Page 39 - SV 3 2024

Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
It is also called Lady’s Finger and is in
the mallow family, it is a tropical plant so the climate in the U.K is not ideal for it
but as climate change progresses it may become better. It is fairly widely grown in West Africa, India, the Philippines and the southern states of the USA. Okra is a very heat and drought tolerant plant so could be ideal if we have more hot dry summers! To grow successfully in the U.K it is best to start the seeds in a greenhouse or heated propagator as you would with tomatoes and cucumbers.
Soak the seeds in tepid water for 24 hours before sowing into pots or modules and put into a temperature of 25°C to germinate. Once germinated grow on in
a temperature of 20 to 25°C, do not drop below 20°C otherwise plant growth is very slow or virtually non-existent. Place the plants in good light and water as required but do not over water. Keep an eye open for botrytis especially at lower temperatures and if the soil is too moist. When 10cm high either pot up into larger pots or plant out into the beds or growbags. If planting into beds space the plants 40 to 50cm apart and rows 60cm apart. A base fertiliser of Growmore or blood, fish and bone can be added before planting and raked into the soil surface. If the weather is cool cover the plants with fleece until established. They can be planted through black polythene which helps to warm the soil, reduce weed growth and moisture evaporation.
Okra can be grown in greenhouses, polytunnels, and outdoors in the southern parts of the U.K or in a sheltered south facing area especially if we have hot summers like 2022. Feed with a high potash fertiliser like a tomato feed, water and feed as for tomatoes. The plants will
Okra ‘Jing Orange’
need support by tying to a cane or position three canes around the plant and then loop string around.
Once the pods have formed and are a decent size harvest by cutting off with a sharp knife, regular harvesting is essential, or the pods become stringy and tough; pods should be ready by late summer. After harvesting, the fruits can be stored for only 3-5 days at about 10°C; lower temperatures may cause damage to the fruits. Okra should not be washed until shortly before use as washing makes the fruit slimy.
Cultivars
Clemson Spineless – the most common one by far.
Pure Luck
Burgundy
Dwarf Green Longpod
Okra ‘Clemsons Spineless’
Most have been bred in the USA and are more suited to that climate but with climate change they are worth a go here.
Orach ‘Scarlet Emperor’
Orache
Atriplex hortensis
Also called Mountain Spinach and its leaves are used like spinach; there are
light green / yellow forms and red leaved versions. The red leaved types are attractive and could be used in flower borders to
give a tall red / purple colour thus giving height to the border. One word of warning if allowed to self-seed they will be coming up for a number of years and sometimes in large numbers, but you can always eat them! The young leaves should be picked and can be used in salads or cooked like spinach, once the leaves get large, they become tough. They can be grown as a come and cut again crop and cut when large enough they will then regrow.
Orache is an easy plant to grow and will
grow in any soil even poor soils and like
a sunny or partly shaded site. Prepare the seedbed as you would for beetroot and sow the seeds thinly from mid-March to June 2cm deep and in rows 45cm apart. Once they have germinated thin out to 25cm apart, water in dry weather and control any weeds that appear. The plants will reach 1.5 to 2m high so may need supports like a bamboo cane on windy sites. They can be pinched out to make a bushier plant that is not so tall. It is very easy to grow and does not seem to suffer any problems.
Orache can be grown as a salad leaf and would grow into the autumn if grown in a polytunnel.
Simply Vegetables 39