Comments on: Caution: Slow Moving Okra

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:14:15 +0000

Starting okra in March after the last frost works well here in Oklahoma. We usually get beautiful tall plants that grow 7 to 8 feet tall by the end of the season. Because I put them in early they are slow to start and when about 12 to 15 inches tall they produce the flowers and pods very well. Our soil here has some clay but I always add some miracle grow potting soil to the area where I plant the okra mostly to help retain a bit of moisture and to add nutrients. Here it is October and I still have okra producing even though its been a bit on the cool side.

By: May Weed

May Weed — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:40:43 +0000

I grow okra in Bristol, New York and find that it seems to like my clay soil. The plants never reach the heights they did when I lived in South Louisiana but they taste great and I have plenty.

By: Allyson

Allyson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:40:15 +0000

My okra never did make it, back when I last tried it … BUT, I want to try again! Maybe I am just asking for trouble.

How long does it take okra to produce from seed to harvest? Having moved to S. Louisiana, I am hoping our long hot summers will allow me to try for small crop.

Any thoughts?

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:25:19 +0000

Susan, I’m not aware of any specific okra diseases that you should be concerned about. I think that it’s normal for the okra plants to lose their lower leaves as the plant grows and is nothing to worry about. You can transplant okra but you may not be successful if getting the plants to yield during the mild season after your first frost. It might be better to put the effort into covering and protecting your mature okra plants when the early fall frost strikes your garden.

By: susan

susan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:57:43 +0000

Are there any okra diseases i should be concerned about in Wisconsin? I’m noticing leaf-curl and die-off on a couple of my plants, just as they’re starting to really throw pods (and outgrow the rodents . Late blight is devastating the nightshades around here, but i don’t know if there’s a connection. Also, can i transplant to extend the harvest? Z5, i can expect a frost in about a month, followed by weeks of maddeningly warm weather.

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:18:48 +0000

Hi RV, if you have a dozen okra seedlings in one 12″ container then you will need to thin them out a bit. That container could support one or two okra seedlings to maturity but twelve would be much too overcrowded. If the pot is deep enough you should be able to raise your okra seedling to maturity and harvest a crop of okra pods.

By: RV

RV — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:11:18 +0000

I planted okra seeds in a 12″ pot, each seed about 2″ apart and I have about a dozen or so seedlings coming up. I live in an apartment (in Texas) and I don’t have a garden to plant them. Can I leave them in the same pot to grow to maturity and expect them to flower?

By: Kenny Point

Kenny Point — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:09:37 +0000

Hi Becky, great job with your okra plants, they can be slow to get growing. I’m sure that your grandma would be very proud of your success and I am too!