Okra, sometimes called Lady Finger or Bindi, maybe a vegetable garden essential for cuisine like Cajun, Indian, African, and it’s served everywhere the Southeastern a part of us . Tricia shows you ways to grow okra within the video the way to Plant Organic Okra. This gorgeous plant will grow to about five feet tall and can provide beautiful hibiscus-like flowers (it is said to Hibiscus and cotton) and seed pods that are yummy all summer long.
Varieties of Okra
Spineless green okra may be a gardener favorite because it is simpler to reap and it produces abundantly. Red or burgundy okra may be a pretty choice for pickling and raw eating however the pods will turn green if cooked. Okra loves warmth. It can grow in any zone where corn and melons are often grown.
Planting and Growing Okra
You can plant okra seeds directly within the garden as long because the soil temperature has reached 75°F. Okra sprouts better if you pre-soak the seeds for 12 hours before planting. If you would like a start, start your seeds 3 weeks before the last frost date during a greenhouse. Use biodegradable pots or soil blocks so you do not disturb their sensitive roots when transplanting. Okra plants tolerate almost any quite garden soil so as long as they get full sun. Transplant or thin your plants to 1 to 2-foot spacing with 3 feet between rows. Since it gets so big consider how it’ll shade nearby plants when planning where to grow it. Mulch your okra plants when they’re about 4 inches tall to stop weeds and to conserve soil moisture. Okra has fairly shallow roots and it’s best to either weed by hand or uses very shallow cultivation. Plants will start to supply flowers about 2 months after planting. Pick to pods once they are about 3-4 inches long. Use shears to chop pods from plants. If the okra pods get overlarge they’re going to be tough and inedible. to stay your okra plants producing, they ought to be picked every 1-2 days. Some people are sensitive to contact with the okra plants and should develop some itching. To avoid this wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves while harvesting the plants. Refrigerate dry, unwashed okra pods within the vegetable crisper loosely wrapped in breathable plastic bags (like those utilized in supermarkets). Okra is often stored within the refrigerator for 2-3 days for fresh use. Once pods begin to darken, they ought to either be used or discarded. inspect our recipes on our Gardening Resource Center for a few of the ways to use okra. Saving seed is extremely easy for okra. Towards the top of the season (when it starts to chill off), you ought to leave a couple of the pods until they get large. Allow them to dry on the plant, shell the seeds and store during a cool dry location for planting the subsequent season.
Pests and Diseases Common to Okra
Okra pests include aphids, stink bugs, beetles (flea, Japanese and cucumber) and corn earworms and root-knot nematodes. Sticky traps are often placed out by the plants to catch some pests or use a product that’s labeled to regulate the pest. Diseases common to okra include Verticillium wilt, Pythium, Phytophthora. There are some products available to regulate the diseases that you simply may find on your okra plants. Read and follow the label for diseases controlled and application instructions. Grow some okra in your garden this summer and luxuriate in some great southern fried okra or some Cajun gumbo!
