OKRA: THE HIBISCUSS YOU CAN EAT

Image Gallery PHOTOS BY J. WEILAND

Southern cooks have long recognized okra

(or "gumbo", as we also call it) as a staple in the kitchen, and there's hardly a summer garden in the Southeast that doesn't boast at least one planting of Hibiscus esculentus.

The notion that okra can (or should) be grown only in the South, however, is both incorrect and unfortunate. Incorrect, because okra can be cultivated successfully as far north as Michigan . . . and unfortunate, because a steaming-hot bowl of shrimp gumbo would taste as delightful in any northern home as it does in my South Carolina kitchen!

And-in addition to its value as a foodbearing plant-okra (like any other hibiscus) is also a beautiful ornamental. (Many folks who can't spare room in their gardens for the 5'-tall standard varieties of okra make space in their flower borders for 3'-tall dwarfs.) Few people suspect that the burgundy-throated yellow blossoms borne by this plant give rise to a steady harvest of edible pods throughout summer and into the fall frosts.

Why not add a little variety to your vegetable menu (and beauty to your garden) next season by growing some okra? Okra culture is neither difficult nor complicated ... and the eventual rewards-in taste, nutrition, and a prettier garden-are well worth the small amount of effort involved.

Your first consideration, of course, must be soil preparation. The fast-growing, woody plants of H. esculentus require rich soil, plenty of moisture, and abundant sunlight. You'll want to work plenty of humus into the ground to ensure good drainage, since okra seeds tend to rot in mucky soil . . . and if the topsoil isn't fairly rich in nutrients, you'll want to dig manure into it, too. It isn't necessary to spade up a large area . . . one 15-foot row is enough to keep most families in okra for a summer.

Although you can prepare the soil any time during fall or spring, it's best not to plant okra (which is a heat-loving crop) until the soil is warm and all danger of frost has passed. Sow seed thinly in the row, or plant in hills 24" apart. When the seedlings are well along, thin them to stand 18" to 24" apart in the row (or one plant per hill). Afterwards, mulch the young plants heavily to conserve moisture and discourage the growth of nutrient-robbing weeds.