Clemson Spineless Organic Okra
Okra is one of the most beautiful plants you can grow. It thrives in heat when other crops struggle. Your biggest job with okra is keeping up with the harvests before the bountiful pods get too large & tough to be enjoyed. Organic. Heirloom. AAS Winner.
JOY MAX QUALITIES:
Classic Southern Heirloom. The all-time, most popular okra variety was a 1939 All-America Selections winner and is still going strong 80 years later.
Most okra varieties are covered with tiny spines that will irritate the skin similar to cactus. For this reason, Clemson Spineless is a winner. You should still always wear gloves when handling or pruning okra plants.
Okra sown in a row is a natural hedge. You can use it as a privacy screen or to create a backdrop. Clemson Spineless is dense and compact, making it suitable for both containers or in-ground plantings. Consider planting pool-side for a little privacy for swimmers or make a low hedge around a firepit or define another seasonal social area of your yard.
Maybe the most versatile vegetable, okra adds body and flavor to soups, stews, and relishes, and can be fried, pickled, grilled, braised, steamed, and sautéed. Pick pods when young at 2½–3" long. The more mature and large the pods get, the tougher.
You can eat the flowers: Deep fry, air fry, or eat them stuffed. Use fresh as a striking, hibiscus-looking garnish. They have a sweet, mild flavor.
Okra does well in poor soil, even with lots of clay provided it drains. Add compost and an all-around fertilizer to prep the area before planting and again mid-season for a boost.
STARTING INDOORS (optional): Okra grows easily from seed once temps are above 70°. To make them germinate faster, soak the seeds in a glass of filtered water overnight. To start indoors, sow in 3" pots, or repurposed toilet paper rolls, 3 seeds per pot, 1/4" deep. When seedlings are an inch tall, snip the two weakest ones leaving one per pot. Do this if you are growing them in containers as well. Use a heat mat for fast germination and supplement with grow lights. Harden off and plant out 18" apart in an area that receives at least 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. Do not disturb roots. If you are in a colder area, you can use row cover to keep them warmer until temps are in the 70°s.
DIRECT SEEDING: After frost danger, sow 2" apart, 1/2" deep when soil is warm- at least 70°F (21°C). Thin to 12-18" apart.
HARVEST: Harvest promptly by clipping pods at 3-4" long to keep plants productive. Oversized pods become tough and inedible. Do not prune every day. Let the plant recover.