Okra seed is easy to plant and so much fun to grow! Okra is a phenomenal warm-season crop that grows with ease in the hottest months of the year. When other crops are wilting in the extreme summer heat, okra thrives with beautiful flowers and edible seed pods. Okra is believed to have originated in Ethiopia and has traveled far and wide in tropical countries since the 12th century. Immature seed pods harvested for eating contain an important soluble fiber used as a thickening agent in soups, sauces, and gumbos. On our farm, okra is grown during the hot, dry months of late summer and early fall when other crops cannot take the heat. We like to pickle, fry and stew okra in a variety of Caribbean recipes. Because okra grows tall and straight, it is an easy crop to squeeze into the garden. Rich in fiber and easy to grow, okra is a key player in our late summer garden. Okra seeds can be easy to plant directly in the ground and require little special care to thrive. Watch in awe as butterflies and pollinators love the stunning flowers. Harvest the okra seed pods while seeds are still immature and before the pods are fibrous.  You can add okra to any recipe that needs a gluten-free thickening agent. Although okra can be a required taste for some, we find that its resilience and ability to grow in the hostile and hot summer and fall seasons of Zones 9 and 10 is a redeeming quality. Every year it finds a way into our garden, as it should in yours!Â
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