I'm really interested in trying it this year. Baker's Creek offers several kinds:
http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Angled-Gourd
Anyone tried this? Or has anyone eaten them?
Vining Okra - anyone grow this?
Use to be semi-popular in the south, Today most folks grow them for sponges. You may find more experience growers in the gourd forum. Still popular as a vegetable in Asian, but I don't think we have an Asian vegetables forum.
I grew them on a cattle panel trellis last summer. If I can find a picture I'll post it.
I have grown the luffa or dishcloth gourd which is supposed to be edible. My reaction was "yuk." II had a Mexican friend try it. He agreed with me. The others might be tastier but I do not recommend growing this for food.
It does make a great dishcloth.
katiebear
For eating, you have to pick them VERY small.
{{{never thought of eating louffas :-)}}}
I guess if you let them mature, you're REALLY talking roughage...
pblphblphphpbllll!!!LOL.
Ok. Since this discussion started about okra, i have a question. I started okra seeds inside on thinking that the seeds I had wouldn't germinate at all. Well, of course they ALL did. So now, I have about 30 okra seedlings that are approximately 5" tall, and our transplant date in Zone 9a isn't until sometime in the HEAT of summer.
Could I pot 'em up inside and keep em' content until it's time for them to go outside? And, more importantly, do they transplant easily or do I just need to clip off their heads now, cleanly and swiftly and call it a day?
I'd transplant early. I'm a cheater, though. Can't imagine your transplant being later than the end of March?
After numerous attempts to transplant okra, I would say forget it. I've read that okra "resents transplanting." My okra plants took resentment to the ultimate - they killed themselves. I've never had ONE survive a move.
Don't mean to be a wet blanket but be prepared. If other people have had success they should speak up. Other plants said to resent transplanting can sometimes be moved carefully (e.g. morning glories) but in my experience okra is not one of them.
katiebear
I transplanted a bunch last year. Early. Took it a while to get going, but ultimately, it did well. And I'm VERY capable of killing stuff so it should be possible with the right conditions. Don't know what those are...
Like anything else Okra can be transplanted, but the roots cannot be disturbed. It means keeping the root ball intact and transplanting before it gets true leaves.
So... what have you got to lose?
I have never before seen the luffa called vining okra. The appearance of the simall fruit is similar to okra but the taste is not.
I like okra. I didn't like the small luffa.
The topic got expanded a bit and I thought I'd go back to your original question.
The luffa does make a pretty vine and attractive yellow flowers. Botanically, it is neigher a gourd nor an okra. It requires a long growing season to produce sponges.
katiebear