#GROWING OKRA FULL#

Location: Phil Hardberger Park / Government CanyonĪddress: 8400 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78231 (morning)ġ2861 Galm Rd, San Antonio, TX 78254 (afternoon) Here’s the Latest… Ag News & Views! L atest 4-H Newsletter! Bug Blog! MyExtension210 Please, visit the County Extension website at:, click under Horticulture and Gardening. Other plant material such as leaves and stems can be put into the compost pile.įor more information on okra or any other vegetables, please contact David Rodriguez Extension Horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension for Bexar County or call the Master Gardener ‘Hotline’ at (210) 467-6575. The seeds will shell easily from the pods. Okra seed is easily saved for next season by leaving some of the last pods on the plant until they get very large. Okra which is too mature can be dried, cured and used in flower arrangements. Okra can be stored for three-to-five days in the refrigerator. It can be eaten in many ways, including boiled, fried and cooked in soups, gumbos and casseroles. Okra is an expectable source of Vitamin A. Pick the okra every one-to-two days or yields will be decreased, especially the first ones need to be harvested very insistently. If the okra gets too large, it will be tough and stringy. Harvest the pods when they are three-to-four inches long. The okra pods will be ready to pick three-to-four days later. The okra will produce large flowers about two months after planting. ALWAYS follow cautions, warnings and most importantly the directions. Before using any pesticide, read and understand the label. If one feels that a pesticide application is needed, consider the use of Spinosad which is an organic based product or synthetic Malathion which is more toxic. Stink bug, aphids and ants can be damaging and a nuisance in growing okra. Water the plants thoroughly after fertilizing. Scatter the fertilizer evenly between the rows. After the first harvest, apply half-to-one cup of synthetic garden fertilizer (19-5-9) or two-to-three cups of organic fertilizer for every ten feet of row. Hand pulling weeds close to the plants will avoid damaging the roots of the okra.

A two inch layer of a pine or cedar mulch will also aide in cutting back on watering.Ĭultivate around the okra plants to remove any obnoxious weeds or grass. Such a system will provide a more efficient and consistent way to properly irrigate. Consider setting up a drip irrigation system. Sandy soils usually will need water more often than clay soils. However, watering every seven-to-ten days will give higher yields. Okra will do fairly well under dry conditions. As soon as the okra emerges and forms its second true leaves, thin the plants so that they are about 12-18 inches apart. Space the rows at least 30-36 inches apart. Okra seed should be planted about 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart in the row. For a good fall crop, plant at least three months (around the first part of August) before the first fall frost which can be as early as October 31st. Mix it well into the top three-to-four inches of soil.įor direct seed sources for the above suggested Cultivated Varieties, please visit this link at:įor best yields, plant okra in the spring season two-to-three weeks after all danger of frost has passed, which is about late April or May for this area. Spread the fertilizer evenly throughout the planting area. If an organic formulation is preferred, consider a 4-2-3 or a 6-2-2 analysis at a rate of two-to-three pounds per ten square feet of garden area. Work the soil only when it is dry enough so as not to stick to garden tools.īefore planting, use half a pound of fertilizer such as 19-5-9 synthetic analysis for each ten square feet of garden area. Remove any debris such as rocks or trash, and rake the soil to a leveled and smooth planting surface. Always, consider adding organically enriched and properly aged compost at the initial preparation stage for any vegetable crop at a minimum rate of one-to-two inches incorporated in the planting area. Okra will grow best in soil which has been worked a minimum of eight-to-ten inches deep. Spade or turn the soil as deeply as possible.

#GROWING OKRA FULL#

For ample yields, okra must grow in full sunlight with eight hours minimum and in a well drained fertile soil. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a warm season vegetable which grows well in most South/Central Texas soils.

Growing okra