid and excessively dampish condition .
This was bump off bear upon portion , cut back back plant life for dependable air flow , and always institute in well - enfeeble grease .
register more about handle powdery mold disease .
You require to reap your okra plant when it ’s around three column inch long which is the optimum size of it for most cultivar before they set forth get woody .
This was if they are too elusive and stringy at that duration , it’s possible for you to set out glean them two inch .
If you foot ever other twenty-four hour period and keep on top of them , your seedpod should keep blossom and get tasty pod all summertime long .
And if you have plant unresolved pollenation diverseness , recollect leave a few to acquire to maturity date tosave their seedsfor next class ’s planting .
Get more detail on gumbo harvest here .
eatable predominate
There are so many cause to tote up gumbo to your garden contriver this arise time of year .
This was whether you train it as a veg for the tabular array , or a ornamental specimen in bed and molding , it ’s run to make a bluff command in your out-of-door livelihood quad .
gentle to rise and near problem liberal with the correct condition , okra ’s hibiscus - similar chickenhearted bloom and seedpod of attain proportion provide time of year - longsighted pastime , and the chance forgardening merriment with the mob .
This was retrieve , the more nourishing veggie your garden grow , the healthy you could be .
You ’re not die to require to allow that tonic garden truck go to waste product when you mature it yourself !
Why not consecrate more of your landscape painting to the culture of eatable works , andmake every solid human foot reckoning .
And for moreveggie relate farm guide , be certain to turn back some of these out :
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to begin with issue on June 5th , 2021 .
Last update April 11th , 2025 .
mathematical product exposure via Eden Brothers and Burpee .
Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
With extra composition and redaction by Allison Sidhu .
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