Okra

	Burgundy OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69101 Price:$2.10 Quantity in Basket: none
49 days. [Introduced 1988. AAS winner.] Stems, leaf veins, and pods are deep red-maroon in color. Plants average 4' high, bearing narrow 5/8 " spineless pods that remain tender nearly to their mature length of 7-1/2 ". Other red okras bear longer and handle disease better but 'Burgundy' is earlier, attractive, and of fine quality. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Clemson Spineless OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69103 Price:$2.15 Quantity in Basket: none
56 days. [Introduced 1939 by Clemson/SC. AAS winner.] Plants with few side-branches reach a height of 4 to 5' and produce medium-sized, ribbed pods (1-1/4 x 8"). Harvest when pods are 3" or smaller. Spineless characteristic makes this popular variety easy to pick. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Clemson Spineless OKRA 28g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69103E Price:$4.75 Quantity in Basket: none
	Quantity:
	Evertender OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69104 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
50 days. This un-branched, spineless variety from India averages 5-1/2' tall and produces mature pods to 7" long. 'Evertender' has good eating quality, similar to, if not better than 'Clemson Spineless'. Easy to harvest, and pods remain tender for long period. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Jade OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69106 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
55 days. [Developed by Univ. of Arkansas and released for introduction to SESE in 1991.] 'Jade' is an early maturing, tender-podded, high-yielding okra. Compared to 'Clemson Spineless', 'Jade' has darker green pods, fewer side branches, higher average yields, and better ability to mature in late plantings. Plants average 4-1/2' tall and the straight, dark-green pods remain tender to 6". Recommended especially for home gardens, farmer's markets, and late plantings. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Star of David OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69108 Price:$2.15 Quantity in Basket: none
61 days. [Introduced 1987 by SESE.] This Israeli variety has a distinctive strong flavor and is recommended for okra lovers who would like to try something different. Stalks may grow 8 to 10 feet with few side branches. Pods left to mature average 6" in length (range 5 to 9") and 1-1/4 to 1-1/2" diameter with medium spines. Purple coloration on top of leaf petioles and major leaf veins. Harvest pods when small and keep well picked. Highly productive throughout the season and tolerant of root-knot nematode. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Burmese OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69109 Price:$2.45 Quantity in Basket: none
58 days. [Heirloom okra from Burma sent by organic market grower Hap Heilman. Now a favorite in some local restaurants.] 'Burmese' okra bears when plants are 18" tall and continues to bear until frost. The leaves are huge, typically 16" across. The slightly curved, virtually spineless pods range from 9 to 12" long. Pods mature from light green to creamy yellow green. At 10" inches long, they are tender, sweet, and spineless enough to be eaten raw or added to salads. Pods are less gooey than other okra, a quality that gives this variety a greater appeal. Pkt.
	Quantity:
	Burmese OKRA 28g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69109E Price:$5.50 Quantity in Basket: none
	Quantity:
	Hill Country Heirloom Red OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69111 Price:$2.45 Quantity in Basket: none
70 days (Texas Heirloom) Very colorful red and green 4' plants produce abundant 3" green pods with reddish tips and ribs and great flavor. Hill Country is drought tolerant and produces exceptionally well when picked small, perfect for pickled okra. Pkt
	Quantity:
	Hill Country Heirloom Red OKRA 28g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69111E Price:$5.50 Quantity in Basket: none
	Quantity:
	Jimmy T's OKRA 5g seed Code: 69113 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
65 days [?Kentucky heirloom grown by Jimmy T. Morris since the 1940s. The four-foot plants produce abundantly when kept well-picked. This excellent variety comes from the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy via grower Merlyn Neidens. Pkt
	Quantity:
	Fife Creek Cowhorn OKRA 5g seed Code: 69114 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
55 days [Kentucky heirloom given to the Fife family by an elderly Creek woman over 100 years ago.] 6-8’ plants bear an abundance of pods that keep tender longer than most OP okras. Pkt
	Quantity:
	Choppee OKRA 5g seed Code: 69116 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
[Dates from 1850, from the Jacobs family of Georgetown, South Carolina. Named for the Choppee Indians native to the area.] High-yielding, semi-dwarf (3.5' tall) variety. Tender okra, great flavor, almost as spineless as "Clemson Spineless." Pkt. Seed savers note: unlike most other okras, the dried pods for this one don't shatter easily!
	Quantity:
	Cajun Jewel OKRA 5g seed, USDA Certified Organic Code: 69102 Price:$2.45 Quantity in Basket: none
53 days. [Introduced 1989 by SESE. A local favorite in Cajun country since the 1950s.] Dwarf-type, spineless plants, 3-4' tall, produce an early crop of tender 1" diameter pods up to 7" long. Good flavor. Pkt. "Market growers should strongly consider this heavy yielding variety to build a reputation as the grower with the best tasting produce." -Cricket Rakita
	Quantity:
	Alabama Red OKRA 5g seed Code: 69112 Price:$2.85 Quantity in Basket: none
"(75 days) (heirloom from Alabama) Plants grow 5-7' tall and produce an abundance of fat, blocky red and green pods. The okra is delicious fried and adds color and unique flavor added to salads when young. Pkt "
	Quantity:

CULTURE: Okra originated in northeast Africa and reportedly grows wild in the upper watershed of the Nile. It was brought to the U.S. in the late 1660's by way of the slave trade or by way of Europe where it may have been cultivated. The word okra is derived from "nkru" in the Ashanti language of West Africa. The word gumbo is derived from "ngombo" from the Bantu language of southern Africa. FOLK USES: The dried pods of okra have been used in flower arrangements; the roasted seeds serve as a coffee substitute; the juice has been used to stop bleeding and to clean metal; the stem fibers used to make rough cloth or cordage. The raw pods of okra can be applied to the forehead or nose to make a quick Halloween mask. CULTURE: Okra does best on a fertile, loamy soil with lots of added humus: an excess of nitrogen will favor leaf production at the expense of pod production. Start seed in pots 4 weeks before transplanting outside, or plant directly in the garden once the soil temperature averages 65 deg. F (18 deg. C). Sow seed 3/4" to 1" deep and thin to 12 to 18" depending on variety size. May be direct-seeded from late May to mid-July. Okra seed may be slow to germinate. To speed germination, soak seed overnight in water, or abrade the seed lightly with sandpaper to break down the hard seed coat. PEST NOTES: Old varieties of okra tend to have deeper root systems and are more tolerant of root-knot nematode. HARVEST: Harvest only immature pods, when 2 to 3" long. SEED SAVERS: Isolate varieties by 1/8 mile for home use, or 1/4 to 1/2 mile or greater for pure seed. PACKET: 5 g (about 80 to 108 seeds, depending on variety) sows 42 to 65'.