Late Summer Peas and Okra – Stretching the Garden Season

GEORGIA FOLK AND FARM LIFE - In Georgia, the garden doesn’t quit just because the calendar says summer’s winding down. August heat still lingers, and with it comes the chance to coax one more round of vegetables out of the soil before fall. Around here, it’s okra that takes center stage in late summer—the faithful standby that never seems to mind the dog days. Peas, on the other hand, wait patiently for cooler soil and gentler evenings before they’ll give their best.

Can you picture rows of tall okra standing like sentinels in the fading summer light, their pods waiting to be picked before they toughen up? Old-timers often said you couldn’t stop a good patch of okra unless you turned your back on it. They weren’t wrong. Left unpicked for more than a couple of days, the pods turn woody. The trick has always been to carry a little pail and a sharp knife, and keep after it.

Planting for the Cooler Season

Okra is the late summer champion—it keeps producing until the nights truly cool. Harvest pods at finger-length, and the plant will reward you with more. Peas, however, are best planted as the heat breaks. In Georgia, gardeners often tuck seeds into the soil in late August or September, counting on fall’s cooler days to bring a harvest before frost. That way, peas get their preferred climate, and the gardener enjoys two seasons of bounty.

Putting It Up for Later

This time of year, the kitchen turns into a second harvest field. Families gather to bag sliced okra for the freezer or look ahead to putting up peas once the cooler harvest arrives. Freezing is simple work: blanch vegetables briefly, cool them quick, then tuck them into freezer bags. Come January, when winds rattle the windows, a skillet of fried okra or a pot of stewed peas is a reminder of why the extra effort was worth it.

A Bit of Wisdom

Stretching the garden season isn’t just about the food—it’s about making the most of what the land offers. Grandparents knew that well. They planted when others thought it was too late, picked when it was too hot, and preserved when the kitchen was already full. The reward wasn’t only in the pantry shelves lined with mason jars, but in the satisfaction that nothing went to waste.

So if there’s still a patch of dirt left and some seeds on hand, it’s not too late to start planning. Plant peas for the cool season, keep picking okra in the heat, and take time to preserve what you can.

That’s garden wisdom worth keeping—and passing down.

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