| Author | Content |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 04, 2009
12:04 AM Post #6639524
| I know okra is a big plant that is best suited for a 5+ gallon container but I have exhausted all my big containers and still have some okra saplings left. I was wondering if anyone ever tried growing them in smaller containers with success.
I have 10 saplings left and my available containers are 4 1/2 gallon-3, 3 gallon -1 and 2 1/2 gallon -4
Thanks |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 04, 2009
01:37 AM Post #6639714
| I have never grown okra before. Does it have a tap root? Is that why you want the deeper planter?
Jeanette |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 04, 2009
06:48 AM Post #6639940
| It's the first time I am growing okra. All my knowledge is courtesy google. So I am not sure if it needs a big container because it can grow very tall or due to the root system |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 04, 2009
06:56 AM Post #6639945
| It grows really tall. |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 04, 2009
12:22 PM Post #6641291
| I am trying the okra this year for the first time also. I don't expect mine to get as big as they grow in Texas due to my short growing season. I may just have to settle for the pretty blossoms. I may not get any produce at all. But, from the pictures I saw, that is ok, would like to try some to eat but may have to purchase them in the grocery store. LOL
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 04, 2009
01:21 PM Post #6641521
| What's really funny is that my flowers don't open fully, but they do set fruit! LOL |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 04, 2009
01:51 PM Post #6641639
| That is weird. I wonder how they get pollinated. Don't they need that to set fruit???
Maybe I don't know as much as I thought I did. OR, it could be little bugs or bees are sneaking in their between the petals??? Strange.
Jeanette |
NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)
June 04, 2009
02:38 PM Post #6641797
| When I pull my spent okra plants out in the late fall, they have a good root system but not an especially long tap root so I don't think you will need to worry about your buckets being real deep. I would suggest you grow them next to something you can tie the plants to (trellis or fence) to keep them from falling over. |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 04, 2009
04:03 PM Post #6642095
| Thanks. Will remember to tie them. I really hope I can get a decent yield from my okra plants. |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 04, 2009
04:05 PM Post #6642099
| I am assuming they take sun???
Jeanette |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
June 04, 2009
05:16 PM Post #6642401
| Um,
I'm gonna be planting okra SEEDS when I get home, in 5-gallon eBuckets. I'm thinking I'll probably just sink a piece of rebar down the center of the bucket to anchor the plant. If it says, "feed me, Baby!" I'll know I didn't anchor it well enough!
Jnette,
They like it HOT! |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 04, 2009
07:30 PM Post #6642969
| We will see if they like my deck. If they don't do well then it probably isn't hot enough huh?
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 04, 2009
07:32 PM Post #6642983
| They LOVE sun!! Here's a pic of one of my "blooms".
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 05, 2009
01:01 AM Post #6644345
| Looks like it is going to be gorgeous. I really do want to try the okra. Have never had any. But, I hope to at least get a bloom. LOL
Jeanette |
cinski
Terrace
Canada
June 05, 2009
02:28 AM Post #6644538
| I have never seen it or eaten it but what a pretty blossom. What does it taste like? |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 05, 2009
11:32 AM Post #6645786
| It has a subtle taste that some people think is similar to eggplant (I think it is pretty unique though). It thickens the liquid it is cooked in and so they use it to make Gumbo (stew) in the Southern states . It's yummy when fried. And they make a tasty curry in Indian restaurants too. |
NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)
June 05, 2009
04:15 PM Post #6646958
| Can't have gumbo without it. Okra and tomatoes is good too. Hubby loves it fried but his cholesterol doesn't allow too much of that anymore :-{ |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 05, 2009
07:10 PM Post #6647783
| How do you guys fry it? I have heard of deep fried with batter on it. That sounds good too. Do you peel it?
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 05, 2009
07:11 PM Post #6647787
| I like it boiled and drowned in butter. It gets very slimy when boiled. I also love it fried. Not a fan of gumbo or okra and tomatoes. |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 05, 2009
07:15 PM Post #6647797
| Rinse it, cut it into pieces crosswise. You can soak in buttermilk then dip into a mixture of cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper. Fry until browned. You can also add a raw egg, slightly scrambled into the buttermilk.
|
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 05, 2009
07:19 PM Post #6647805
| Steph, why would you like it slimy??? The frying sounds really good.
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 05, 2009
07:20 PM Post #6647812
| I don't know. I grew up eating it this way. I think the butter covers the sin of the slime! LOL |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
June 05, 2009
09:41 PM Post #6648294
| I really got a kick out of this forum. Being from Lousiana, It never dawned on me that their were folks who had never eaten okra. It is good any way you cook it. If your going to boil it use pots that are immature. About as long as your finger or shorter. If you like peas or butter beans (you guys from the north probably call them lima beans) when the veggies are nearly done thow in a hand full of okra. It will add flavor to the beans or peas. If you don't like the okra just dip them out. |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
June 05, 2009
10:21 PM Post #6648448
| NatureLover1950, I'm a native New Orleanian. Grew up eating gumbo all my life. It's one of my specialties. I grew up eating okra, too. I love fried okra, stewed okra and rice, and okra and blackeyed peas. But U have 2 set the record straight. You CAN have gumbo without okra. In New Orleans, gumbo with okra is called okra gumbo. Gumbo without okra is usually seafood gumbo. I moved to Texas 25 years ago and encountered more bootleg pots of soup being called gumbo than you could ever imagine. I had to draw the line when I saw boiled eggs and pork chops being served up as gumbo! My friends there is gumbo, and then there is GUMBO. Stop on by my house, Cher, and I'll show ya'll the difference. Linda |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
June 05, 2009
10:40 PM Post #6648497
| Linda, do age your gumbo before you eat it. I always like it better after it is a couple of days old. Make mine "hot". |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 06, 2009
12:37 AM Post #6648824
| You could also fry it without any batter. After washing the okra, dry the okra on a paper towel , cut into rings and just fry it in oil. I use a non stick and don't even put too much oil in it. Sprinkle with salt and chilli powder/paprika. Yum! |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 06, 2009
01:05 AM Post #6648873
| Sounds kind of good. I see mine are coming up. I planted seeds. Hopefully they will have something on them before the snow flies.
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 06, 2009
09:14 PM Post #6651965
| Here's my first okra harvest, after DH fried it up! The little specks you see are cornmeal. It was pretty good! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)
June 07, 2009
08:52 AM Post #6653359
| Gymgirl,
I've eaten gumbo without okra, I was just expressing my personal preference there :-} Everyone in my family (except DH) likes okra in our gumbo. I'm from Louisiana too and we can all make a mean pot of gumbo! The only way DH will eat okra is fried but he's strictly limited on fried food these days because of his cholesterol (his bad cholesterol is O.K.--his good is too low). |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 07, 2009
12:30 PM Post #6654146
| Stephanie, that really looks good./ Will try it if I get any fruit. Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 07, 2009
12:32 PM Post #6654155
| It was really good, Jeanette!! LOL We didn't have enough okra to really do anything else with it, so DH fried it up! |
Jaywhacker
Kerrville, TX
June 07, 2009
12:41 PM Post #6654191
| This thread brought back memory's. A group of young airmen were sitting in the shade of a cargo airplane's wing, waiting for their mission to kick off. This was in Thailand. One of the young men declared that Thailand must be the hottest, most humid country in the world. Another one replied, "Aw, I dont know about that. Have you ever been in Louisiana in the summer time?" This switched the conversation over to Louisiana and the subject of Gumbo came up. Just what is gumbo was the question and the designated expert on everything Louisiana said Gumbo was a thick soup with lumps in it. It was quite for a moment before someone asked what the lumps were. "Aw, you know, lumps, like sausage lumps, fish lumps, chicken lumps, hog lumps, beef lumps, just lumps of whatever you got handy." |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 07, 2009
01:32 PM Post #6654355
| That is so funny. I love that. Wonder if it would work for gravy??
Jeanette |
Jaywhacker
Kerrville, TX
June 07, 2009
03:36 PM Post #6654842
| Yep, in the military we called gravy with lumps in it SOS. They just shredded whatever kind of left over meats they had and mixed it with gravy and poured it over toast and we called it "Stuff on a Shingle"...or some name similar to that. (please dont ask for any further explanation) :-) |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 07, 2009
03:50 PM Post #6654905
| My mom is an Army brat and my dad did a stint in the Army. We had SOS on a regular basis in my house growing up. However, it was just a mix of browned hamburger meat and chunks of potatoes. It was more like a runny soup than anything you had, but I fully understand the meaning of SOS! |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 07, 2009
06:14 PM Post #6655435
| I used to make it with just a white gravy with that bottled chipped beef in it over toast. Also added sliced hard boiled eggs if I had them. Takes me back many years.
You're right. It was "SOS".
|
sawpalm
Winston Salem, NC
June 07, 2009
10:14 PM Post #6656536
| Sorry if I missed this point about growing okra, but do you need to stake okra? |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 08, 2009
01:05 AM Post #6657149
| I do believe they all said you do. Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 08, 2009
07:26 AM Post #6657590
| If you're growing it in a container you will need to stake, if not, you'll be fine. |
gardadore
Saylorsburg, PA
(Zone 6a)
June 08, 2009
08:37 AM Post #6657812
| I have grown okra here in NE PA for the last few years. Mine has never gotten unusually tall, I think, because we do not have the same heat and humidity as in the South. I have never had to stake them. I have not done well with them planted directly in the ground but quite well in Earth Boxes and Straw Bales. My biggest mistake with them is not picking them small enough. Sometimes they get away from me and get too large, so then they are tough. It is important to pick them young and tender to enjoy the most flavor.
I am not a great fan but my husband and son love them. I boil them in a small amount of water for a few minutes until tender, until the water has just about boiled out. Then I add butter and seasoning and they go to town! I have never fried my own but can eat them that way. If they are older and tougher so don't get tender my son still loves to open them and eat the cooked seeds.
This year I started the seeds way late so have almost no space left in the Bales or EB's. I will be trying them in a 5 gallon Grow Bag with coir.
The flowers are beautiful but keep an eye on them once they form the pods! Pick them in time! Enjoy. I'll be interested to hear how you fared with them in Minnesota, MN_brown!
This message was edited Jun 8, 2009 8:39 AM |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
June 08, 2009
01:02 PM Post #6659092
| Jim41, I am DOWN with that next day pot 'a gumbo! The best ever.
My grandmother told me that, back in the day, homemakers would save (put away -- I'm from New Orleans -- southerners know what "save" means...) extra cuts of meat like beef stew, sausage links, ham pieces, etc., in the freezer until they had a good amount -- enough to make a pot of gumbo!
I have a fantastic, NO FAIL, gumbo recipe on the Recipes forum. Or, you can look for the gumbo tag that says, "Linda and Angela's Gumbo Recipe" or "Gymgirl's Gumbo Recipe"
Be forewarned that my recipe starts with a BOXED roux base that will have all your friends fighting over the last bowl. I learned years ago to stop destroying my stovetop with roux all over the place. Zatarain's Gumbo Base (withOUT RICE) is the bomb!
I once took 20 friends from Houston home to New Orleans for a gumbo dinner, after which they sat around like roly polies complimenting my mom's gumbo, ESPECIALLY the richness, depth, smoothness and flavor of her roux. And she and I just sat there trying not to bust a gasket! Finally, I said, "Mah, you think we should tell 'em?" And she said, "Yeah, let's tell 'em" So she brought the box of gumbo base and showed them, and they could not believe what they ate came from that box. And these women were tried and true, down home, Southern cooks -- every one of 'em!
P.S. There's a little more finnesse' -ing to the box mix that's included in my recipe...
Linda |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 08, 2009
01:54 PM Post #6659311
| gardadore, I will post the results. Right now they are just saplings in a crazy experiment. I am putting them in buckets ranging in size from 2 gallons to 4 1/2 gallons. I will still have a few left. Wondering if I should double up a couple or just put them out in my flower bed for the flowers |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 08, 2009
02:03 PM Post #6659338
| MN, I love putting stuff like that amongst my flowers. Did you get red or green? Mine are burgundy. Meaning burg stems and veins in the green leaves, and burg fruit. I think. And yellow flowers.
Jeanette |
gardadore
Saylorsburg, PA
(Zone 6a)
June 08, 2009
10:54 PM Post #6661713
| I've never tried the burgundy. Do they turn green when cooked? Are they larger or the same as the green? I am growing several varieties but all green. I bet the burgundy variety would look pretty stunning when blooming! I'll have to try them next year. Anxious to hear your report on the burgundies, Jeanette. |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 09, 2009
01:22 AM Post #6662200
| Well, since I have never grown them, eaten them, or seen them growing, it should be interesting. That is why I bought them. 'cause I thought they would make a nice flower on my deck. |
MN_brown
Minneapolis, MN
(Zone 4a)
June 09, 2009
10:03 AM Post #6663082
| Jeanette, I don't know anything about my okra plants. A friend and I swapped saplings and she gave me okra. She threw the packet out and cannot even tell me if it is the dwarf variety or regular. So it will be a surprise. At least she is sure it is okra :-)
|
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 09, 2009
10:43 AM Post #6663259
| LOL, I've never heard of a dwarf variety. That is curious. Well, we might all be surprised.
gardadore I have extra seeds if you would like some. I don't know if you have time this season, also I got them from Parks if you would prefer to get fresh seeds from them next year. Also, Valueseeds, which is Thompson & Morgan, have the burgundy. At least they did if they are not sold out.
Jeanette
|
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 09, 2009
10:45 AM Post #6663270
| When you harvest your okra, be sure to wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt as the plants can be a bit prickly. I have Crimson Spineless and haven't had a problem so far, but my plants aren't very big, nor am I reaching through plants to get okra yet. |
gardadore
Saylorsburg, PA
(Zone 6a)
June 09, 2009
01:13 PM Post #6664001
| Thanks, Jeanette, that's a very thoughtful offer. Actually I am already behind this season. The seedlings are still sitting under lights on my upstairs enclosed porch and barely have the second leaf. It takes a while until they produce so I think I'll wait until next year. But I will definitely try them!
Do post a photo once yours bloom! In checking out my own varieties and what makes them different (I just buy packets and never really looked!) I came across this site for seeds. They carry your Burgundy and another red called Aunt Hettie's Red. Intriguing!
http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/okra/okra.html
They also carry a Dwarf Green Longpond so that answers the question about dwarf varieties!
There is also a White Velvet, an old heirloom that is greenish white! And I found a similar one called Silver Queen at Pinetree Seeds. ([HYPERLINK@www.superseeds.com]) Think how colorful our okra will look next year! Just "food" for thought!
My varieties are: (I also looked up what they are supposed to do and learned a lot!)
Annie Oakley (A high-yielding, early spineless okra - 50 days) and
Cajun Delight (dark green and heavy yields. SEMI-DWARF - - didn't realize that so that explains why they never grew real tall! ) from Pinetree Garden Seeds 2007
Okra Clemson Emerald (thick walled, round, slender, long, spineless, deep green, another SEMI-DWARF! ) and
Okra Clemson Spineless (dark green, straight, slightly grooved, spineless) from Wal-Mart 2005.
So except for the Clemson Spineless my okra isn't really supposed to get much more than 3 ft tall!
I started 10 seeds of each. Needless to say the 2005 seeds had a low percentage rate but I still got about 40-50% whereas the Annie Oakley was 100% so the seeds do last. You'll be able to use the Burgundy ones again next year, Jeanette.
So much for the okra lesson today! Now I'm inspired to coat them with corn meal and fry them with onions! I might really get to like these! Gotta get them to grow, though!
Jessica |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
June 09, 2009
03:57 PM Post #6664651
| Jessica,
Thanks for posting the variety info! Very, very helpful! |
crazyfish3
Pensacola, FL
June 09, 2009
09:06 PM Post #6665934
| My neighbor grew two okra plants in 1and 1/2 gal. pots last year. They grew maybe 18 in. tall and each had 3 pods. What a waste of time. Let us know how you do with larger pots. Mine are in the ground and happy. I use a box brand of complete pancake mix to fry okra, pork chops, srimp, ect. Just season the mix with salt, pepper, Tony Chacheres, or what ever and pan or deep fry. Hey it's smooth and sweet spicy. |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
June 09, 2009
11:39 PM Post #6666916
| If you want real frying okra, you need cowhorn. The cowhorn I bought last year wasn't the same as the old original. I guess it has been hybridized like everything else. Got a friend that has been saving seed for about 40 years to send me some of the old timey cowhorn. It will get 12 to 15 ft. high and the pods will grow to about a foot long before they get hard. I'm going to save seed this year. If you want to try it out, let me know. |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
June 10, 2009
02:19 AM Post #6667261
| LOL, now I see where you live Jim. You and the people in Texas and FL could get them that big. Up here they wouldn't get any bigger than any of the others.
Jeanette |
sawpalm
Winston Salem, NC
July 10, 2009
11:55 PM Post #6805049
| I love okra too and have enjoyed this thread.
A few intersting facts about okra.
-in the same plant family (mallow) as hibiscus, rose of sharon and hollyhocks
-originated in Africa (ethiiopia)
-is great when fried but be sure to eat ketchup with it!
My plants are looking good but need to deal with aphids and a Japanese beetle I found yesterday. got the beetle off but looking for an organic way to get rid of the aphids. Ideas? |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
July 11, 2009
02:05 AM Post #6805262
| Yes, the best way for aphids is to blast them off with a very strong stream of water from your hose.
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 11, 2009
10:56 AM Post #6806195
| Ketchup does NOT belong on fried okra!! Blech!! Gross!! Ewwww!! LOL LOL My husband eats ketchup with his fried okra and I give him a hard time about it.
I use Murphy's Oil soap, about an ounce or less, in a 32-oz squirt bottle for the aphids. Works great! |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
July 11, 2009
12:20 PM Post #6806523
| I say to each his own. If someone wants peanut butter on their okra have at it. I learned a long time ago that everyone's taste buds are not the same so who am I to tell them how and what to eat? |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 11, 2009
05:25 PM Post #6807624
| Jnette~I was only kidding. It doesn't bother me in the least if anyone puts ketchup on their fried okra, but for me, I think it's gross. |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
July 11, 2009
06:41 PM Post #6807891
| Except your husband Stephanie. LOL Guess you have to watch him eat it?
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 11, 2009
06:44 PM Post #6807899
| Yes. I shiver everytime he dips that okra into the ketchup. LOL |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
July 11, 2009
08:51 PM Post #6808301
| Thanks for the idea about peanut butter on okra. I eat peanut butter on everything and by itself. Tried it on fresh garden ripe cantelope yesterday. A gormet treat. Thanks again. |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
July 11, 2009
10:20 PM Post #6808647
| I'm sorry. But I can not get with that ketsup "on everything" bandwagon. I draw the line @ red beans and rice. Total sacrilege to ruin a perfectly good plate of food by drowning it in ketsup! And that's just IMHO! Linda |
Jim41
Delhi, LA
July 11, 2009
10:34 PM Post #6808708
| We are soul mates Gymgirl on ketchup. Only thing I eat catsup on is french fries and sometimes with fish. When I use it I like to load it down with tabasco sauce. One of my wife's nieces use to help her plate and cover every thing with catsup. Ugh. Got a brother in law that used to gross me out at Thanksgiving when he would put mustard on his dressing. Glad we all got to old and our families got to big to do Thanksgiving together. Course, believe it or not, some people think I'm weird eating peanut butter on everything. |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
July 11, 2009
10:38 PM Post #6808724
| PB on a nice, sweet banana...? Now that's nice... |
Jnette
Northeast, WA
(Zone 5a)
July 12, 2009
01:49 AM Post #6809072
| Sure sorry I started this one. LOL. Years ago when we would go to my folks for dinner, my husband would put pb on his steak. Guess you know what my mother thought about that. His thing was that the food in the mess hall on base was so bad that he got in the habit of drowning it in peanut butter and ketchup.
Jeanette |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 12, 2009
09:35 AM Post #6809619
| Don't get me wrong, I love ketchup, but just not on my fried okra, potatoes, scrambled eggs, or hamburgers. I do like it with my meat most of the time. I did grow up eating ketchup in my scrambled eggs and in my pinto beans, though, I grew out of that habit. |
