Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus

Common Name: Okra 'Burgundy', Red Okra

Family: Malvaceae

Origin

Heirloom burgundy okra was bred by Leon Robbins from Clemson University in South Carolina, USA during the 1980s.  Burgundy okra was an All-America Selections award winning variety in 1988 for its high yields and uniquely coloured pods.

Culinary Uses

Okra pods make a delicious raw vegetable snack eaten fresh out of the garden, they have a flavour of their own but have been liken to a mix of eggplant and asparagus.  Okra pods can also be sliced and cooked but will become more mucilaginous, thickening any liquids they are in contact with.  This mucilaginous quality of okra is sometimes used to thicken soups, stews and gumbo.  Okra pods taste best when they are picked small as older pods will be stringier in texture and more mucilaginous.  This heirloom burgundy variety produces mild-flavoured, attractive red pods, although they have thinner walls than other varieties.  The red colouration of this variety is retained during cooking although becomes less vibrant.

Growing Tips

Okra is an easy to grow garden vegetable.  Okra will grow fastest and produce best when grown in a full sun position.  Okra will also grow well in light shade although pod production will be greatly reduced.  Heirloom burgundy okra requires less hot weather to crop well than other varieties so it's a good choice for gardeners in temperate climates, although they'll cope fine in the heat too.  Okra prefers growing in a fertile, free-draining soil rich in organic matter.  If your garden soil is compact, sandy or pale and lacking in organic matter you can improve it by placing down a layer of compost or well-rotted manure prior to planting okra.  Worms and soil microorganisms will help to incorporate the organic matter through your garden soil improving its structure and fertility.  Despite the fruits being the harvested part of the okra plant, they are actually most demanding of nitrogen which is required to produce their large leaves that will provide the energy required for good pod formation.  A single flower bud will form in each leaf axial and this will eventually turn into the okra pod, so the more leaves your plants can grow the more pods they'll produce too.  To give your young okra plants an early boost top dress with a nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser such as blood and bone once the seedlings have become established.  Fertilising okra plants every few weeks with an organic liquid fertiliser, worm juice or compost tea will also help to keep growth strong and healthy.  Don't over-water okra plants or they may suffer from root rot.

When to Sow

In temperate and subtropical regions of Australia sow burgundy okra seeds during Spring or Summer.  In the tropics of Australia sow burgundy okra seeds during the dry season to avoid damping-off disease in seedlings and root rot in boggy soils, anytime from mid Autumn through to early Spring is ideal.

How to Sow

Okra seeds should be sown about 1.5cm deep directly where they are to grow.  Growth of okra seedlings can halt if they're roots are disturbed when transplanting, although starting them in biodegradable pots and planting the whole pot can overcome this problem.   Okra plants tend to grow straight upwards so they can be planted quite close together, about 30cm between plants is sufficient.  Okra seeds have a hard seed coat which is impervious to water, for them to uptake enough moisture to germinate you'll need to soak them in just-boiled water overnight before sowing.

Germination Time

Okra seeds will start to germinate about 7 days after sowing, older seeds that haven't been fully re-hydrated from soaking can take up to 21 days for the seedlings to emerge.

Time to Harvest

Burgundy okra plants will start to produce pods 8 to 10 weeks after sowing.  Pick okra pods regularly to encourage ongoing growth and production.  Don't wash okra pods if storing in the refrigerator or they will start to become slimy and rot

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Burgundy okra flowers have pale yellow petals with a deep maroon throat, they are quite attractive in their own right.