Caution: Slow Moving Okra
Two recent questions, both related to growing okra, addressed gardeners’ concerns over okra plants that seem to be maturing a bit too slowly.
Is it just a coincidence or is there something sinister going on out in the garden plots? Here are the specifics of a couple of okra inquiries from the gardens of Lynn and Cynthia:
Potted Okra Seedlings in New York
“I live in Western NY and I am trying to grow okra. I read some of your gardening tips for growing okra; however, I’m having some trouble with mine. I started the okra from seed and then transplanted the two largest plants to a large pot (the diameter is 1 ft. 2 in. and the depth is about 2 ft).”
“The okra plants are very much alive and seem strong, but they are still only about 4 in. tall. They’ve been the same size for a couple of weeks now. I keep the soil moist and they get plenty of sun with warm nights. I read that they mature quickly, within 50-60 days, so I’m afraid my plants won’t produce any pods.”
“I was wondering if you have any suggestions or any ideas as to why they are not growing. Thanks for your time.”
Dwarfed Okra in New Mexico
Cynthia reported a similar story from her garden almost two thousand miles to the southwest:
“I planted okra for the first time from seeds about 5 weeks ago. The plants sprouted quickly but have stayed small. I have 4 to 6 leaves on plants that are only about 3 to 4 inches tall.”
“I live in Santa Fe, NM - 7,000′ elevation, hot, dry and sunny. I’ve tried watering them every day since it’s been so dry lately and they seem to be growing a little faster but no where near 4-5 feet everyone else talks about! Any idea why they are still so small?
Okra Plant Shenanigans
I never really tracked the progress of my young okra plants but after receiving two similar reports I decided to take a closer look at the okra that is growing in my garden to see if there could be some type of conspiracy or organized work stoppage on the part of the okra collective.
Well I have to admit that after checking, my okra plants are no bigger and only slightly taller than those described in that container in New York or the garden in New Mexico. Hmmmm!
Before any more paranoia sets in, let’s take a second to be rational about this. First, it’s still pretty early in the season and the okra plants do have plenty of time left to start producing those plump and tasty pods.
Also, the ultimate size and height of your okra plants is partly dependent on the variety that you planted, with heights ranging from just a few feet at maturity, to giants that can grow over seven feet tall.
Growth Enhancers for Pint-Sized Okra
To be on the safe side there are a few steps that can be taken to ensure that there will be tall, healthy okra plants and plenty of fresh okra pods to pick in just a few short weeks from now.
Let’s start by thinning the okra seedlings so that they stand at least eight inches apart. This will give them room to stretch out and soak up more of those energizing sun rays. Continue watering as needed, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give the okra plants a shot of liquid kelp, fish emulsion, or other fast acting organic fertilizer.
I think that okra plants do typically start out slowly, but once they pick up steam and get a little taller they will begin to branch out, flower, and produce pods pretty quickly. Before you know it we’ll all be talking about a different problem… coming up with new recipes to use all of those delicious okra pods that are harvested from the garden!
Still, I’ll be keeping a very close watch over my okra this season just to make sure that the plants aren’t up to no good. Any progress reports and okra updates from your own gardens will be appreciated.
Other Related Vegetable Gardening Posts:
- Okra Status Report
- Garden Log 7-10-07
- Monstrous Okra Sighted in Mississippi Garden
- Growing Okra
- Okra Varieties and Uses
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June 27th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
My okra are also quite smaller than I remember them being in my childhood. I’ve already collected two pods from the first of two plants I started, even though the plant was barely 15 inches tall at the time. It does seem to be growing more rapidly now, though I have had less time to spend in the garden in the last week so I haven’t been noting its growth as frequently as I had been two weeks ago…
June 28th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
After reading this, I took a close look at my okra (usually this is a plant I ignore until I chance notice the first few pods) and they are about the same size as described by the other readers. I believe that this is the time of year that some plants spend much of their energy growing deeper root systems to withstand the mid-July to September heat. That being said, I am going to add a little more mulch around the plants to stabilize the soil temp - which might be just the thing to kick them into vertical growth mode…
June 28th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
The problem that I encounter with okra other than trying to find recipes for all of the pods is keeping up with the harvest. They come on so fast that you end up with many many mature pods in a blink of an eye!
Kenny, you don’t seem like the meme type (but then again neither am I and I participated) but I have “tagged” you in the “7 random things about me” meme. You are supposed to write 7 random things about yourself, report back to the blogger who “tagged” you and then select 7 more bloggers. When it came time to pick my seven I selected bloggers who I thought were excellent gardeners and writers and whom I’d like to know more about. You definitely fit those requirements to me. Come to my 7 random things post for more information.
I would love it if you would consider playing along. Thanks!
June 30th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
My okra is little too. And it’s my second try this year. Of course, the first set I tried to start indoors which in retrospect seems silly.
July 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 am
I am a veteran okra grower, but this year I appear to have a problem getting the plants to bloom. My plants are a little over 2 feet tall and I have yet to have a blossum show. I keep them watered well, I don’t fertilize much and there is plenty of heat from the summer day. My plants are gorgeous, but no blooms. Any ideas on what may be the problem?
July 23rd, 2007 at 9:10 am
Hi Darren, just give the okra plants more time to blossom. If they are growing and look healthy as you indicate there is nothing that will prevent them from producing blooms and eventually okra pods. Did you plant a different variety this season? Maybe you’re growing a later maturing variety of okra.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Thanks for answering Kenny. I have been growing okra for about 20 years now, and this is the first time that I have had an issue like this. I planted around on Mother’s day, so I feel that they have had plenty of time to blossom. My neighbor across the street planted after I did and they are harvesting more than they can use. I have experimented with several different varieties, but have been planting the Clemson Spineless for the past several years and have had wonderful results. Every time I have planted in the past, they have started to bloom around the 8 to 10 inches height. I mentioned earlier that they were about 2 feet tall, but I just went out and measured them and they are just below 3 feet on the average. Normally by now, I am tired of picking and putting up okra, but I have yet to see a blossom on any of the plants. I have 10 rows of okra, each row is 20 feet long, and not a single plant has bloomed. Makes me believe that I have done something wrong, or there is something missing.
July 24th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Darren, that is odd that your okra plants haven’t produced a single blossom, but the plants appear to be healthy and growing so I can’t think of anything that you are oing that would cause that problem. Poor flowering and fruit production can be usually be attributed to inadequate levels of potassium and phosphorus in the soil, but even that would not prevent the development of a single blossom. My only other guess, and this would be a serious longshot, would be that there is an issue with the seed that you planted. You can do a simple N-P-K soil test and if the potassium and phosphorus levels are low, apply a foliar “bloom” fertilizer mixture that is high in these nutrients.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Thank you, Kenny. I will do as you say and see what becomes of my okra.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
I planted okra seeds in the green house, but when I planted them outside in the summer, they either died off or were eaten by slugs. I did manage to get a couple of okra pods off a couple of plants but they did not have much leaves on them. why was this?
October 17th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Hi Malia, the older okra leaves usually die and fall off as the plant matures and continues to grow taller, so the leaves often look pretty sparse towards the lower sections of the stems. As long as the plants are producing a good crop of okra pods I wouldn’t worry too much about the leaves.