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Oh, Oh Okra!



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By Janice Brown
Today’s post is an ode to that tasty staple of the south, okra. Okra loves heat and we have plenty of heat in the south, so it’s a match made in heaven.
Did you know okra is a part of the mallow family which makes it a cousin to the hibiscus? One look at okra’s creamy white flower and it’s evident right away because it is almost identical to its more colorful cousins. It also quickly grows into a 6-8 foot bushy-type “tree” that will remind you of the hibiscus. Another cousin is the marsh mallow, the plant from which we first got marshmallows.


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Planting

Because okra loves heat, it is one of the few veggies you can still plant now and get a great harvest before the first frost. Use transplants for a faster late-season harvest. A location with full sun is important so that your plants can soak up the heat. As with most vegetables, okra likes loose, rich, well-draining soil.
 
 
If transplants are dry, water before planting to help them transition from pot to earth. Prepare the soil by mixing in a balanced fertilizer according to directions. Mix the fertilizer into the top 2-3 inches of soil. Using compost to amend the soil is a great alternative to standard fertilizers. Now you’re ready to plant. Remove seedlings from pot. If more than one seedling is in one pot, gently pull apart being careful not to damage roots. Plant about three feet apart and slightly deeper than the plant was growing in the pot. Water well immediately after planting.

Care

Okra is easy to grow so little effort is needed. It’s a drought tolerant plant, so it will be one of the last plants to suffer in hot, dry temperatures, but for the best yield an inch of water weekly is best. Feed plants about every two weeks and that’s about all that’s needed.

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