Normally, I would be all excited to report that some new veggie in the garden was beginning to bloom and produce foodstuffs. Alas, I think the fact that my four inch tall okra plants are beginning to bloom is probably not a sign to be celebrated. They seem too small, with too few leaves, to be ready for fruit production.

The variety I planted –Clemson Spineless– should be 4′-5′ tall at maturity … 55 days or so after sowing the seeds. It’s been 47 days since I planted them, and I was expecting the first okra to be harvested around May 1, so the plants themselves are on plan, aside from the fact they still look like seedlings and are nowhere near their full adult height.

I think those two unexpected and late cold fronts screwed up their growing. Okra likes it hot from the moment the seed goes into the ground. Up until recently, it hasn’t been all that hot.

I don’t know what to do. I think I’ll go ahead and let them bloom, snag any edible okra, and replant. That’ll give the plants a few weeks of this hot weather to get growing, and I’ll still have time to get another set of plants going. In fact, I think I’ll start the seeds in my starter tray tomorrow. Though this may mean the lemon cucumbers will have to be trellised in some way, since the okra was supposed to be taller than the cucumbers by the time they needed a trellis. Maybe I’ll end up just pulling the okra out and not bothering. The cucumbers could use more room anyway.

Who knows? Maybe they still end up being tall and productive plants, but I’m not betting on it. I may have to go Darwin on them. Still … hope I get at least a couple of okra pods before I have to kill the poor things!