Alan Dannelley of Bayou George wanted to get back to growing things after Hurricane Michael uprooted all of his trees and his life. A friend gave him some seeds for longhorn hybrid okra that he wasn’t even sure were still good. Alan figured he would give them a try.
In March, he started the seeds in pots. Around July 1, he planted 12 of them in a place in the yard where a compost bed had been located. He faithfully watered them—and they grew like crazy!
The first okra—harvested August 1—was 141/2 inches long. The longest one so far has been 18 inches. Alan estimates he has cut 150 pods. He expects the massive bush to keep producing until the first frost.
An herbaceous plant grown for its edible seed pods, okra have heart-shaped leaves and small erect stems. Leaves typically are 4 to 8 inches long, with five to seven lobes. The plant produces flowers with five white to yellow petals up to 3 inches in diameter. The seed pod is a capsule up to 10 inches long and contains numerous seeds. Okra typically grow 4 to 6 feet tall, but Alan’s plant has exceeded all of the typical specifications. As an annual plant, okra survives only one growing season.
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