Find out how to Plant, Broaden, and Harvest Okra

Okra is a tender, heat-loving annual very best grown in highly regarded climates. It is grown for the bizarre, mucilaginous taste of its immature pods, repeatedly known as gumbo.

Okra is mainly a tropical crop, then again it can be grown where cucumbers or tomatoes are hardy. To give you the best, crop, then again, it needs so much summer season heat and grows very best south of zone 7.

Okra is a tall, rank grower. It grows 4 to 7 toes (1.2-2.1m) tall and produces green and each so steadily red seedpods which might be harvested when 3 to 5 inches (7-12cm) long; shorter is best possible.

Okra has prickly stems, large maple-like leaves, and large, yellow flowers with red or purplish amenities that carefully resemble the hibiscus flower. Many southern gardeners plant okra throughout the flower garden for its stunning flowers. Northerners will to seek out okra tough to increase.

Okra is a success in a large number of soil. It perpetually requires no other attention than cultivation to stick down weeds. It grows very best in sandy loam then again it is going to increase in poor soil. A great deal of fertilizer will result in additional leaves than pods.

That is the entire knowledge to emerging okra.

Okra Speedy Emerging Guidelines

• Okra is a heat-loving annual plant that requires 55 to 65 frost-free days with temperatures continuously above 85°F (29°C) for whole enlargement, flowering, and pod development.
• Sow okra seed throughout the garden 4 weeks after the average ultimate frost date in spring.
• Yield: Broaden 6 okra plants for each circle of relatives member.

Where to Plant Okra

• Plant okra in whole sun.
• Okra grows very best in unfastened, well-drained soil that is rich in herbal topic.
• Add aged compost to planting beds in early spring in advance of planting and gypsum to soil that is sluggish draining.
• Okra prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
• Okra might be very cold-sensitive, In northern gardens, give okra as so much wind safe haven as possible, then again at all times whole sun.

Okra Planting Time

• Okra is a heat-loving annual plant that requires 55 to 65 frost-free days with temperatures continuously above 85°F (29°C for whole enlargement, flowering, and pod development.
• Plant okra in the end possibility of frost has passed in spring and in early summer season.
• Direct sow okra seed throughout the garden 4 weeks after the average ultimate frost date in spring. Pre-warm the soil ahead of planting with plastic mulch an identical to black plastic sheeting.
• Yields will decrease when the air temperatures fall beneath 70°F (21°C).
• Set out or plant okra seed at concerning the an identical time as you’ll be able to watermelon or squash.
• Okra calls for warmth soil and just about tropical heat for the best enlargement.

Planting Okra

• Plant okra in a warmth native climate when loyal warmth local weather has arrived.
• Optimal seed germination will occur when the soil temperature reaches 75°F; pre-warm the soil with black plastic mulch to speed germination.
• Soak okra seeds in tepid water quite a lot of hours forward of you plant them; okra has a hard seed coat. Okra may also be sluggish to sprout if you do not soak the seed forward of planting.
• Sow okra seeds ½ to no less than one inch (2.5cm) deep; sow seeds 3 to 6 inches (15cm) apart.
• Space rows 24 to 36 inches (61-91cm) apart.
• Thin a success seedlings from 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) apart.
• While plants are more youthful, keep them weeded then again do not cultivate deeply because the roots can increase shallow. Once okra starts to cover the ground do not cultivate the least bit.

Planting Okra in Temporary-Season Spaces

• Where summer season emerging season is short or not sizzling, get began okra seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks forward of transplanting seedlings to the garden.
• Sow seed in 2-inch peat pots or plug grays, 3 seeds consistent with pot 1 / 4 inch deep. Keep the seed starting mix temperature at 80° to 90°F for fast germination.
• Thin to at least one plant consistent with pot.
• Do not disturb the roots when transplanting.
• In cool spaces, you can moreover increase okra in a heated greenhouse or plastic tunnel from early to mid-spring forward of environment plants out of doors.

Okra and Day Length

• Temporary-day lengths stimulate the flowering of utmost okra cultivars.
• Flowering begins at a very degree of enlargement at a day length of fewer than 11 hours; flowers tend to abort when days increase longer.

Additional pointers at: Okra Seed Starting Guidelines.

Planting and Spacing Okra

Okra Partner Crops

• Plant okra with basil, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, and southern peas.

Container Emerging Okra

• Okra can also be grown in a large 5 to 10-gallon container; it needs fairly a large number of room to increase to maturity.
• For permanent container planting, choose a dwarf variety (dwarf okra pods are the an identical measurement as necessities).
• Make a choice spacing-saving varieties for container emerging.

Watering Okra

• Keep okra flippantly rainy until established.
• Established plants can also be saved on the dry side; stems rot merely in wet or cold prerequisites.
• In sizzling summer season spaces, give okra an inch of water each week; an inch of water is able 6.5 gallons.

Feeding Okra

• Okra needs a cheap amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Add aged compost to planting beds in advance of planting and as an aspect dressing any time all the way through the season.
• Practice an entire herbal fertilizer when the principle pods. Practice a height potassium fertilizer when plants are about 48 inches tall.
• Fertilize okra two occasions all the way through the emerging season with fish emulsion; make one application merely after flowering.
• Add gypsum if the soil is sluggish to drain.

Okra Care

• Keep the soil weed unfastened; weeds compete with okra for nutrients and soil moisture.a
• Place a stake next to the plant when planting.
• Pinch out emerging pointers when the plant reaches 9 inches (23 cm) tall or encourage bushy enlargement.
• Pods contain a sticky sap that may be tough to remove from garments or equipment. Placed on artwork clothes and gloves when working with okra.
• Prickles on pods may just motive an hypersensitive reaction.

Okra Pollination and Seed Saving

• Okra is a self-fertile, insect-pollinated annual.
• Cross-pollination is possible if each different okra species are inside of a mile, but it surely’s not really on account of okra’s self-fertilization.
• To save some seeds, let pods stay on the decided on plant until they are completely mature, brown, brittle, and up to 12 inches long. In overdue fall, father the pods, damage them open, and remove the seeds. Store the seeds dry.

Okra Pests

• Aphids, corn earworms, flea beetles, spider mites, and root know nematodes would most likely attack okra.
• Flea beetles, aphids, and spider mites can also be knocked off of leaves with a powerful transfer of water, or pinch out aphid-infested vegetation.
• Aphids pass away sticky, sugary excrement known as honeydew which attacks ants. Contro aphids quickly.
• Stink bugs (Family Pentatomidae) are gray or green with shield-shaped backs; they suck juices from okra pods causing them to have a bumpy ground. Handpick and ruin the ones pests.
• Root knot nematodes are soil-dwelling microscopic worms that enter plants during the roots. They may be able to explanation why okra to increase slowly and leaves to droop although the soil is rainy. Add chitin to the soil, rotate vegetation, and solarize the soil throughout the off-season.
• Use collars spherical transplanted okra seedlings to offer protection to towards cutworms.

Okra Diseases

• Okra is vulnerable to verticillium and fusarium wilt which will explanation why plants to abruptly wilt, dry up, and die, normally in midsummer merely as plants begin to produce. Yellow leaves and wilt are signs of fungal diseases. Remove infected plants and get rid of them throughout the trash.
• Keep the garden clean and free of debris. Remove and get rid of infected plants.
• Crop rotation will have the same opinion prevent the buildup of soil-borne diseases.

See: Troubleshooting Okra Problems.

Harvesting Okra

• Okra is able for harvest 55 to 65 days after planting.
• Okra bears gorgeous flowers forward of creating fruit. A few days after the flowers, come the fit to be eaten seed pods.
• Considerably sizzling, dry local weather or a harsh business in temperature, or poor drainage may just motive bud drop. If emerging prerequisites are right kind, green fuzzy finger-shaped pods will observe flowers. Some varieties undergo flowers when only a foot height. Crops will continue to undergo pods until the principle frost.
• Decrease seed pods with a garden pruner or sharp knife when they are 2 to 4 inches (5-10cm) long, not longer. Pods may also be colored pale green, green, or purple. Smaller pods may also be a lot much less gluey. Higher pods will turn into bitter, tough, and woody.
• Harvest pods a minimum of every other day once flower petals fall and pods set; if pods don’t seem to be picked and ripen to maturity the plant will save you producing. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut pods from the plant.
• Placed on gloves and long sleeves when harvesting okra to prevent conceivable pores and pores and skin irritation from prickles on pods.
• Okra will produce for a three hundred and sixty five days if out of date pods don’t remain on the plant or the plant is not killed by means of frost.
• Okra will save you producing if not picked steadily; if seeds are allowed to mature the plant will sluggish or save you its production of pods.
• Pods will have to be picked forward of seeds mature.
• When okra gets too tall to harvest, decrease the plants all of the method all the way down to about 18 inches. The plants will quickly increase up another time and provide some other crop.

Additional pointers at Find out how to Harvest and Store Okra.

Okra throughout the Kitchen

• Use okra’s fit to be eaten pods raw or cooked.
• Care for or consume okra as soon as possible; pods will give a boost to quickly and turn woody if not used shortly after harvest.
• Okra can also be steamed, boiled, sauteed, baked, deep-fried, braised or made into soup, or decrease proper right into a salad.
• Mild okra pods are an crucial side in Creole gumbo and jambalaya.
• Stew okra with tomatoes and rice, and add report powder at the ultimate minute.
• Get ready dinner okra over low heat in a extremely spiced sweet-and-sour sauce.
• Blanch and serve okra with chopped tomatoes, green onions, greens, and a vinegar-oil dressing.
• Dip okra in tempura batter and fry in deep fat.
• Boil okra pods in salted water until mild; drain and add butter, seasoning, and a touch of vinegar, and simmer until butter is absorbed.
• Okra is rich in vitamins A and C, along with antioxidants.

Storing and Protecting Okra

• Okra is very best used fresh or pickled.
• Pods will keep throughout the refrigerator for 7 days at 36 to 55°F. Keep refrigerated pods in plastic baggage.
• You are able to moreover freeze, can, or dry okra pods.
• Okra freezes properly. Trim off the stems, then again do not decrease into the pods. Steam-blanch for 2 or 3 minutes, and loosen up. Cross away complete or slice them. Package deal deal and freeze.
• Dry pods by means of stringing them on a thread and grasp them to dry. Hand the strings in an airy then again shady place until fired. Okra can also be dried on a dray in whole sun; it takes a day or two to dry okra. Lift pods indoors at evening time.

Okra Varieties to Broaden

• In reality helpful okra varieties: ‘Blondie’ and ‘Clemson Spineless’ which might be top-performing favorites. ‘Cajun Delight’ is a short-season variety very good for cooler climates. ‘Burgundy’ and ‘Red Velvet’ have red pods and stems. ‘Baby Bubba’ is a dwarf variety for small spaces.
• Green pod okra: ‘Annie Oakley’ (57 days); ‘Clemson Spineless’ (55 days); ‘Gold Coast’ (75 days); ‘Jade’ (55 days); ‘Perkins Long Pod’ (60 days).
• Space savers: ‘Dwarf Green Long Pod’ (50 days); ‘Emerald’ (56 days); ‘Perkins Dwarf Spineless’ (53 days).
• Other colors: ‘Blondie’ (50 days); ‘Burgundy’ (60 days); ‘Red Okra’ (60 days); ‘Star of David’ (61 days).

About Okra

• Not unusual establish. Okra, lady’s hands
• Botanical establish. Abelmoschus esculentus or Hibiscus esculentus
• Family: Malvaceae (hibiscus family; okra is an fit to be eaten relative of hibiscus and cotton)
• Type of plant: Warmth-season annual
• Basis. Africa