Thursday, July 7, 2011

Growing Okra Burgundy in container

Okra burgundy growing in winter?
No, no, no its just my memo about them.
I wish they could but that will be too much too hope for if you don't have a greenhouse.
We still have 2 plants dormant at the moment and no leaves. 
Just have not find the time to replace them with cool vegetable plants yet.
Not sure I want to leave them there and see whether they will survive winter and produce again next spring. Okra burgundy grows really well in containers. Very tolerant to cooler summer that we have last warm season. Grows really fast and start to produce about 10 weeks from direct sowing.
If you plan to grow okra, you must brace yourself of aphids attack. See black ants around your okra plants, you will find aphids that ants are hosting. Fine example, bottom photo which you can spot aphids and ants easily. But don't worry, find yourself some ladybirds and make them comfortable on okra plants. After a few days, you will find no more aphids on your okra plants. The okra plants were so happy, they start to produce many okra pods for the kitchen. Nyack Backyard posted a very lovely post about buying ladybug and releasing it in the school garden project so they avoid using pesticide which is really cool. Very environmentally friendly way to grow good stuff and for children education.
Okra burgundy plants are really pretty with burgundy stem and leave veins. The flowers are very pretty too. This plants look very ornamental that you can plant them on your front yard or pretty containers.
Okra burgundy does not turn green when cook, it retains its colour not like some other vegetable varieties. If you don't have very warm summer, you can have a go with okra burgundy. We grew 2 varieties of okra last year "clemson spineless" and "burgundy". Clemson spineless did not perform very well last year because we had many cold night so it can't set proper bloom or pod for us. "Burgundy" performed much better. Previous summers which were really hot, "clemson spineless" did very well. So we were fortunate that "burgundy" is more tolerant to cooler summer that it compensate "clemson spineless" last summer. To be on the safe side since we never know how next summer will be like, we will grow both of this variety again next summer. We did managed to freeze at least 2 bags of burgundy okra last season for winter/spring vegetable stock.
Do you think okra burgundy will look nice in your front yard?
Ornamental looking but edible.

19 comments:

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Yummm....I love okra in whatever colour - burgundy, green, white - and in many types of dishes - curry, asam pedas, stirfry, chili belacan, blanched w sambal belacan.... Considering that they retail for at least AUD9.90 at the shops, you've saved some money there. Happy Gardening! purrr....meow!

Jody said...

The okra looks very lovely. I think it would look great in the front yard. Our neighbor is from Louisiana. He loves okra, every year he grows a huge harvest of it.

Mark Willis said...

I don't like eating Okra, but I have to admit that the plants, and particularly the flowers, are beautiful.

JGH said...

Those are gorgeous plants. I grew this last year and was able to save a few pods to have seeds for this year. They don't seem to be performing as well, so I may get fresh seed next year. I just love everything about this plant - the foliage, the flowers and even the pods. Love them in gumbo, which is a spicy meat & vegetable stew.

Hey, thanks for the link to my ladybug release post - that was a fun day!

Cottage Dome said...

I've never seen that color okra before. It has pretty flowers too!

Unknown said...

I don't eat okra, I don't like it.
But the plant look beautiful, I love the flowers.
Yes, okra burgundy would look nice in my front yard.

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

This plant is so gorgeous! I have never seen one before. I love the bloom. I have not seen okra plants for sale here in Utah. I have never really looked for seeds. I have only had okra deep fried, and I really liked it. I think it would be fun to plant one next year if I can find it. Good luck with your Larkspur. It transplants very easily. Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog.

Jennifer @ three dogs in a garden said...

I do think that Okra Burgundy is pretty and ornamental enough to be in a front yard. The flower is really quiet lovely.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

I'm not a fan of eating okra but I love how the plants look and the burgandy is really beautiful!

Chloe m said...

I would grow this just for the ornamental reasons it is so pretty!

kitchen flavours said...

I have a few of this okra burgundy plants. One has already given me two okras while the rest are still seedlings. Love any okra, but this burgundy ones are pretty, yellow flowers with a tinge of red!

Fishtail Cottage said...

What a pretty flower this gives you...love it! thank you for sharing over here at Cottage Flora Thursday's Garden Party! oxox, tracie

rainfield61 said...

The rose at the background is pretty as well.

Charmcitybalconygarden said...

Wow, the okra is beautiful! I didn't know okra flowers were so beautiful!

Sue Garrett said...

It makes a beautiful ornamental plant

Mr. H. said...

What a beautiful plant. All of our red okra shriveled up and died a couple weeks ago because I planted them out a little too early. Next year I will have to try growing them under cover with the sweet potatoes I suppose.

littlekarstar said...

I can't wait to grow these if I can get some seeds. Where did you get your seeds from and when do you sow yours? THey look gorgeous!

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Cat-from-Sydney~I got a bad experience when I bought okras in Asian groceries one time it was so tough. I stop buying them. I have not seen white okra yet.

Jody~You can swap some of your vegetables for your neighbour okras:). Perhaps he can give you some seeds.

Mark~ I don't like to eat okra when I was a kid. But now I like them very much.

JGH~Never tried gumbo but it is something I would like to try!

Cottage Dome~If I am not greedy for the pods, I will be so tempted to pluck the flowers.

Ellada~Our hollyhock don't give us much flower so I think okra flowers as a substitute ;-).They are related.

Jann~Thank you so much for the encouragement.

Jennifer~It gives an exotic touch too.

Gardener on Sherlock Home~Burgundy and green is a nice combination.

Rosey~I do wish I can pluck the flower sometime but the pods win.

Joyce~I am happy that you sowed some more and don't give up after the incidents with furry visitors.

tracie~Thank you for hosting.

Rainfield61~ Just started to try growing rose now.

Charmcitybalconygarden~They add charm in the vegetable patch.

Sue~Have you tried them before?

Mr. H~I had the same experience when we tried to grow them early. The seedlings won't recover for me. The one that managed to survive stop growing. For okra it is better to start them late than early since they are so sensitive with cold weather. It is better to test some seeds by direct-sowing. If they are in agreement with the weather, the seeds sprout fast and they grow quickly and start to produce in 8~10weeks.

Mrs Bok~Got them from Eden seeds and sowed them end of November. By early February they start to produce.

Sue Garrett said...

No never just think your looks beautiful.