Okra as ornamental plant

[Stepheninky]

I guess as far as tips go, cut the okra off with a sharp knife once it gets 2-2 1/2 inches, so roughly 6 centimeters long. If you let it get too big it is seedy, stringy and, does not taste the greatest. Also since you are also growing it for looks, by keeping it cut off it will bloom more and keep making. Another way to tell when to cut it is it should only be about the size of your thumb.

As Ted said fried okra is pretty good but IMHO requires the small okra. i know in Japan they like to pickle them as well. you could also try doing them in a rice flour or tempura batter if corn meal is hard to find.

[RinTinTin]

Interesting side note:
Okra was first brought to America from West Africa on the slave ships. The West African name for okra is gumbo.

[pinakbet]

my first okra flower... what a beauty.. too bad it only lasts for a day...

[franzb69]

very nice. i just sowed okra seeds the other day

[RinTinTin]

Okra plants are quite attractive indeed. An edible ornamental.

[pinakbet]

Quick question...

The flower I posted is now a developing pod. I'm planning to let my first pod mature on the plant so I can get back up seeds. Is it a good idea or will it affect the productivity and the lifespan of the plant?

thanks

[Stepheninky]

The reason they say keep them cut off is that the larger pods are not eatable and that it requires some energy from the plant, though if you are only keeping a pod or two from each plant it should not hurt anything.

[pinakbet]

Stephensky,
Thanks for enlightening me on that.. Need to have back ups soon.

[wmontanez]

I also grew okra red burgundy as ornamental, and got only one flower per plant at a time. The flowers and folliage are beautiful thou. I am trying sesame seed plants for ornamental next year. I guess if you try a pot with okra and coleus may look better or sweet potato... i might try that too

[Worth1]

Take it from an expert (ME).
Okra is a member of the hibiscus family gumbo is pronounced GOOMBO in Africa.
From many years of growing I have come to love Louisiana Green velvet the best.

Here is the one that will cause controversy.

Okra pods can get big without getting to hard or stringy. It takes lots of water and good soil it wants to live in a marsh and I have never over watered Okra.
If the conditions are right it can get 6 inches long and still be good.

When cutting okra if the pod snaps off or the knife goes through without cutting through fibers it is good to go.
You can fry okra that is too mature to boil. But only a little.

You can dry Okra in the dark and eat it later in gumbo and it will stay green.

Only mature pods will produce good seed so wait till the end of the growing season to grow seed pods.

Okra is so intolerant of cold weather I had some hear of a forecast for frost and it died before the real frost came later that week.

You can eat the blossoms.

Top the plant and it will branch out.

A pinch of vinegar in the pot will cut out the slime many people dont like.
I like Okra raw.
I have been known to eat a truck load of okra in one setting.
I like boiled Okra that is cold with salt and pepper on it.
I have never met an Okra I didn't like.
Many people that dont like okra are found to be mean to animals and babies.
People north of the Mason Dixon line shouldn't grow Okra.
Its a food of the sowth and should stay that way.

I love Okra,



Worth.

[pinakbet]

Originally Posted by wmontanez

I also grew okra red burgundy as ornamental, and got only one flower per plant at a time. The flowers and folliage are beautiful thou. I am trying sesame seed plants for ornamental next year. I guess if you try a pot with okra and coleus may look better or sweet potato... i might try that too

nice. thanks for the idea. we have lots of kamote here(sweet potato). You are right, the leaves of the kamote and okra compliments each other. but I don't think they will fit both in one of my containers, they both have big root systems.

Originally Posted by Worth1

Take it from an expert (ME).
Okra is a member of the hibiscus family gumbo is pronounced GOOMBO in Africa.
From many years of growing I have come to love Louisiana Green velvet the best.

Here is the one that will cause controversy.

Okra pods can get big without getting to hard or stringy. It takes lots of water and good soil it wants to live in a marsh and I have never over watered Okra.
If the conditions are right it can get 6 inches long and still be good.

When cutting okra if the pod snaps off or the knife goes through without cutting through fibers it is good to go.
You can fry okra that is too mature to boil. But only a little.

You can dry Okra in the dark and eat it later in gumbo and it will stay green.

Only mature pods will produce good seed so wait till the end of the growing season to grow seed pods.

Okra is so intolerant of cold weather I had some hear of a forecast for frost and it died before the real frost came later that week.

You can eat the blossoms.

Top the plant and it will branch out.

A pinch of vinegar in the pot will cut out the slime many people dont like.
I like Okra raw.
I have been known to eat a truck load of okra in one setting.
I like boiled Okra that is cold with salt and pepper on it.
I have never met an Okra I didn't like.
Many people that dont like okra are found to be mean to animals and babies.
People north of the Mason Dixon line shouldn't grow Okra.
Its a food of the sowth and should stay that way.

I love Okra,



Worth.

thanks for the tips worth. have you ever tried crossing okras? I'm planning to cross my burgandy with our common smooth okra. do you think it will result in something interesting?

Also, my 1st pod that I'm planning to get seeds is around 8" and two weeks already, would you know how long will it take before I can get a really mature pod without waiting the whole plant dry off.

thanks.

[Worth1]

Never tried crossing anything.
The pod should dry out befor collecting seeds and I dont really know how long that will take.

I have read two things about pollination, one is it will cross really easy like corn from field to field. the other is it is like tomatoes and is self pollinating. I am in the 2nd camp on this.

I grew Stare of David, Alabama red and hill country heirloom red this year.
not impressed with any of them.

The star of David would make big tinder pods but the seeds were huge and the pods were on the hollow side.
You have to pick these when the pods are wee little things.

LA green velvet will grow long and skinny with small seeds until it matures.

My biggest problem is I am not home all of the time and okra has to be picked every day, something my wife will not do.

Even the tomatoes and cucumbers go to waste because of this.

Back to Okra. I will try Bucks Big Horn next year just to see what it does.

Worth

[pinakbet]

*deleted double post

[pinakbet]

And I thought star of david is one of the best okra out there. maybe its more useful if you use it as a decor in plating your food and hill country is not on your recommend list.

Well maybe I'll try playing with the pollens of 2 different plants (I'll take a flower from my Dad's green okra) and I'll check the result.

Thanks for the tips Worth1.

[ireilly]

Originally Posted by Worth1

..... I have read two things about pollination, one is it will cross really easy like corn from field to field. the other is it is like tomatoes and is self pollinating. I am in the 2nd camp on this....

http://dbtbiosafety.nic.in/guidelines/okra.pdf

From Biology of Okra, an Indian government publication - enjoy:

"Okra has perfect flowers (male and female reproductive parts in the same flower) and is self-pollinating. If okra flowers are bagged to exclude pollinators, 100% of the flowers will set seed. It has been found experimentally that there is no significant difference in fruit set under open-pollinated, self-pollinated (by bagging alone) and self-pollinated (hand pollination of bagged flowers), indicating that it is potentially a self-pollinated crop (Purewal and Randhawa, 1947). The inbreeding depression well pronounced in cross-pollinated crops has not been reported in this crop (Duranti, 1964).

Although insects are unnecessary for pollination and fertilization in case of okra, the flowers are very attractive to bees and the plants are cross-pollinated. The cross pollination upto the extent of 4-19% (Purewal and Randhawa, 1947; Choudhury and Anothai, Choomsai, 1970; Shalaby, 1972) with maximum of 42.2% (Mitidieri and Vencovsky 1974) has been reported. The extent of cross-pollination in a particular place will depend upon the cultivar, competitive flora, insect population and season, etc."