Well walk you through the process and give you all of our tips and tricks, and then finish up with some preparation and recipe recommendations. A major pest that can harm the growth of okra plants is root-knot nematodes. Food Gardening Network and Food Gardening Magazine are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC. With additional writing and editing by Mike Quinn and Allison Sidhu. This harvest practice goes against what we sometimes think about when it comes to growing vegetables as bigger is encouraged. While okra may get off to a slow start, it grows quickly once temperatures warm, and once it flowers, it begins producing pods quickly. By harvesting at the right size, it will ensure you're able to enjoy your okra this season- and it finds a place in future summer gardens to come. Many gardeners are discovering okra and the range of this warm-weather crop has been creeping northward and gaining in popularity. Terms of Use, Switchboard: +44 (0)1223 420252 When you think about summer crops of solanaceous like tomatoes or cucurbits like zucchini, the okra plant can really stand out in the summer garden with its sturdy, single stalk reaching 3-5 ft tall and broad leaves of 8-12 inches in diameter. In northern climates, plant okra indoors four to six weeks prior to the last frost date. Were here to help! Spread the diced or sliced okra on a cookie sheet. 4. Keep soil mix temp. To at least try to keep ahead of things, you can start watching for flower buds about 45 days after you plant your okra. Our horticultural and agricultural products are largely heirloom varieties that can be reliably offered to our customers year after year. Once you see the first okra pods emerge and mature, you can start regularly harvesting them. The place of origin is Ethiopia, it is mainly grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions. 13 Common Diseases. Click this article to find out all about growing red okra plants. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy. So, before you add it to your compost, you will need to chop it up into small pieces or toss it down on the ground in your garden and run your lawn mower over it as you bag it before you add it to your compost. This tool is a vinyl-coated ring that slides onto your finger that makes it easier to harvest vegetables and cut twine when using the trellising technique. this is actually enhanced by contact with water in those classic stewed dishes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); .slick-slider#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83656.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83656.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. Yet for okra you want small pods. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) The tender young leaves are also edible, for a fresh addition to salads, or as a cooked side dish. If you look at the flower of okra, youll see a resemblance to a hibiscus flower. Collecting Okra Seeds - How To Save Okra Seeds For Planting Later. Welcome to Harvest to Table. The Malvaceous plant family members youve probably grown or are familiar with are hibiscus and hollyhock. In fact, it grows so quickly that its pods are ready to harvest only four to five days after you see the initial flower. Severely hot, dry weather or a harsh change in temperature, or poor drainage can cause bud drop. When harvest time is over, okra pods can be left on the plant to dry to save seed for next year. We recommend using a cover crop like Broadleaf Mustardthat will release chemicals to help suppress nematode, fungi, and insect populations and increase organic matter which will improve soil tilth and quality of the soil structure in the vegetable garden area. Okra plants are tall, sospace out the rows 3 to 4 feetapart. Nan Schiller is a writer with deep roots in the soil of southeastern Pennsylvania. Learn more about. This setting should only be used on your home or work computer. Anecdotally, my okra plants did not overlap too much when I had a heavy infestation of Japanese Beetles and currently have 2-3 beetles on the leaves that I am removing by hand every day. Okra does not store well, but if you must keep okra more than a day or two, store pods in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator. The way to harvest okra is to wear gloves and long sleeves when picking pods to prevent the possibility of getting a rash from the small spines, and use garden shears or a sharp knife to gently cut the pods from the plant without bruising them. Email: hello@okra.ai, OKRA Technologies. Get the best gardening tips straight into your inbox! This is when okra is at its softest and mostdigestible. Just remember to add another thickener to your gumbo if youve prepped your harvest with another cooking method first, to reduce its gooeyness. The plant is very much a summer staple, thriving in warm soil temperature and the summer heat we encounter. . Due to these plants loving the warmer weather temperatures they need to be planted in an area with plenty of sunlight. Get a comfortable pair of gloves that fit well, so you still have full dexterity in your garden. Premium vegetable peeler with dual blades, Bladed Food Peeler Recommended Uses For Product. Soaking aids moisture absorption and germination. Okra plants produce pods from mid-summer until temperatures drop in autumn, often up to the first frost. The best time to harvest okra pods is when they reach around 3 to 5 inches in length. Deploy with Okra. Plant okra in the spring or early summer after the danger of frost has passed. Okra will grow in containers, no more than 2 plants per half barrel container. This pruning technique causes the buds to grow on the main stem and produce a secondary, late crop. support@foodgardening.mequoda.com. Or wash and blanch okra beforefreezing. To avoid having to climb a ladder to harvest your okra, you can trim it back. All Rights Reserved |, Vegetable, Flower, Fruit and Ornamental Fungicide, FREE SHIPPING OVER $99 US 48 | INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AVAILABLE, Row by Row Episode 239: Secrets of Winter Squash, Row by Row Episode 238: How To Fix Leggy Seedlings, Row by Row Episode 237: How to Use Heat Mats, Row by Row Episode 236: New Garden Supplies That You Need, Row by Row Episode 235: Gardening In February, Row by Row Episode 234: New Irrigation Kits for 2023, Row by Row Episode 233: Tips and Tricks For Growing Potatoes, Row by Row Episode 232: Gardening In January, Row by Row Episode 231: NEW Seeds for 2023, Row by Row Episode 229: Cold-Tolerant Plants. Keep this knowledge in mind for your chosen variety (note it in your gardening journal!) Pods refrigerated for more than a day or two often suffer chilling injury and turn black. The pods should be harvested when they are 2-3 inches in length. Okra, however, is a very woody, fibrous plant. its no coincidenceokra is a member of the hibiscusfamily! Your okra will mature from 50 to 65 days after you plant it, depending on the growing conditions and the variety you planted. This will result in more side branches. Its like having your own personal claw, and it will slice the pods neatly from the plant. Okra grows very fast; therefore, it must be harvested every 2 days. Wear. A standard sprinkler system is not the best solutionwhile easy to set up, the wide-ranging water coverage of a sprinkler can lead to wet plant leaves that promote diseases and can encourage weeds. 3. Or fry it. His Vegetable Garden Growers Masterclass is available online. Bigger than this and you will find that the pods are woody and not as tender as they could be. TOOLS & SERVICES. For any other requests including press and speaking opportunities, please email hello@okra.ai, OKRA Technologies, St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, United Kingdom, Switchboard: +44 (0)1223 420252 } Since okra can reach 6 feet tall, plant it in an area of the garden . As for those well past their prime, the seeds inside may still be tender enough to cook and enjoy, and happen to make a nutritious substitute for coffee when roasted and brewed. Use a hand pruner or twine knife to slice ripened pods from the plant, and you'll be in and out of the okra patch in record time. Okra or Ladies Finger is an annual plant belongs to the family Malvaceae. A drip-watering irrigation system that operates on a timer is one of the best irrigation solutions for watering plants. Okra bears pretty flowers before making fruit. Garden Gloves: When harvesting okra, you should always wear garden gloves to protect your hands from the prickly okra pods. If it broke, it was justright. Okra should be harvested cut-and-come-againthat means pick pods every other day so that you get pods when they are tender and taste best. COMPANY. If you leave them too long, the pods get hard and woody. You may see that as you harvest your pods. 2023Yankee Publishing, Inc., An Employee-Owned Company Put the pods in canning jars and set them aside. If you are planting okra transplants, be sure to space them 1 to 2 feet apart to give them ample room togrow. Harvest the pods when they're about 2-3 inches long. Try to catch the pods or hold onto them as you cut the stems at higher levels, though, to keep the pods from becoming bruised by a fall. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. The L'il Hod (8 Quart) measures 16"Lx9"Wx9"H and has a capacity of approximately 8 quarts. Okra flowers bloom for just one day and pods are ready for picking two or three days later. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { ), Random containers, kitchen pans, or baking sheets (you might need holes drilled into the bottom for drainage)if you have aging or rusting kitchen pans that youre looking to replace, they make for great starter pots for getting your garden launched inside, Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Okra.

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