Okra: Burgundy Red

Description

(Abelmoschus esculentus)

55 days. Pods and stems are a beautiful, deep-red. Very tender and delicious.  Great for gumbo or deep frying. Highly ornamental and tasty!

Burgundy Red Okra was introduced in 1983 by Clemson University as an F8 fixed-gene selection, with all succeeding generations fully naturalized as a consistent, reliable, open-pollinated variety, now an antique in the 21st Century.

Germination rate 94% May 2021

Minimum 40 Seeds

Growing Tips:

Rich, black soil with lots of organic material is most desirable, but the plants are tolerant of abuse, though the hard seeds can be difficult to sprout. Soaking seeds overnight after refrigerating can be helpful.

Direct sow the seeds when temperatures are consistently above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Some gardeners like to start them indoors like tomatoes. In the South, allow plenty of air movement.

These plants are smaller than traditional varieties of okra, reaching 4-5 feet instead of 5-7 feet. The entire plant is deep burgundy maroon, with dark vegetation shot through with purple. Tolerant of drought, but they can use just about all the water you care to give them, as long as they are fed well every two weeks.

Harvest the pods at three to five inches to keep the plants producing. To harvest seeds, leave one or two pods per plant until they dry, become woody and crack.

Save