Okra likes?

I've been tempted into trying okra this year and have been growing from seed, but, although they germinated very quickly and well, they are very slow to grow on from that stage. Do they need lots of water - or any other suggestions for what I am doing wrong?? What are their favourite conditions?

They like it hot hot hot.

As zeppy said, Okra is a warm weather plant. However they do take an inordinant amount of time from emergence to growth. Once they get their roots settled in and the weather is warm they take off like a weed. But even here that can be a month for most cultivars. They do like water, just a little less than a cucumber perhaps, but more than the average vegetable. Which cultivar are you trying?

Thanks very much both of you :)

I tried Emerald and have 2 little plants of that. I seem to l;ose them once germinated by letting them dry out in the heat. Next year I'll definitely set up a watering scheme for them.
Now I have germinated F1 Greenbest and Feuerteufel, which has dark red pods and the leaves are already dark.

Thanks for your help. I'll carry on now I know more what they like. I think we have plenty of heat for them come June/July/August........

I cannot grow okra where I live in the high mountains. I am not sure what the weather is like Termes d'Armagnac, but I remember from my childhood in New Orleans that when the heat was so severe that the tomatoes quit and the eggplants and bell peppers were growing very well, that is when okra did best. And of course, there was always a lot of water in New Orleans.

Thanks pajaritomt, it does get pretty hot here - we've already had days up to 34C. However the nights are still much cooler. I'll keep an eye on the watering and my fingers crossed. It'll be interesting to see if they ever start doing anything.
Will post to let you all know :)

It's getting hot here! Should I direct seed my okra, or should I start it in cell packs? I'm tempted to start in the cell packs, because I have more luck with that than with direct seeding for most things.... any reason not to do so?

Seems to me that okra is one of the easiest things to grow here in Okla.
The hotter it gets, the more it makes. I just direct seed mine after it starts getting really hot outside. It seems to tolerate the hot dry months of July and Aug. better than anything in the garden. It makes so much okra from a short row, it's hard to keep up with the picking. It will make okra right up until the frosts. Seems to not be very picky about soil either. Grows like a weed here.

My okra has finally sprouted after 5 days. We got a late start on the garden so I soaked the okra seed overnight in warm water before I planted last weekend. The weather has finally warmed up into the 80s (over 26 C), so that probably inspired them.

Philomel - do you have floating row cover material available to you like Reemay or Agribon? This is a very lightweight spun fabric that lets light and air in and protects the plants. We are using this at night to protect our raised beds while the seeds are germinating. Sunnyvale usually has a breeze every afternoon/evening. It dries out the soil surface very quickly, even with a compost mulch. The row cover also helps retain moisture and some of the warmth from the day. Our evenings here in the San Francisco Bay area usually get quite a bit cooler. I find that using a row cover in the early part of the planting helps give the garden a boost. It also protects the young ssprouts and transplants from bugs & birds until they have grown up a bit.

Well critter (sorry to be a while getting back) I've sown mine in seed trays in a cold frame. Not that there's anything truly cold about the frame LOL. They have all germinated really well, but I think I didn't keep them quite wet enough to begin with
However, next year I think I'll follow your method Peggie and direct sow. I shall then follow yours mermaid and use cloches and/or fleece.

I have one plant under a cloche that has now really started to grow after ages standing still. The other one under there has been eaten, but is now fighting back and starting to look perkier. The rest (2 varieties) I shall plant out today and see how they go. I will try and get some fleece over them as you suggest Mermaid, though at the moment it's providing shade for the cold frames.....

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and encouragement. I'm SO looking forward to picking my own!!

This message was edited Jun 18, 2006 7:32 AM

I sowed some in the garden a week or so ago (silly, didn't write down that date), and no sign of them yet.... I may start some in a flat on the deck as a backup. The cukes I transplanted at the same time have mostly perished due to unknown causes :-( so I'll be sowing any remaining seeds of those as well. I'm so bummed, I started a dozen different kinds, and planted all I had of many of them, just little sample packs that I'd received in trades.... but I think I can still manage to get some cukes this summer, hopefully with okra growing between the hills!

I found they were very easy to germinate in trays/pots, but then need to be kept quite moist while they get used to the world :)
Good luck .......with these and the cukes

Thanks!

When they bloom, just before the okra comes on, the big flowers are so pretty. They look like the big yellow Hibiscus blooms. I think I read somewhere that they are of the same family.

I have to wear gloves when picking. It makes my hands and wrists itch like crazy.

Thanks for the tip about gloves PeggieK!!
Wow I just can't wait to see those flowers. Yes I think they are mallow/hibiscus family. The leaves look very like mallow leaves now they are beginning to grow at last.

If I may join Peggy,
My stepdad had a major garden in Prue, OK, with a couple of rows of okra.

They are best picked when small, and can get woody as they get bigger - and they can grow VERY quickly.

One morning I noticed a 4-5" okra on on top of one plant in full sun. He said we should pick it. I told him I would get it before supper - it was almost a foot long late that afternoon and was definitely woody.

My goodness, that IS a fast grower!!
One variety I have is Emerald, which is said to stay tender even when large (will find out ;)
The other two varieties I don't know. They don' t make any claims, so are bound to get woody at a guess
Thanks for the anecdote Bubba - a very good tip

Emerald is my favorite, but all okra that I have encountered gets woody as Seeds form, Pick at least every other day, most three day old okra will be woody. Once okra gets going it is like a runaway train.

Apt description, Farmerdill.

Thanks Farmerdill, I'll have to get the family onto it then - assuming I get any.to flower and fruit.
We've just had the most amazing thunder rain after a long hot drought, so hopefully they're out there smiling :o))

Okra originated in Africa, so its affinity for heat is inherent. I soak my seeds in hydrogen
peroxide overnight to soften the hard shell and speed germination after they are direct sown the next day. My favorite variety is Artist, a tall plant that is completely red (cooks green). I like okra pickles, too.

Thanks for the info Yuska. I was wondering where the plant came frome originally, so that explains why it needs so much heat!
When direct sowing do you sow the seeds individually? ...........what sort of spacing do you use? do you thin them out?
I haven't seen Artist for sale, but am growing Feuerteufel which is red podded as well as F1 Greenbest and 2 plants of Emerald.

we sew in 3 ft wide rows about 3-4 inches apart, it arises fast and then disappears!! the woodchuck got em, try again? deer gets em!!! can't have a summer without okra, just wouldn't be right. finally get a few safe real close to the house.

Top marks for persistence reuben
Hope they grow on well and thanks for adding your experiences :)

That's right about it growing so fast. One day you'll see a 1 inch okra, and the next day it will be 4 or 5 inches. Better get em as soon as they get to be one inch or so, they get tough and stringy after about 4 too 5 inches in length.
They make great pickled okra.................and it's SO easy to make.

Recipe????????
...................please?

Among my extended family and friends, this has become a "must-have" specialty each summer:

Okra Fritters

1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped parsley, fresh
2 cups sliced okra

Combine all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Here is a discussion on the history of this plant. The article mentions okra's mucilage or "slickness". Not all varieties have this characteristic - some are so dry that the cornmeal for frying doesn't adhere well without first coating the slices with moisture. I use tomato juice.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artokra.html

Peggie, I too would like your instructions for pickling.

Yuska

Thanks very much for the recipe and the interesting link Yuska. I'm getting more and more impatient to see the first flowers and pods

Hello philomel!
How are your okra faring now that the weather has warmed up a bit?

Hi Mermaid
They are growing - now the largest is a foot tall and has had its first flowers, so little pods forming. I'm trying them watered, but it's very hot and dry here (and the well is reluctant). Can't wait to try the first one!

I've got some okra seedlings started in a cell pack, planning to plant them out this week... we'll see if they have enough hot weather left before frost to do their thing. But the amazing thing is... remember those seeds I sowed in early June, the ones I'd given up on? I was outside this afternoon, and I noticed an oddly tidy row of sprouts... decided they were not weeds, they were 2 inch tall okra seedlings! Go figure.

That's a bit mad critter. The ones I've sown (all in trays, not the ground) have germinated very quickly - a couple of days or so. They must have been waiting til the time was right LOL
Good luck with both your sowings :)