what do okra leaves look like

What do okra plant leaves look like?

The leaves are heart shaped, serrated, medium in size, bright green and covered in small bristles. The leaves grow alternately with 5-7 lobes per stem. Okra pods are a traditional ingredient in gumbo and feature prominently in other southern dishes.

What is the shape of okra leaf?

Okra leaves are heart-shaped and three- to five-lobed. The flowers are yellow with a crimson centre. The fruit, or pod, hairy at the base, is a tapering 10-angled capsule 10–25 cm (4–10 inches) in length (except in the dwarf varieties) that contains numerous oval dark-coloured seeds. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).

Can you eat okra leaves?

If you dig “nose-to-tail” veggie eating, this vegetable is for you: the leaves, flowers and seeds are also edible. Young okra greens can be cooked like spinach or beet greens (or eaten raw) and the seeds can even be ground and used as a coffee substitute.

What are the health benefits of okra leaves?

Okra is a nutritious food with many health benefits. It's rich in magnesium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, K1, and A. Okra may benefit pregnant women, heart health, and blood sugar control. It may even have anticancer properties.

What month do you plant okra?

For the best yields, plant okra in the spring 2 to 3 weeks after all danger of frost has passed. For a good fall crop, plant at least 3 months before the first fall frost.

What causes okra leaves to curl?

The disease is enation leaf curl of okra (caused by okra enation leaf curl virus). It is transmitted by whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). 3. If the whiteflies infestation is more spray suitable insecticides like Dimethoate (0.05%) or Monocrotophos (0.02%) at 10 days interval (two sprays).

What is okra called in English?

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) are known in many English-speaking countries as lady's fingers or gumbo) is a flowering plant in the mallow family, related to cotton and hibiscus. It is valued for its edible green seed pods.

Why is okra called ladies finger?

What I found was a bit of a let-down for me, to tell the truth: okra pods are long, slender, and elegantly shaped, just like a lady's finger, hence the name (Duh!).

How many types of okra are there?

Okra is available in two varieties, green and red. Red okra carries the same flavor as the more popular green okra and differs only in color. When cooked, the red okra pods turn green.

Why is okra bad for you?

Eating too much okra can adversely affect some people. Gastrointestinal problems: Okra contains fructans, which is a type of carbohydrate. Fructans can cause diarrhea, gas, cramping, and bloating in people with existing bowel problems. Kidney stones: Okra is high in oxalates.

What's the best way to eat okra?

Here are a few ways to prepare okra:

Fried. Dredged in egg and cornmeal and fried to a golden crisp, it's a "simple Southern classic." Add a twist by making it curried.
Gumbo, of course. Try it with seafood, chicken and sausage, or no meat at all; there are a zillion recipes out there. ...
Oven-roasted. ...
Stew. ...
Pickles.

What's the best fertilizer for okra?

Mix a complete fertilizer with the potting mixture, such as 10-10-10, or a high-nitrogen and high-phosphorous fertilizer, such as 20-20-10. Supplemental nitrogen prepares the okra plant for the long growing season, but too much nitrogen leads too excess foliage and lackluster pods.

Does okra help sexually?

Okra is another reputed vegetable of love. Rich in magnesium, it's a natural relaxant. It's also full of iron, folate, zinc, and vitamin B, all nutrients that keep your sex organs healthy and happy.

What happens to your body when you eat okra everyday?

Apart from that okra is rich in magnesium and therefore, helps in maintaining and regulating your blood pressure level in the body. Okra has a protein called lectin which is linked with fighting breast cancer. It is also said that okra suppresses cancer cell growth and helps in preventing cancer.

Is drinking okra water good for you?

Drinking “okra water” is a popular new method of using okra. Some have even suggested that drinking it helps lessen diabetes symptoms. The drink is made by putting okra pods in water and soaking them overnight. Some of the valuable nutrients in the skin and seed pods will be absorbed into the water.

What can you not plant near okra?

Okra should not be planted in soil previously utilized to grow vine crops such as sweet potatoes and squash as these crops tend to increase nematode population in soil. Nematodes feast on young okra roots, causing wilt and galls on the roots, which diminishes fruit yield.

Does okra need full sun?

Okra will grow in many soil types, so mulch and fertilize as needed. Once the plants start to grow, thin them so they are spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. Okra thrives in the full, hot sun. Regular watering is needed and is particularly critical during flowering and pod development.

How many okra can one plant produce?

How much okra can you get from one plant? If your okra plants have ideal conditions, they can produce 20 – 30+ pods per plant. In a warmer hardiness zone such as zone 9b, you will have a longer growing season, into the fall or longer.

What is wrong with my okra plants?

Okra leaves fading from green to yellow sometimes indicate root disease. Okra plants turning yellow signal potentially disastrous problems. Yellowed leaves lack chlorophyll, the catalyst that converts sunlight to food for the plant. As the plant starves, okra's natural resistance to insects and disease declines.

Why does my okra have bumps?

Answer: The bumps are “stings” from stinkbug feeding. Stinkbugs insert their hollow mouthpart into the okra skin and suck out juice. When they leave, the pod heals the wound with a characteristic white bump. ... In my experience, the okra is completely safe to eat.

What animal eats okra leaves?

Aphids and stinkbugs suck the sap from okra, while corn earworms eat the fruit and leaves and flea beetles chew small holes in the leaves.