Soil needs to be fertile and well-drained neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.0. canning or pickled okra is good and results in crispy pieces [uncut], goes well in a nice green salad also. 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. Side-dress the plants with 10-10-10, aged manure, or rich compost (1/2 pound per 25 feet of row). The name, okra, comes from the West African Ashanti word, nkruma, and its Cajun name, gumbo, comes from the Bantu word, ngombo. Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own gardenwith our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox. COMPANY. Okra plants are tall, sospace out the rows 3 to 4 feetapart. Congrats! Originating in Africa, it is a traditional dish in the southern U.S. and produced for both fresh and processing markets (Peirce, 1987 Wiley, New York). This harvest practice goes against what we sometimes think about when it comes to growing vegetables as bigger is encouraged. You can keep okra in your freezer for up to nine months. Harvesting History was founded in 2016 to provide its customers with the finest quality horticultural and agricultural products available today including seeds, roots, bulbs, tubers, plants, garden tools and equipment, garden clothing, and garden-related books and art. 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. For okra seeds, a sowing depth of 1 cm is sufficient. copyright 2023 Mequoda Systems, LLC The flower buds, flowers, and pods will begin appearing at increasingly higher levels on the plant, and when they do, you can use pruning shears to remove those large lower leaves. At the end of the growing season, when you are done harvesting your okra and any seeds that you want to save, you can pull your okra up by the roots. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. Okra pods can grow up to 12 inches long, but those that are over 5 inches long are likely to be too woody and tough to eat. It is a simple garden task you will perform a few times a week. When seeding okra directly in the ground, wait until after the soil has warmed and the air temperature reaches at least 60 degrees. Okra pods are best when picked young. which are cool season crops. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) event : evt, 80-90F (27-32C) for fast germination. Well best practice is to add a little lemon or lime juice. Harvest okra pods using garden pruners or scissors leaving a short stub attached to the fruit. This is one of the reasons many do not like to eat okra. Slip it on the upper part of your finger, just past the first knuckle. GARDENER'S PATH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. (function() { Okra seeds won't germinate if it's too cold; the seeds will rot in the ground. If you want to experiment with creating your own recipes, flavorings that go well with okra include: You also can create your own vegetable blends by freezing, canning, or pickling okra together with: When canning, only fill the jars to within 1/2 inch from the top to allow room for the contents to expand when the jars are heated, and always remember to wipe the rim of the jars clean after filling them to ensure a tight and complete seal. After soaking for a while, dredge the slices in the cornmeal, covering evenly. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Call Food Gardening Network Customer Service at Amazon.com: Okra Cutter 1-48 of 119 results for "okra cutter" RESULTS Multi Cutter With Peeler For Vegetable And Fruit Extra Sharp Stainless Steel , Mother's Day Gift (Green) (Green) 48 $1199 FREE delivery Wed, Feb 8 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Or fastest delivery Tue, Feb 7 More Buying Choices $11.98 (3 new offers) Check on them daily, and when they reach about three inches in length, they should be at the peak of flavor and tenderness, ready to harvest. Storing. Once you have harvested the okra pods, they should be used within a few days for the best flavor and texture. [6] 5. Custom programming and server maintenance by Reinvented Inc. Common Garden Weed Identification (with Photos), Misshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers/fruit; sticky honeydew (excrement); sooty, black mold, Plants wilt (sometimes on just one side) in daytime; leaves turn yellow (lower ones first); later, entireplant wilts/dies; stunting; stem cross section reveals brown discoloration, Destroy infected plants; avoid excessive nitrogen; in acidic soils, raise pH to 7.0; choose resistant varieties; disinfect tools; rotate crops, Leaves skeletonized (only veins remain); stems/flowers/fruit chewed; grubs feed on roots, Typically, white spots on upper leaf surfaces expand to flour-like coating over entire leaves; foliage may yellow/die; distortion/stunting of leaves/flowers, Destroy infected leaves or plants; choose resistant varieties; plant in full sun, if possible; ensure good air circulation; spray plants with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 quart water; destroy crop residue, Roots knotty or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wilted. Okra, however, is a very woody, fibrous plant. Once you make a cut, another okra pod will emerge from the same spot. Okra will grow in containers, no more than 2 plants per half barrel container. Or, try roasting okra bring out its natural nuttiness. Regardless of type, irritation does not occur when you eatokra. The tender young leaves are also edible, for a fresh addition to salads, or as a cooked side dish. An ergonomic harvesting bucket hangs over both shoulders and sits right in front of you. Thank you for stopping by! Dwarf types, which seldom exceed 5 feet in height, are best for containers. COPYRIGHT 2023 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Over-ripe pods are tough and woody. If you are harvesting seeds for the next growing season, you need only harvest the seeds from one plant while you continue to harvest okra from the others. Make sure soil is loose to accommodate large roots. Invest in a higher quality trowel, and youll have it for years! If you collect rainwater, you can put it to good use when it comes time to tend your plants. 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. Always label frozen, canned, or pickled vegetables with the what vegetable is in the package or jar, the date that you processed it, and the seasonings or recipe that you used to prepare it. Okra tastes best the day you pick it. To avoid having to climb a ladder to harvest your okra, you can trim it back. Delivering in Medical, Commercial, and Market Access, OKRA.ai is transforming Pharmaceutical industry operations. To enhance germination, soak okra seeds in water for several hours or overnight before sowing. 'Take a 6 inch piece of stem from the actively growing tips of the plant, and remove the leaves from the bottom two thirds of the cutting,' explains Hyland. Harvest the pods when tender and immature, about 5-10cm (2-4in) long. One of the main tips that okra enthusiasts will share with new okra growers is when to harvest okra. Wear gloves and handle the pods as little as possible, to prevent softening before use and skin irritation. OKRA.ai wins prestigious Deloitte Fast 50 Women in Leadership Award - OKRA.ai ranked 9th in Deloittes fastest-growing tech companies in the UK 2022. Step 5. Leave the pods on the plant until they have dried and turned brown, then cut them from the plant as you would as if harvesting them to eat. When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. The best tool for harvesting okra in the garden is our Handy Twine Knife. When harvest time is over, okra pods can be left on the plant to dry to save seed for next year. Okra matures quickly, especially if you have a summer of hot weather which the plant prefers. When you are harvesting your okra, you will want to keep pods that are: If you arent sure about whether or not to keep some of the longer pods that you harvest, clean them in your kitchen as if you were going to use them, and then try snapping them in half or cutting them open with a sharp knife. To reduce the viscous quality of okra's slimy mucilage, try soaking it in vinegar or lemon juice for about 30 minutes, or parboil it. 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. If you find that theyre already woody when you pick at three inches, toss this harvest into a dish thats going to be cooked low and slow, which may help to soften them a bit. Picking okra is simple, just test the larger pods by cutting them open with a sharp knife. Growing okra. One of my main memories of my grandmother is suiting up to harvest from the long rows of okra that we would grow. Dried okra pods and stalks can look great as flower arrangements or holiday decorations. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a member of the mallow family and is considered a heat-tolerant vegetable crop that will flower and fruit during high summer temperatures until first frost. Cover it with plastic or paper freezer wrap to prevent freezer burn, and then put it in the freezer for two hours until it is frozen hard before transferring it to freezer bags or containers. 3. (800) 777-2658. Healthy Purple Produce: Should You Eat More Purple Fruits and Vegetables? Dont let mature pods stay on the plant; they will become stringy and bitter, andlike summer squashthe plant will stop producing. Collecting Okra Seeds - How To Save Okra Seeds For Planting Later. The Memorial Day Flower: The Story of The Red American Legion Poppy, The Dahlia Chronicles, Part III: The Grande Dames of the Dahlia Garden-The Dinnerplate Dahlias, The Science & Art of Growing Tomatoes in Containers, The Dibber-A Marriage of Garden Art and Functionality. Rinse the okra and drain. Don't be surprised if your red types turn green, or at least a paler shade of red, during cooking. For best germination results, the pots should be bottom heated until the seeds sprout. Okra does not like to have its roots disturbed, so plants must be started in individual pots. Each flower will produce a single pod once it has been pollinated. Harvest your okra using a sharp knife or pruning shears and be sure to make a clean cut. Plant okra in the spring or early summer after the danger of frost has passed. Prior to dehydration, add a variety of seasonings and sea salt if you wish and eat them as a crispy snack. For more guidance that will include more visual aids for all the visual learners out there and will also be more entertaining, please save the date for our upcoming virtual Good Food for Thought event, all about getting ready for Livin' la Vida Okra on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm.This fun AND practical event will include a presentation on how to plant your okra seeds with students . Okra is in the Malvaceous plant family. Pods may also be deformed due to the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, which can cause your okra pods to be misshapen and twisted. The Star of David produces shorter and thicker pods that are excellent for frying in the kitchen. Welcome to Harvest to Table. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. Before sowing, it is useful to soak the seeds for 24 . Okras BB-pellet size seeds have a hard shell. Easy to grow and use, it also has beautiful flowers that look great throughout the growing season! The crop is sensitive to frost and temperatures below 12C. You may also prepare soaked or freshly picked okra by baking, roasting, or grilling it for a crisp texture, to be eaten that way or added to slow-cooked soups and stews. listeners: [], When I grew up and I tried cooking it, it too turned out SLIMMY!!!! Of course, the most famous okra dish is probablygumbo. please give me the answer to this question???? Yet for okra you want small pods. A good rule of thumb is that you can harvest okra about two months after you planted okra seeds when the pods are about 2-4 inches long. People seem to love or hate okra, with no middle ground. If the pods are still developing, your plant is stillhealthy. Do you have any okra harvesting tips and tricks? Deploy with Okra. This is when okra is at its softest and mostdigestible. Water the plants regularly, and when the pods reach 3-4 inches in length, harvest them. Since okra can reach 6 feet tall, plant it in an area of the garden . If no pods are forming, it could have to do with the growing environment. Along with its height and growth structure, okra plants are known for their flowers. The seeds will remain viable for up to three years if they are stored in a dark, dry, cool place that is protected from pests. Okra varieties can grow to over 6 feet tall. Within the rows, okra plants should be about 12 to 18 inches apart. This will result in more side branches. You might also consider wearing gloves and long sleeves as the okra leaves and pods have very fine hairs that may cause some irritation to your skin. Spineless types have pods that dont present this problem. Spread the diced or sliced okra on a cookie sheet. All Rights Reserved. Have a basket or bag hung over your arm to put the okra in as you cut it. Soaking aids moisture absorption and germination. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Choose a site in full sun with healthy soil and a lot of room. Prune dwarf varieties of okra in the same way to rejuvenate the plants. To grow okra at home, start by purchasing okra seeds from a reputable nursery or garden center. Before planting, mix aged manure and/or compost into thesoil. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Don't use flour, as this will cake up and the okra will end up mushy. Photo credit: fz750/GettyImages Put the pods in canning jars and set them aside. Unless it is near the end of the growing season and you want to harvest the okra seeds, you should remove these longer pods from your plants when you find them. Collecting Okra Seeds - How To Save Okra Seeds For Planting Later, Okra Companion Plants - Learn About Companion Planting With Okra, Okra Plant Varieties: Lean About Different Types Of Okra Plants, Growing Hostas In Colorado And The Southwest US, Growing Fuchsia Flowers Care Of Fuchsias, The Importance Of Phosphorus In Plant Growth, Pepper Growing Problems And Bell Pepper Plant Diseases, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. its no coincidenceokra is a member of the hibiscusfamily! Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) Plant okra in the spring or early summer once the threat of frost has passed. The Jambalaya okra is a hybrid variety that produces green pods that have heavy yields that are great for pickling, frying, or stewing. 109 Lexie Lane, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. My Mother tried to cook some okra years ago and it turned out SLIMMY! Copyright 2022 Hoss Tools. A planting distance of 50 x 50 cm would be ideal. Many gardeners are discovering okra and the range of this warm-weather crop has been creeping northward and gaining in popularity. You can store your okra in your refrigerator or you can freeze it, can it, or pickle it, but process it for long term storage immediately after harvesting because okra spoils quickly. Ways to Store Okra after Harvesting 4. Whats Killing My Broccoli? Use row cover for added warmth to plants and soil. 1. 1121 Main Street | P.O. I have found that my spacing is probably a bit too close this season for some of my okra plants. . If it broke, it was justright. Below is a list of items to consider. Either method encourages germination.