Of Cowpeas, Butterbeans and Okra

Fresh vegetables in August for my conditions are first and foremost green-shelled cowpeas. These come in many sizes and shapes and have different flavors, but they share one common trait: They love the heat and tolerate dry conditions. My favorite is the cream type, the foremost being the Big Boy, but I grow pinkeyes, one we simply call the Tommy pea, and blackeyes. For a change of pace, I like the Black Crowder and the Holstein.



I have grown lots of other varieties, but these are standbys. The little white peas like Lady and White Acre are delicious but more tedious to pick and shell.

Butterbeans are a bit more demanding, but they normally are reliable producers in August. I have settled on Mezcla as my pole lima of choice. It is a better producer than Carolina/Sieva or Willow Leaf. The big limas Calico/Christmas and King of the Garden do reasonably well, but I just don't favor the taste and texture. For the bush type, I prefer Cangreen/Thorogreen or Nemagreen. I grow Dixie Butterpeas as a change of pace. The big Fordhooks are not good producers here.

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Okra needs water, but loves the heat. It will produce through September, but it really hits its stride in August. Emerald is head and shoulders above any other variety that I grow. I do grow some novelties like Buck's Big Buckhorn, which is decent but just not as productive.



There are a few other vegetables that produce in August. Eggplant does well, as do hot peppers, but cowpeas, butterbeans, and okra are my table mainstays.