This pruning technique causes the buds to grow on the main stem and produce a secondary, late crop. Though growing okra from seed is a popular, reliable method, it is also possible to propagate okra through stem cuttings. You may see that as you harvest your pods. Pods should be cut using pruners from the main stalk, living a bit of a tip to the pod. Growing up in East Tennessee, okra was one of the most common vegetables I both ate and grew. Try steaming it in a basket until it's bright green. Sign up for our newsletter. Keep this knowledge in mind for your chosen variety (note it in your gardening journal!) Okra can be harvested for upwards of twelve weeks if properly watered, fertilized, and picked in a timely manner. Plant leaves and fruit dont need water, the roots in the soil do. 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. Place the okra pods in the bag, fold over the top, then store in a dark, 45 degree Fahrenheit location until spring planting. 99 Derby Street, Suite 200 With okra, the more pods you harvest, the more pods your plants will produce. The Handy Twine Knife fits on the top of your finger and allows you to harvest with the flick of. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) Okrathrives in warm weather and is traditionally grown in the southern U.S., though there are varieties for northern growers, too. Harvesting Okra Okra needs to be harvested when the pods are still soft. To maintain a specific variety of okra, however, you will need to save seeds from five to 10 plants, and to preserve a rare variety, you will need the seeds from 10 to 25 plants. This is also a good way to save seeds from open-pollinated varieties that will produce replicas of parent plants when sown next growing season. Water the plants regularly, and when the pods reach 3-4 inches in length, harvest them. These cream-colored, hibiscus shaped flowers will be found against the plant stalk, below the large leaves. Our horticultural and agricultural products are largely heirloom varieties that can be reliably offered to our customers year after year. Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. "Working with OKRA to co-develop tools for our field teams has been really satisfying, it has been like working with a trusted partner, open and honest discussion and ability to challenge each other leading to a product that met, and surpassed expectation. The L'il Hod (8 Quart) measures 16"Lx9"Wx9"H and has a capacity of approximately 8 quarts. One of my main memories of my grandmother is suiting up to harvest from the long rows of okra that we would grow. Harvest the pods every day or two if you can or as often as you can as they can quickly turn tough and woody as they grow bigger. Okra needs warm weather, and typically 50 to 60 days before it produces a harvest. This is when okra is at its softest and mostdigestible. These are what you are after to harvest and cook. If you would rather direct seed okra plants the best time is either late spring or summer using our walk-behindgarden seeder. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazons store. Ways to Store Okra after Harvesting When you are harvesting okra at the base of the plant, you may have your hands full as you try to cut stems while holding back the leaves. Since okra is self-pollinating, you can save some of the pods for seeds for the following year. It's important to plant okra at the right time. Pods areready for harvest about 60 days after sowing. When you are harvesting okra at the base of the plant, you may have your hands full as you try to cut stems while holding back the leaves. Each time you pick, you encourage more growth, so harvest regularly. See our TOS for more details. Thin to one plant per pot/cell. Learn More "Working with OKRA to co-develop tools for our field teams has been really satisfying, it has been like working with a trusted partner, open and honest discussion and ability to challenge each other leading to a . He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. Avoid cheap versions that can have flimsy handles that are prone to break. Every gardenerno matter what plants youre tendingneeds a spade, or even several of different sizes. A severe freeze can damage pods. One of the main tips that okra enthusiasts will share with new okra growers is when to harvest okra. Whats Killing My Broccoli? Larger okra pods tend to be tough and fibrous. Or fry it. 1 to 2 days after that time you may begin to harvest the pods because they are softer and easier to digest when eaten. 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. When summer temperatures are at the hottest, okra hits its hottest growth streak, and that is also when it flowers and begins producing pods. 2023 Gardening Know How, Future US LLC, Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. Once you have harvested the okra pods, they should be used within a few days for the best flavor and texture. 2023Yankee Publishing, Inc., An Employee-Owned Company Plant seedlings 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-36 inches apart. Your email address will not be published. Okra plants are tall, sospace out the rows 3 to 4 feetapart. Our tools and equipment are designs that have proven invaluable to gardeners for many, many generations. In 2021, the market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption . Dry it out and use it in floral arrangements or save the seeds for nextyear. Where summers are short, especially in more northern areas, start okra seeds indoors in peat pots under full light 3 to 4 weeks before the last springfrost. In more temperate climates, to grow okra, the seed must be started indoors, 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. This is one of the reasons many do not like to eat okra. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) With additional writing and editing by Mike Quinn and Allison Sidhu. Okra can be consumed in a number of waysbreaded and deep-fried, pickled, stewed, in Indian cuisine, and even raw in the field! If the pods are left on the plant too long, they can begin to split and become over-mature. Okra tastes best the day you pick it. Okra is mainly grown for its green tender nutritive fruits. However, harvesting Okra can be tricky because you have to harvest the pods before they harden. Leaving them on the plant will slow the production of new pods as the plant turns its energy toward growing and maturing the seeds in the older, longer pods. Put a paper bag over it so if the pods shatter, seeds will not belast. Harvest the okra when seed pods are 1 to 2 days old and 2 to 4 inches long; these appear about 2 months after planting. Harvest your okra using a sharp knife or pruning shears and be sure to make a clean cut. How Do You Know When Your Okra is Ready to Harvest? While in the same plant family, hollyhock and hibiscus are in two different genera than okra. 23 mg of vitamin C. 0.2 mg of thiamin. Click this article to find out all about growing red okra plants. If youre not a fan of a heavy cornmeal coating, feel free to substitute half of it with flour. 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). 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. OKRA helped us to uncover actionable insights. Watering cans allow you to better control exactly where the water is directed in your garden. If you buy from one of our links,we may earn a commission. Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Prune those asneeded. The pods that you will want to keep are the ones that are 2 to 4 inches long. FREE SHIPPING OVER $99 US 48 | INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING VIA CALL-IN & ONLINE ORDERS ONLY. COPYRIGHT 2023 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Round-podded okra varieties remain tender at larger pod sizes and are good to use for slicing and freezing. Summer insect pests do like okra. 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. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee 69 Products Sort By: Victorinox Serrated Knife This type of system better controls how much water you use, minimizes water lost to evaporation, and more exactly directs water to where you want to soak your soil. this makes a good side dish just like that or proceed to make stew or gumbo. If you let them grow to their full, mature length, you'll have a harvest of decorative pods or pods full of seeds for next season. Over-ripe pods are tough and woody. Large mature pods become tough and stringy. } callback: cb and pick the rest when theyre 2 to 2 1/2 inches long instead. listeners: [], (function() { Fill the bags or containers to within 1/2 of the top, and prevent freezer burn by removing as much of the air as possible. Unlike traditional varieties, the Silver Queen variety has less ribbing which means the pods remain tender at 6 inches long. The tender young leaves are also edible, for a fresh addition to salads, or as a cooked side dish. Refrigerate okra pods after harvest. The plant will then branch out from the cut giving several limbs with blooms and pods, increasing production; also, the plant does not grow so very tall. Terms of Use, Switchboard: +44 (0)1223 420252 This can be done a few days after the blooms fade. Some areas of the country experience drought conditions in the spring and summer, and some municipalities may impose watering bans; that means hand watering only. 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. And they often grow quickly, within a few days after flowering. It takes up to 60 days for okra to be at full maturity. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Discover how to grow, harvest, and eat good food from your own gardenwith our FREE e-newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox. When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. Okra plants will continue to produce fruit if the pods are harvested frequently. If they are too difficult to cut, they are too old and should be removed as they will rob the plant of the nutrients it needs to produce new pods. Email: hello@okra.ai. Some folks use an egg batter before dredging, and others use milk or buttermilk. Okra can easily grow from 4 to 6 feet tall or taller in warm, long-summer regions. Instead of harvesting okra, if you want to save some pods for seed leave them on the plant and harvest okra when they become fully mature and almost dry. It may be tempting to leave fruits on the plant to see how large theyll get, but dont unless you plan to use them in a floral arrangement, or dry them for seeds. Use row cover for added warmth to plants and soil. So, make sure that the place you choose has enough space. It is a fruit tree that grows to a height of 80 to 150 cm. Many gardeners are discovering okra and the range of this warm-weather crop has been creeping northward and gaining in popularity. Do you want to learn more? Sow okra seeds outdoors about two weeks after the danger of frost is past. You could also apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. With heavy producers like 'Burgundy,'. When transplanting using ourseed starting traysthis will ensure you develop a solid root ball because of the internal root training ribs that help the plants grow properly and reduce transplant shock when placed in the garden area. Use a scissors or a hand pruner to cut the okra pods just above their caps, where their thick stems meet the branches of the plant. It is another heirloom variety that got its name based on its origin in Isreal. When you live where the summers are short, some varieties won't have enough time to form seeds to harvest. The Ultimate Tool for Harvesting Okra Hoss Tools 224K subscribers Subscribe 16K views 5 years ago The Handy Twine Knife is the ultimate tool for harvesting okra in your vegetable garden. We recommend transplanting okra in the early spring to get a jumpstart on production and early germination of plants during the growing season. 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. Okra was brought to the United States in the 1660s by slaves.