Okra variety recommendation

[ChrisK]

This Yankee living in the south needs a recommendation for a variety to plant for an elderly neighbor whose garden we plant and tend. She grew the "whatever they had at Logan's" variety, years ago! No experience with this plant, I just know it takes a lot of heat to grow well and can get big.

What are good producers with good flavor? Dwarf varieties preferred.

Also, how many plants to plant for a single person? She'll be the only one eating them!

Edit: Found some of these varieties: Annie Oakley II F1; Little Lucy F1; Lee; Baby Bubba

Any thoughts on them?

[b54red]

I have narrowed the varieties I grow down to Beck's and Cowhorn. Both make larger than normal okra but they are anything but dwarf. I even have to use a ladder to pick some late in the season.

[biscgolf]

i have grown annie oakley and it did well.

[shelleybean]

The only "dwarf" variety I've tried was "Dwarf Green Long Pod" but it wasn't very dwarf. I think my shortest plant was 4-5 feet tall but some where 10 feet easily. I like White Velvet and it becomes quite tall but is very productive. From 4-6 plants, I can pick a handful or two of pods every other day, so enough for one person to eat okra 2-3 times a week. The good thing is you can plant pretty close together and fit several plants in just a few feet of space.

[Worth1]

Just cut the top of any okra plant at around 3 feet and it wil make a nice bush.

[bigbubbacain]

Vidrine's Midget Cowhorn stopped growing at about 5 feet and then it bushed out. Started producing later than I was accustomed to, but it did well. The only down side I found was that it's definitely not spineless.

[saltmarsh]

This is a little off topic, but once you decide on the variety why don't you plant a couple of extra plants and give her okra year round. Okra freezes well. Just pick as normal, wash and dry the pods with the ends on, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. When the okra is frozen store in a gallon freezer bag in the freezer until needed for boiling, frying or soups and stews. Claud

[DuckCreekFarms]

Here is a thread with an Okra Trial>>>>

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...highlight=okra

[ContainerTed]

Having tried several dwarf varieties, I found them totally a PITA. I've also grown Red Okra and some others I'll call "exotic". I have settled down with Clemson Spineless. I harvest the green pods when they are ~3-4" long. They are perfect for soups, etc. and my favorite - Fried Okra (it's another one of those southern things).

Like stated above, you can top okra plants and develop a nice bush effect. It does take a little longer for the plants to throw a "sucker" or two and get back to producing pods.

I plant a "double row" of seeds utilizing about 20 feet of a row. The ===== type row has the two seed lines about 8 inches apart. I supply my own needs and then end up giving away a total of 3-4 bushels to friends, neighbors, and family. When it starts coming, you'll need to harvest about every two to three days.

What we can't eat during the harvest times is cut into little pieces and frozen for times like now, when the snow demons are blowing the clouds around.

If you haven't tried fried okra, you have something to look forward to. Lightly breaded in half and half flour and corn meal, salt and pepper, and slow cooked in some light oil like canola in a skillet. Serve when golden brown.

Dang. I made myself hungry again.

[ChrisK]

Ted,

Why are dwfs problematic? Untopped 8 ft plants would seem to be more of a PITA!

Thanks all for the input so far!

Chris

[ContainerTed]

Some of the so-called dwarf stuff wasn't dwarf at all. But the main reason is that it just doesn't hold up at the dining table. It can be stringy and tough. The flavor just didn't show up for me either. Clemson Spineless is available everywhere and the seeds can be saved as well. This past season, my plants got to about 6.5 feet tall and that was it.

Again, my main gripe is the taste and tenderness of those supposedly "dwarf" varieties.

Also, most of those others had pods that were "thin-walled" and seemed to be nothing but little seed bags. Not the case with Clemson Spineless.

Also, the dwarfs seem to be significantly less productive. The three-foot varieties seldom produced more than 3 or 4 pods on each plant. We didn't get much for our efforts.

[ChrisK]

OK, gotcha. 6.5 ft is no problem and I might try the hedging idea.

Perhaps we need a cross hemisphere dwf Okra project?!

[recruiterg]

Can okra be grown successfully in containers?

[Blk_Vegan]

Bona fide lover of okra here. Boiled, fried, sauteed or even raw. Two varieties i would recommend are Cajun Jewel and Burmese. Both are tender, tasty and good producers. Also, both only average about 3-4 ft in height.

Cajun Jewel
http://www.southernexposure.com/caju...5-g-p-129.html

Burmese
http://www.southernexposure.com/burm...5-g-p-131.html

[pinakbet]

Originally Posted by recruiterg

Can okra be grown successfully in containers?

yes but not as prolific not as big(plant) as those that I planted in the ground. I grew mine on 24cm softpots but didn't produced as well as those on open soil. I would recommend a big container, probably 10Gals minimum for root space.