Growing Okra

Grows best in soils with pH above 6.0

Okra will not tolerate cold soils and should not be planted until the soils have warmed up to above 65 degrees. This time will usually be after April 10 in Middle Georgia. Okra planted after July 1 in Middle Georgia will probably not mature a full crop before frost occurs.

Okra is grown for its edible pod and once in production will produce pods over a long period of time. Some refer to okra as "gumbo" and this term is sometimes used to describe soups that contain okra. In soups, this vegetable adds flavor and serves as a thickening agent.

Picking requires gloves.

All okra varieties contain spines that make harvesting difficult. Gloves should be worn during picking. The round podded okra varieties recommended for home gardens include: Emerald and Louisiana Green Velvet okra. The angular okra pods include: Clemson Spineless, Perkins Spineless, Dwarf Green Long Pod and a fairly new variety called Lee. The varieties called spineless do have less spines on the pods but the plant and leaf stems contain spines to the extent that gloves are required during harvest.

Thinning is necessary, for good results.

Okra grows best at a soil pH above 6.0. Okra can be sowed thinly in furrows or hill planted using 3 to 4 seeds per hill that are spaced 12 inches apart. It will require about 1 1¦4 oz. of seed to plant 100 foot of row. Thin final stand to one plant per foot of row.

Since okra has a hard seed coat it does not absorb moisture rapidly. Soaking the seed overnight before seeding can improve germination. Plant seeds in moist soil and after covering the seeds 1 inch deep it is best to firm the soil down over the seed row.

Fertilize and side dress.

Use 6 to 8 pounds of 6-12-12 fertilizer per 100 foot of row and do not place it closer than 3 to 4 inches from the seed. When the first bloom appears side dress with 1 pound of ammonium nitrate for each 100 foot of row. Repeat this nitrogen application every third week during the season.

Once the okra plant produces blooms it will be necessary to harvest pods every other day to prevent pods from becoming over-mature. One way to determine if a pod is still tender is to snap off the pod tip. If it snaps off with a clean break then the pod is tender. If it fails to snap off or snaps off jagged then the pod is tough. Old pods should not be left on the plant since this reduces future production.

Pruning will not reduce production…

The practice of pruning off older limbs below where pods have been harvested will not reduce production of later pods. This pruning does make it easier to move through the garden.

If okra remains productive over 10 to 12 week period, you should harvest in the neighborhood of 100 pounds of okra per 100 foot or row.

For more information on growing okra; contact your local county Extension office.