Leaving the pods on the plant to mature like this slows down the development of new pods. This pruning technique causes the buds to grow on the main stem and produce a secondary, late crop. How to grow okra - from seed and in pots | Homes & Gardens Nan Schiller is a writer with deep roots in the soil of southeastern Pennsylvania. Okra is a beautiful ornamental plant which produces flowers which resemble hollyhock or hibiscus blossoms as well as a delicious and nutritious vegetable. Grow Okra - Seed Savers Exchange Pickled okra makes a tasty addition to a charcuterie plate! For any other requests including press and speaking opportunities, please email hello@okra.ai, OKRA Technologies, St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, United Kingdom, Switchboard: +44 (0)1223 420252 Prior to dehydration, add a variety of seasonings and sea salt if you wish and eat them as a crispy snack. While more expensive than a simple watering can, an investment in an irrigation system can pay offspecially to ensure proper watering when youre at work or on vacation! Air fryer: Air frying isnt limited to okra, but its a lower-calorie alternative to regular frying. One of the main tips that okra enthusiasts will share with new okra growers is when to harvest okra. Okra is mainly grown for its green tender nutritive fruits. Sow seeds 1 inch deep. Use pods immediately or they will begin to lose quality and flavor. Some folks use an egg batter before dredging, and others use milk or buttermilk. Another heirloom variety is Cowhorn which is an earlier producer that has long tender pods that reach up to 10 inches long. long. Due to these plants loving the warmer weather temperatures they need to be planted in an area with plenty of sunlight. 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. OKRA.ai also ranked 9th as one of the fastest growing tech companies in the UK with 4,227% growth over the last four years! These nematodes cause knots on the roots of the plants that can drain the nutrients from the plants leaving them wilted in the garden. If the stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old and should be tossed. Once you're done picking okra, store them in plastic bags in your refrigerator where they will last about a week or freeze the pods if you have too much to use. CURBSIDE PICKUP WELCOME. If youre not a fan of a heavy cornmeal coating, feel free to substitute half of it with flour. Okra matures quickly, especially if you have a summer of hot weather which the plant prefers. This will result in more side branches. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) Premium vegetable peeler with dual blades, Bladed Food Peeler Recommended Uses For Product. Prune dwarf varieties of okra in the same way to rejuvenate the plants. It also comes with a protective sheath making it safer to store when not in use. Okrathrives in warm weather and is traditionally grown in the southern U.S., though there are varieties for northern growers, too. We are delighted to inform you that OKRA.ai is the winner of the Deloitte UK Fast 50 Women in leadership award. Flowers and pods first appear at the base of the plant and then keep producing upward. With heavy producers like 'Burgundy,'. Dried okra pods and stalks can look great as flower arrangements or holiday decorations. Media Manager Rights and clearance Plugins and extensions Creative Insights VisualGPS VisualGPS Insights API Integration Search guide. Over-the-shoulder harvesting bucket: You know what can make your okra harvesting go twice as fast? However, once okra plants get so tall they become less productive and harvesting will be more difficult. Alternately, place the pods in a lidded jar and store in the refrigerator. How to Prune Okra Plants for Bush Type Production If you want to prolong this summer treat, okra pods can also be pickled, or steamed and frozen. Okras BB-pellet size seeds have a hard shell. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); .slick-slider#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83656.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83656.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } Growing up in East Tennessee, okra was one of the most common vegetables I both ate and grew. How to Grow and Care for Okra - The Spruce Thin to one plant per pot/cell. Food Gardening Network and Food Gardening Magazine are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC. Okra Harvest Time - How and When to Pick Okra - Tips Bulletin Put a paper bag over it so if the pods shatter, seeds will not belast. Before sowing, it is useful to soak the seeds for 24 . Side-dress the plants with 10-10-10, aged manure, or rich compost (1/2 pound per 25 feet of row). Please tell us which items you absolutely need for your okra gardening. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { callback: cb 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. Harvesting Okra Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images canning or pickled okra is good and results in crispy pieces [uncut], goes well in a nice green salad also. Havesting Okra Tips to Picking Like a Pro Pods refrigerated for more than a day or two often suffer chilling injury and turn black. Have cuts, spots, or discolored areas or that are bruised, limp, or soft. If you like, you might try dehydrating your own at home the low and slow way, in a food dehydrator. Another benefit of growing okra is they work great for succession planting throughout the warmer months. His books include Vegetable Garden Growers Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Growers Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Growers Guide. OKRA.ai joining forces with Envision Pharma Group, OKRA.ai wins prestigious Deloitte Fast 50 Women in Leadership Award, Webinar: NLP Insights to Transform Customer Engagement, Machine learning and the 4th industrial revolution, Uncover the benefits of AI for Life Sciences, Use foresight and let AI guide you to the best opportunity and the right time, Enable teams to make faster decisions and know what makes an impact, Unite scientific information to deliver tailored HCP engagement, Drive internal/external medical strategy with critical insights from the Field, Obtain accurate drug price for submission, Avoid lengthy manual analysis and clinical research, Gain the upper hand in payer negotiations. It is another heirloom variety that got its name based on its origin in Isreal. As each flower fades, you have a three to four day window to wrap up your harvest. A standard sprinkler system is not the best solutionwhile easy to set up, the wide-ranging water coverage of a sprinkler can lead to wet plant leaves that promote diseases and can encourage weeds. Preservation and post-harvest quality of okra using low density Its like having your own personal claw, and it will slice the pods neatly from the plant. 2022University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|College of ACES| Web Privacy Notice|EEO|Accessibility|Staff Login|myExtension, Extension Educator Local Food Systems and Small Farms, Serving Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago, Serving Carroll, Lee and Whiteside Counties, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Okra needs to be harvested when it is four to five inches long. Canning equipment: While not okra-specific, you may want to pickle some of your okra; to do it right, youll need canning equipment to make sure you follow best food safety practices. Twine knife (ring knife): This little gizmo will make harvesting your okra so much easier. Storing Okra After Harvest In 4 Ways - Sumo Gardener The more you pick okra the more youll get. You can find many delicious recipes for canning and pickling okra online. Plant the seeds in well-drained soil in a sunny location, spacing them 6-8 inches apart. Work with speed and make bigger cuts so as to reduce this mucilage if thats what you are after. 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. If you let it get any longer than that it becomes tough, woody and pretty much inedible. [7] 6. Okra needs warm weather, and typically 50 to 60 days before it produces a harvest. General Information. Privacy Policy ), Random containers, kitchen pans, or baking sheets (you might need holes drilled into the bottom for drainage)if you have aging or rusting kitchen pans that youre looking to replace, they make for great starter pots for getting your garden launched inside, Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Okra. If you buy from one of our links,we may earn a commission. Dont be surprised if your red types turn green, or at least a paler shade of red, during cooking. Harvesting okra is something you can do when you are out harvesting your green and wax beans, then it becomes habit to go out and harvest okra as it ripens. For a nice stewy dish, simmer fresh tomatoes and onions and perhaps some pre-fried bacon pieces. this makes a good side dish just like that or proceed to make stew or gumbo. Over-ripe pods are tough and woody. Our horticultural and agricultural products are largely heirloom varieties that can be reliably offered to our customers year after year. 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. The Jambalaya okra is a hybrid variety that produces green pods that have heavy yields that are great for pickling, frying, or stewing. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) 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. Pods should be cut using pruners from the main stalk, living a bit of a tip to the pod. Water the plants about an hour before transplanting, so the roots will bind and be protected. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. 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. This is when okra is at its softest and most digestible. Removing them will encourage more pods to appear higher on the plant. Okra seeds won't germinate if it's too cold; the seeds will rot in the ground. Tips & Information about Okra - Gardening Know How Garden Gloves: When harvesting okra, you should always wear garden gloves to protect your hands from the prickly okra pods. How Do You Know When Your Okra is Ready to Harvest? The name, okra, comes from the West African Ashanti word, nkruma, and its Cajun name, gumbo, comes from the Bantu word, ngombo. Older, tougher pods may be harvested and shelled for their unripe seeds which can be cooked like peas. When picked often, okra will keep producing until the first frost. Gently rinse and pat dry before use in recipes. With okra, the more pods you harvest, the more pods your plants will produce. When you harvest Okra wear long sleeves and gloves to protect yourself from the time spines or stiff hairs that are found on some Okra varieties. Letting the fruits get extra big can take just a few days, or maybe another week or more. { A drip-watering irrigation system that operates on a timer is one of the best irrigation solutions for watering plants. Have a basket or bag hung over your arm to put the okra in as you cut it. OKRA.ai also ranked 9th as one of the fastest growing tech companies in the UK with 4,227% growth over the last four years! This is one thing you can go basic onno need for anything fancy, as a simple plastic spray bottle is fine. Copyright 2020 Hoss Tools. Standard varieties can top 8 feet ormore. Prior to planting, soak the okra seeds in water for 12 to 18 hours to soften its hard seed coat. 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. Prune the tops of okra plants when they reach 5 to 6 feet tall. Let the pods stand for 30 minutes while still tossing them every five to ten minutes. Just remove the cap and split lengthwise, and roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes; we cover with aluminum foil for the first half ofcooking. In late summer, you can cut back the top third of your okra plants. To grow okra at home, start by purchasing okra seeds from a reputable nursery or garden center. Let us and the other readers know in the comments below! Yet for okra you want small pods. 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 . The Star of David produces shorter and thicker pods that are excellent for frying in the kitchen.