Okra Gombo Red Burgundy NT - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Okra, also known as Gumbo, is a heat-loving exotic vegetable. The Red Burgundy variety produces red fruits 15 to 20 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. These elongated pods can be eaten raw or cooked and are a key ingredient in many African and Creole dishes. It is a digestible, low-calorie vegetable.

Okra, also called Gumbo, Cabo, or Calou, is an annual vegetable plant native to Africa, now cultivated on almost every continent. It is used in stews, soups, or Mafé—a rich peanut-based sauce that enhances meat and fish in African cuisine.

Okra belongs to the Malvaceae family, like Hibiscus, and has an upright, bushy habit, reaching up to 2 metres in height when grown in optimal conditions. It is a tropical plant, highly sensitive to cold and demanding warmth. Outdoor cultivation is best suited to particularly mild climates, rich and well-drained soils… and experienced gardeners. Outside Mediterranean regions, it is ideal to grow it in a greenhouse, preferably heated, as it only thrives in temperatures above 16°C.

Harvest: Harvesting takes place from July to October, regularly, as the fruits develop very quickly (4 to 5 days after flowering) and can become fibrous.

Storage: Okra can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days or dried after being thinly sliced.

Gardener's tip: To reduce watering needs, we recommend mulching the soil from late May onwards with thin, successive layers of grass clippings, ideally mixed with dead leaves. This protective layer helps retain soil moisture and also minimises weeding.