Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

Okra is a well-known vegetable in African and Asian cuisine and gives a pleasant, spicy flavor to all kinds of dishes. It is used, for example, for stir-fries and couscous, but also as a binding agent in stews and soups. The seeds contain a lot of oil and are roasted and ground in Africa as an alternative coffee. It is a tropical plant that can be kept as an annual in a greenhouse or sheltered spot outside. After a few months, the plant blooms with large, light yellow flowers, after which the green okra fruits are formed. These can be picked within a week of flowering, as they can only be eaten unripe. The plant grows to about 2 to 3 meters high. Okra probably originated in Ethiopia, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. Okra has also reached other parts of the world via Egypt, so that the fruits can now be found in the tropics worldwide.

Sowing description: Soak the seeds for 24 hours in water and then sow in sowing and cutting soil at 20-30 ° C. Keep the soil constantly moist. From June, the plants can go outside or be placed in a cold greenhouse earlier.