Abelmoschus esculentus
Origin: Africa via Westport, MA
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~35
Germination tested 10/25: 95%
Life cycle: Annual
We were shocked when our friend Bill Braun of Freed Seed Federation first told us about the defining feature of Ronny's Red okra. Not only is it prolific and beautiful and delicious, but it is also an okra selected in New England for being able to produce a large crop after direct-sowing in June! Even in New Jersey, we typically start our okra indoors a couple weeks before frost, to give them a head-start and ensure a productive season. Ronny Bramwell, of Westport, Massachusetts, who developed this okra, apparently has always been unwilling to start his okra early, so he just kept planting it outside once the ground was warm enough and eventually his red okra became a reliably early and abundant producer.
We're honored to be the first commercial source of this impressive okra, thanks to Bill and the Freed Seed crew who produced these seeds in Westport, Massachusetts.
GROWING TIPS: Wait until soil temperatures are at least 65 degrees, then direct-sow between 1 and 3 feet apart. You can also start seeds indoors, three or even four weeks before last frost, then plant out once the soil is warm enough. Harvest okra continually to encourage more pod production, but be sure to leave a few pods for seed! Be sure to only grow one type of okra if you want to avoid cross-pollination, or bag individual flower buds for self-pollinated pods.
