Spread the diced or sliced okra on a cookie sheet. Harvesting okra - Maryland Grows 80-90F (27-32C) for fast germination. This will make for a great crop the second time around. You can freeze okra pods without blanching them, but blanching them destroys the enzymes and kills the bacteria that would cause the color, flavor, texture, and nutritional value of your okra to deteriorate. Okra pods should be harvested when they are young and tender and no more than 3-4 inches long. Okra grows very fast; therefore, it must be harvested every 2 days. Thin to one plant per pot/cell. If you leave a generous length of stem, you may bunch your stems, wrap them with twine, and suspend them upside down to dry in a cool, dry location for use in everlasting floral arrangements. Congrats! However, harvesting Okra can be tricky because you have to harvest the pods before they harden. which are cool season crops. How To Grow Okra From Seed To Harvest - Hydrobuilder Learning Center To reduce the viscous quality of okras slimy mucilage, try soaking it in vinegar or lemon juice for about 30 minutes, or parboil it. One inch of water per week is ideal, but use more if you are in a hot, aridregion. 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. Each flower will produce a single pod once it has been pollinated. When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. It's important to plant okra at the right time. We are delighted to inform you that OKRA.ai is the winner of the Deloitte UK Fast 50 Women in leadership award. Many people, especially in the American South, prepare the vegetable by frying it in a dredge of cornmeal. How To Grow Okra: Planting, Caring, And Harvesting Okra - Plant Food At Plant the seeds in well-drained soil in a sunny location, spacing them 6-8 inches apart. How to Grow Okra - Planting Okra Plants in Your Garden - Good Housekeeping Harvesttotable.com has more than 10 million visitors each year. Okra not only produces pods quickly, but the pods also grow and mature quickly. To plant: Soak the okra in water for 12 to 18 hours prior to planting to soften the outer shell of the seed. Sign up for our newsletter. To enhance germination, soak okra seeds in water for several hours or overnight before sowing. It is relatively easy to grow okra for beginners but the key is to monitor the harvest. Both of these ornamental plants are two that I commonly see in many home landscapes. If the pods are left on the plant too long, they can begin to split and become over-mature. When and How to Harvest Okra: Tips and Advice - Gardener's Path 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! Harvest the pods when tender and immature, about 5-10cm (2-4in) long. Cut back one-third of the tops of your okra in the late summer if you live in a warm climate with okra plants varieties growing up to 8 feet tall. Pods areready for harvest about 60 days after sowing. Okra Growing Information | Planting, Culture & Harvesting | Johnny's So your okra plant is flourishing and has started to bloom. Okra plants will continue to produce fruit if the pods are harvested frequently. Amazon.com: Okra Cutter 1-48 of 119 results for "okra cutter" RESULTS Multi Cutter With Peeler For Vegetable And Fruit Extra Sharp Stainless Steel , Mother's Day Gift (Green) (Green) 48 $1199 FREE delivery Wed, Feb 8 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Or fastest delivery Tue, Feb 7 More Buying Choices $11.98 (3 new offers) Okra is sometimes calledladys fingers thanks to the vegetableslong, slender, elegantshape. Use . Every gardenerno matter what plants youre tendingneeds a spade, or even several of different sizes. Spread the pods out to dry on landscaping material or screens or hang them in mesh bags until the pods become brittle. 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. This is when okra is at its softest and mostdigestible. 2. Also, extended rainy periods or stretches with little sunshine can also cause flowers todrop. The first flower buds, flowers, and subsequent pods will appear among the large leaves at the base of the plant. Use row cover for added warmth to plants and soil. Learn more about. Since okra is self-pollinating, you can save some of the pods for seeds for the following year. forms: { For Alaska and Hawaii, select your state on the following checkout page for a shipping quote. However, with a few cooking tricks, you can make them not only palatable, but delicious. Harvesting okra is easy. In late summer, you can cut back the top third of your okra plants. 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. Sowing and planting okra. 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! Once you have your pods and decided on your recipe, consider how you cut the pods. All Rights Reserved |, Vegetable, Flower, Fruit and Ornamental Fungicide, FREE SHIPPING OVER $99 US 48 | INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AVAILABLE, Row by Row Episode 239: Secrets of Winter Squash, Row by Row Episode 238: How To Fix Leggy Seedlings, Row by Row Episode 237: How to Use Heat Mats, Row by Row Episode 236: New Garden Supplies That You Need, Row by Row Episode 235: Gardening In February, Row by Row Episode 234: New Irrigation Kits for 2023, Row by Row Episode 233: Tips and Tricks For Growing Potatoes, Row by Row Episode 232: Gardening In January, Row by Row Episode 231: NEW Seeds for 2023, Row by Row Episode 229: Cold-Tolerant Plants. Harvesting Okra: A Step-By-Step Guide | ShunCy - Love the green Okra | Okra General Information | Apni Kheti Do you have any okra harvesting tips and tricks? But quick cooking will preserve more of its healthy nutritional benefits. Required fields are marked *. Just make sure you have a good trowel to mix with. For okra seeds, a sowing depth of 1 cm is sufficient. Pale pods, even if the right size, can be woody. This plant not only grows edible vegetables and beautiful flowers but also it isrich in vitamin A and low in calories, which makes it a great addition to yourdiet. Growing Okra Plants ~ How to Grow Lots of Okra! - Rural Living Today Though growing okra from seed is a popular, reliable method, it is also possible to propagate okra through stem cuttings. Media Manager Rights and clearance Plugins and extensions Creative Insights VisualGPS VisualGPS Insights API Integration Search guide. The pods should be harvested when they are 2-3 inches in length. Your email address will not be published. If you look at the flower of okra, youll see a resemblance to a hibiscus flower. 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. 3. When my okra plants are about 18-inches tall, I cut the top out of the plant, or cut it back to the nearest leaves from the top. Pods should be soft and the seed should be only half-grown. This is when okra is at its softest and most digestible. Watering cans allow you to better control exactly where the water is directed in your garden. Or you can leave them unseasoned to use them in stews, where theyll reconstitute and work as a thickening agent. While okra may get off to a slow start, it grows quickly once temperatures warm, and once it flowers, it begins producing pods quickly. As all the Okra fruits do not ripen simultaneously, harvesting is done once in 3-4 days. Temperature is the key to a successful okra harvest. Put the pods in canning jars and set them aside. If you want to experiment with creating your own recipes, flavorings that go well with okra include: You also can create your own vegetable blends by freezing, canning, or pickling okra together with: When canning, only fill the jars to within 1/2 inch from the top to allow room for the contents to expand when the jars are heated, and always remember to wipe the rim of the jars clean after filling them to ensure a tight and complete seal. Choose a site in full sun with healthy soil and a lot of room. 4. Rinse the okra and drain. Okra Growing Guide - Hoss Tools 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. When you live where the summers are short, some varieties won't have enough time to form seeds to harvest. Make sure soil is loose to accommodate large roots. 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. It is a simple garden task you will perform a few times a week. Keep soil mix temp. 2023 Updated Herb Scissors Set - Herb Scissors With 5 Blades and Cover, Cool Kitchen Gadgets for Cutting Shredded Lettuce, Cilantro Fresh, Green Onion Fresh and etc. Just remember to add another thickener to your gumbo if youve prepped your harvest with another cooking method first, to reduce its gooeyness. Wear. Yet you may have found this summer, as I have, that okra deserves a place in the summer garden. Gloves can also help ensure that you don't accidentally cut the okra stems while harvesting. Some folks use an egg batter before dredging, and others use milk or buttermilk. Harvest okra when pods are 1 to 4 inches long. While not as big as hibiscus flowers, I have certainly attended weddings in the south where okra flowers have been used in boutonnieres. Harvesting Vegetables | Home & Garden Information Center His books include Vegetable Garden Growers Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Growers Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Growers Guide. Place the okra pods in the bag, fold over the top, then store in a dark, 45 degree Fahrenheit location until spring planting. Below is a list of items to consider. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Plant okra seeds about 1/2to 1inch deep and 12 to 18 inches apart in a row. 4 in 1 Handheld Electric Vegetable Cutter Set, Mini Wireless Electric vegetables chopper, Electric Garlic Mud Masher for Ginger, Chili, Fruit, Meat, etc. 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. Food Gardening Network and Food Gardening Magazine are registered trademarks of Mequoda Systems, LLC. How to Grow and Care for Elephant Bush Indoors, How to Grow and Care for Elephant Bush Indoors, .slick-slider#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83657.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83657.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83657 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } Step 5. When you are harvesting your okra, you will want to keep pods that are: If you arent sure about whether or not to keep some of the longer pods that you harvest, clean them in your kitchen as if you were going to use them, and then try snapping them in half or cutting them open with a sharp knife. When the weather turns hot, you are going to have an abundance of okra. Eliminate weeds when the plants are young, then mulch heavily4 to 8 inchesto prevent moreweeds. 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. If one is predicted and podsare drying on the plant for seeds, cut the plant and hang it indoors to dry. 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. 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. Twine knife (ring knife): This little gizmo will make harvesting your okra so much easier. To avoid having to climb a ladder to harvest your okra, you can trim it back. Dried okra pods and stalks can look great as flower arrangements or holiday decorations. Standard varieties can top 8 feet ormore. By harvesting at the right size, it will ensure you're able to enjoy your okra this season- and it finds a place in future summer gardens to come. Copyright 2020 Hoss Tools. It comes with six adjustable seed plates that allow for a variety of different seeds to be planted in the seeder. Bigger than this and you will find that the pods are woody and not as tender as they could be. Let the pods stand for 30 minutes while still tossing them every five to ten minutes. Harvest often: The more you pick, the more flowers will appear, and okra goes from flowering to fruit in a fewdays. Okra pods are best when picked young. I grow okra, and have great success with the plant, but my question is what plants are compatible and what plants are combative with okra. 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. Its blunt in front, so it only cuts what it catches. If you would rather direct seed okra plants the best time is either late spring or summer using our walk-behindgarden seeder. When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall, thin the plants so that they are 18 to 24 inchesapart. If you are planting okra transplants, be sure to space them 1 to 2 feet apart to give them ample room togrow. Growing okra. We love to share vegetable gardening tips that will take you from seed to kitchen serving. 13 Common Diseases, Whats Killing My Broccoli? Plants, gardening tips, cultivation and harvesting A Jungle Treasure Hunt for Okra Flowers and Pods, store your okra in your refrigerator or you can freeze it, can it, or pickle it, Pick Okra Quickly and Keep Picking Frequently, Okra Flowers Lovely in Your Garden or on Your Plate, Cleaning Up Your Okra Before It Comes to Dinner, Sowing Your Okra Seeds in Containers or in Your Garden, Sow Okra Deep or Shallow? Price and other details may vary based on product size and color. A planting distance of 50 x 50 cm would be ideal. Contact with the stiff hairs on okra leaves can cause some people to itch; wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when you pick okra. Slip it on the upper part of your finger, just past the first knuckle. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Just remember that harvesting okra needs to be done often. If you collect rainwater, you can put it to good use when it comes time to tend your plants. If the pods cut or snap open easily, they are still good, but you should use them within a day or two. 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. Growing up in East Tennessee, okra was one of the most common vegetables I both ate and grew. Heat about a 1/2 a cup of oil in a skillet on medium to high heat. Over-ripe pods are tough and woody. Pods should be soft and the seed should be only half-grown. Okra is in the Malvaceous plant family. Okra plants will continue to produce fruit if the pods are harvested frequently. Remove the okra pods when they turn brown and the sides begin to split. The fruit should be harvested in the morning and evening. Dry some sliced pods for snacks, or to store for using with soup, stew, and gumbo recipes. For more guidance that will include more visual aids for all the visual learners out there and will also be more entertaining, please save the date for our upcoming virtual Good Food for Thought event, all about getting ready for Livin' la Vida Okra on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm.This fun AND practical event will include a presentation on how to plant your okra seeds with students . So, make sure that the place you choose has enough space. I have found that my spacing is probably a bit too close this season for some of my okra plants. There are several different okra varieties that we have available that are not only productive but have excellent flavor profiles. Okra will grow on a wide range of soils, but it prefers soils high in organic matter. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( Having both hands free. Please tell us which items you absolutely need for your gardening. Do you have any essential gardening tools you use that arent listed here? Collecting Okra Seeds - How To Save Okra Seeds For Planting Later. Always label frozen, canned, or pickled vegetables with the what vegetable is in the package or jar, the date that you processed it, and the seasonings or recipe that you used to prepare it. Okra pods can be cooked just after harvest in stews, gumbos, or as a fried side dish. Okras BB-pellet size seeds have a hard shell. Okra, sometimes called gumbo, is a summer and fall crop. Okra can easily grow from 4 to 6 feet tall or taller in warm, long-summer regions. Tips for Harvesting Okra Okra pods are most suitable for eating when they're young and tender. If you let it get any longer than that it becomes tough, woody and pretty much inedible. Sow okra seeds outdoors about two weeks after the danger of frost is past. The pods that you will want to keep are the ones that are 2 to 4 inches long. When harvesting okra, it is best to use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the pods off the plant. On the stove, cook for 25 minutes and the soft insides of okra will help create a nice thick savory broth to serve overrice. 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. The major growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. They are most tender when they're 2 to 4 inches long and as wide as a pinkie finger. callback: cb How to Save Okra Seeds Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazons commitment to empowering them. 60 micrograms (mcg) of folate. When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. How to Prune Okra Leaves | eHow You'll find the Hod is one garden tool that's useful indoors our out..any time of the year! Okra can be consumed in a number of waysbreaded and deep-fried, pickled, stewed, in Indian cuisine, and even raw in the field! Before planting, mix aged manure and/or compost into thesoil. Artbros Vegetable Chopper Onion Chopper - 12 in 1 Multi-Functional Mandoline Slicer Veggie Fruit Dicer Cutter with Colander Basket and Container - Grey, Multi Cutter With Peeler For Vegetable And Fruit Extra Sharp Stainless Steel , Mother's Day Gift (Green) (Green), Mueller Pro-Series 10-in-1, 8 Blade Vegetable Slicer, Onion Mincer Chopper, Vegetable Chopper, Cutter, Dicer, Egg Slicer with Container, Qaxlry Slicer - Luncheon Meat Slicer - Egg Slicer - Tomato Banana Mushroom Slicer - Multipurpose Slicer with Stainless Steel Wire - Cuts 11 Slicers, | Based on star rating and number of customer ratings, Food Cutter Kitchen Scissors, Salad Chopper Vegetable Cutter with Built-in Cutting Board Easy Cutting Suitable for You and Your Friends, HULISEN Cutlery Serrated Food Chopper, 3 Inch Stainless Steel Manual Hand Chopper with Grip Handle & Serrated Tooth Edge, Handheld Chopper, Chop Cabbage, Egg, Nut, Ground Meat, Vegetable for Salad, Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen -VEKAYA Stainless Steel Vegetable Slicer for Potato, tomato and Onion, Carrot Julienne and Chopper for Vegetables with Gloves (BlacK), 2 in 1 Stainless Steel 5 Blade Vegetable Cutter with Peeler, Chilly,Onion Cutter With Lock System/Plastic Vegetable and Fruit Cutter ,Valentine Day Gifts, Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline Cheese/Vegetable Slicer, Cutter, Shredder with Precise Maximum Adjustability, LHS Vegetable Chopper-Multifunctional Onion Chopper Dicer Sala Potato Cutter Cheese Grater Vegetable Food Slicer With Container-5 Blades(Green), BASESILK Vegetable Chopper, Pro Onion Chopper, Multifunctional 15 in 1 Food Chopper with 8 Blades, Kitchen Slicer Dicer Cutter, Spiralizer, Lemon Squeezer, Egg Slicer & Seperator With Container, Mueller Vegetable Chopper - Heavy Duty Vegetable Slicer - Onion Chopper with Container - Food Chopper Slicer Dicer Cutter - 4 Blades, YADNEH Vegetable Cutter 5 Sharp Blade with Peeler 2 in 1 Multi Cutter Multi-Functional Kitchen Vegetable Cutter Chilly Cutter (Multicolor), Portable 4 in 1 Electric Vegetable Slicer Set, Wireless Food Processor, with Clean Brush for Garlic Chili Onion Celery Ginger Meat, Havulhua Upgrade Fruit Vegetable Cutter Stainless Vegetable Chopper, French Fry Cutter, Stainless Onion Dicer for Tomato Peppers Mushroom with 1 Replacement 1/4"Blade (1/4), JrundMsoxz Apple Peeler, Pear Peeler with Corer and 8 Wedges Apple Slicer, 2 Stainless Steel Blades,cleaning brush and cutting fruit cutting board (light green), Herb Scissors with 5 Blades and Cover, 2023 Updated Multi Blade Herb Shears with Cleaning Comb for Chopping Vegetable, Chive, Cilantro, Parsley, Salad, Multipurpose Cutter Set for Kitchen - Green, Mueller Pro Series Vegetable Chopper, Heavy Duty Vegetable Slicer, Onion Chopper with Container - Strong Food Chopper, Slicer Dicer Cutter, Great For Salsa, Cooking Gadgets, BotaBay Commercial Vegetable Fruit Chopper W/6-Wedge Slicer&1/4&3/8&1/2" Blade Professional Food Dicer French Fry Cutter Onion Slicer Stainless Steel For Tomato Peppers Potato Mushroom, YMJOINMX Electric Pea Sheller Machine Semi-automatic Pea Bean Sheller Machine Commercial Bean Pea Peeler Home Peeling Pea Bean Machine, RK Vegetable Chopper Slicer Onion Chopper Dicer, Multi 22-in-1 Veggie Mandoline Slicer Food Chopper Cutter for Tomato Fruit with Lemon Squeezer, E-Recipe, 11 Blades, Egg Separator & Slicer, Container, Fullstar 9-in-1 Deluxe Vegetable Chopper Kitchen Gifts | Onion Chopper & Dicer | Peeler, Spiralizer, Zoodle Maker, Lemon Squeezer, Egg Slicer & Seperator- Ultimate Kitchen Gadget. Leaving the pods on the plant to mature like this slows down the development of new pods. Mucilage is the slime/goo that is released as soon as you cut into a pod and smaller pieces can produce more mucilage in your cooking compared to bigger pieces. Picking okra should be done when the pods are 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) Working your okra patch or eating okra means having the right tools to do the job in both the garden and the kitchen. Find out how you can access your own AI brain and how it will deliver cost-effective solutions, time-saving resources and targeted patient outcomes in your organisation, today. To control the emergence or spread of plant diseases and pests, get a dedicated spray bottle for your potion to do the job. Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. A drip-watering irrigation system that operates on a timer is one of the best irrigation solutions for watering plants. This pruning technique causes the buds to grow on the main stem and produce a secondary, late crop. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Best Way to Harvest Okra - YouTube So here we go with step by step instructions. Letting the fruits get extra big can take just a few days, or maybe another week or more. Tips for avoiding the slime factor of okra, Health Benefits and Home Remedies of Okra, Toilet-paper rolls (yes, these work great! window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { 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. Harvesting Okra Okra is ready for harvest 55 to 65 days after planting. Delivering in Medical, Commercial, and Market Access, OKRA.ai is transforming Pharmaceutical industry operations. Work with speed and make bigger cuts so as to reduce this mucilage if thats what you are after. Leave your email here and we will contact you. Water and weed regularly. The pods should be harvested when they are 2-3 inches in length. Pods should not be washed immediately unless you plan to cook with them that day. 82 mg of calcium. Set your fresh okra in a strainer and place it over a large bowl. Rows should be about three to four feet apart, as the plants will grow quite tall. If pods stay wet, they will potentially begin to mold and develop a slimy, outer coating. 0.215 mg of vitamin B6. Over-the-shoulder harvesting bucket: You know what can make your okra harvesting go twice as fast? Okra plants are tall, sospace out the rows 3 to 4 feetapart. It takes up to 60 days for okra to be at full maturity. How they eat it in the south I could never figure out. Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. 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 How to Battle Colorado Potato Beetles in Your Garden.