PlantFiles: Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus 'Clemson Spineless'

I give it a 'negative' because there are so many more varieties out there that are a lot better. This variety puts on okra but the pods tend to get very tough even at an early stage. I have picked Clemson Spineless pods at two inches and they still were tough. It is hit and miss with this variety. I recommend choosing a variety that will allow the pods to get larger before getting tough. Clemson Spineless is very popular in this area but folks are stuck in their ways and refuse to plant anything different. There are better varieties out there! Research them and give them a try. You will be happier in the long run.

This plant will become bushy if broken off. I discovered this quite by accident when our very large dog got into the vegetable garden last year and broke several plants. I thought they were goners, but left them. I was surprised to find a week later that new shoots were coming out on the broken off plants. Each of those shoots branched, bloomed, and produced more okra! I love this plant!

This was my first time with okra. We planted 8' of it. From that we canned 20 pints of pickled Okra, and ate at least 15 (two person) servings.

Eventually had to cut it down when it was over 9' tall.

Can't wait till next years crop!!

This variety is readily available in 'big-box' stores and feed/ farm suppliers.

This variety of okra was probably the most productive of all the plants in my garden last year. Just three plants produced enough okra to fry up a batch for the family at least once a week, and they continued to produce until around mid-November when the first frosts nuked them. Plants grew to a height of about two meters...this plant also does well in a variety of soils.

This year I've already had to replant a few times due to wind/pet damage, but the two plants that have been in the garden the longest are only about 6 weeks old and already producing their first pods. Pods should be harvested when about 10 cm (4 in or so) long as they quickly become fibrous and difficult to cut...even with a serrated knife.

This is my first time growing this particular cultivar, in both the ground & in containers, & I am more than pleased with it.

I started the seeds indoors on 3/29 & had 100% germination by 4/1. Plants in the ground have reached around 5' tall; container plants around 4'. Both the leaves & hibiscus-like yellow flowers have an ornamental "tropical" appearance, & I will definitely be planting more of this in deck containers next year.

Unlike the other posters above, I have harvested pods as long as 6", & they've been as wonderfully tender & delicious as the smaller pods - something I wasn't able to claim when I grew the "Burgundy" cultivar in the past. Extremely prolific, as well as pest & disease-free, I've really been enjoying these sliced into Asian stirfries as well as Indian curries.

This will definitely be on my "must plant" list for 2006.

Just found this the other day. It'll be my first time planting okra. I just got one little plant to see how it does.

I like to eat the small pods raw while picking a mess. Of course, I do not use pesticides.

Very productive and popular in the South. As the person stated in the post above, be sure to harvest small as they will get tough quickly.

Clemson Spineless is the most widely available okra in the southeast. It is not as tall as many of the southern varieties, but is a heavy producer of medium green ridged pods. In my opinion, it get tough, fibrous and seedy quicker than other varieties that I grow.