I have tried raw Okra and it is not my favorite way to eat it. Fried or boiled is for me.
ThomasT
Okra not blooming
- Thread starter ThomasT
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ThomasT
My plants are now over 6ft tall but Okra production is still slow, they get fertilized monthly and watered daily. The plants are not as green as they usually are but are darkening as they age. Usually by this point I've got too much okra, but from a 20ft row, I may get one or two that are to full size every other day. When they first started blooming and setting fruit I picked about a 3 gallon bucket or so. The same a few days later but now, although they're covered in yellow flowers every morning, I get only a few to pic every few days.
The dozen or so plants in the raised bed are producing less, those are in new mushroom soil, compost and peat moss and the plants are taller and healthier looking but they bloom but don't set fruit. Only two of those plants have given me anything to pick so far. In all years past I'm usually giving it away by now.
The dozen or so plants in the raised bed are producing less, those are in new mushroom soil, compost and peat moss and the plants are taller and healthier looking but they bloom but don't set fruit. Only two of those plants have given me anything to pick so far. In all years past I'm usually giving it away by now.
Hello @yardiron
Well my goofy Okra is now over 8-foot tall and producing more than I can handle. I picked 5 Okras off of one plant today and now giving the surplus to one of my neighbors. I am having to stand on the second rung of my ladder to pick the top growth. By the end of this month I might let it all go to seed for next year.
Have a great day,
ThomasT
I got a pretty good amount off all of mine a couple of days ago but only a few since. it seems each plant is only making one okra at a time and it takes five days from blossom to ready to pick.
The plants in the front raised garden bed are starting to produce but they're a month later than the rest and there's only about 8 plants there that I put in as a test or control of sorts since I didn't know if the seeds were still good or not.
Next year I may give the tomatoes a break and do all okra using saved seeds from this year and last year. Its year 6 for tomatoes in that same general area and time to move them for next year or exchange a lot of the soil again. I still have about 10 yards of mushroom soil under a tarp outback and could easily scrape off the top foot or so and put down some fresh soil again. What I generally do when I do that is to mix in the old soil with the compost pile off to one side and let it get mixed with compost for the next few years before mixing it back into the garden or using it around the yard.
The plants in the front raised garden bed are starting to produce but they're a month later than the rest and there's only about 8 plants there that I put in as a test or control of sorts since I didn't know if the seeds were still good or not.
Next year I may give the tomatoes a break and do all okra using saved seeds from this year and last year. Its year 6 for tomatoes in that same general area and time to move them for next year or exchange a lot of the soil again. I still have about 10 yards of mushroom soil under a tarp outback and could easily scrape off the top foot or so and put down some fresh soil again. What I generally do when I do that is to mix in the old soil with the compost pile off to one side and let it get mixed with compost for the next few years before mixing it back into the garden or using it around the yard.
Hello @yardiron
My Okra has gone crazy and is now over 10-feet tall. It is producing 3 to 5 Okra per plant. Here are a couple of photos of my neighbor standing on a four foot ladder picking a box full of Okra. New leaves are now showing up on the lower part of the plants and starting to bloom.
ThomasT
What mine have been doing, in both gardens, is that once a stem produces an okra, it died and falls off. Only the new growth has blossoms, and there are plenty of them but it takes 4 to 5 days from blossom to a ready to pick okra.
Mine are planted a bit closer than yours, those that are closest are the most productive, those toward the ends of the rows are the shortest and giving me the least production. I've not counted the plants but they roughly give me one okra every two or three days per plant, it seems that new blossoms don't appear till I remove the last okra from the plant.
In past years they acted completely different. I got constant production at a rate far faster than I could keep them picked.The plants look about the same yours, but maybe a foot or so shorter. At 6ft 3in tall, I can still reach the top of the tallest plants but not by much.
In past years though, all my okra was done by this time of year, the cool nights here usually killed it by now but we've had a warmer than usual Sept.
Today I picked about 3 lbs in all, about a third of what I'd get in years past from this stage or size.
Since the plants in the raised bed are the healthiest looking, I'll stop picking those soon and let those produce my seeds for next year.
When I picked last years final seed bearers they were roughly 9" long or so. About 15 pods gave me roughly a 12oz jar full of seed for this year, of which I only used about a 1/4 of that. Next year I'll plant a row of this years seed and a row of last years seeds with the same amount in the front boxes as well.
Mine are planted a bit closer than yours, those that are closest are the most productive, those toward the ends of the rows are the shortest and giving me the least production. I've not counted the plants but they roughly give me one okra every two or three days per plant, it seems that new blossoms don't appear till I remove the last okra from the plant.
In past years they acted completely different. I got constant production at a rate far faster than I could keep them picked.The plants look about the same yours, but maybe a foot or so shorter. At 6ft 3in tall, I can still reach the top of the tallest plants but not by much.
In past years though, all my okra was done by this time of year, the cool nights here usually killed it by now but we've had a warmer than usual Sept.
Today I picked about 3 lbs in all, about a third of what I'd get in years past from this stage or size.
Since the plants in the raised bed are the healthiest looking, I'll stop picking those soon and let those produce my seeds for next year.
When I picked last years final seed bearers they were roughly 9" long or so. About 15 pods gave me roughly a 12oz jar full of seed for this year, of which I only used about a 1/4 of that. Next year I'll plant a row of this years seed and a row of last years seeds with the same amount in the front boxes as well.
With our normal temperature this time of the year being in the mid to upper 80's my Okra will continue to grow and produce until we get a good hard freeze.
My neighbor came over yesterday and we used my 8-foot step ladder to harvest another box full.
With so much Okra now near the top and the plants are so tall they were beginning to lean outwards. So I placed tall stakes on all four corners of the bed and used a small nylon cord to pull them up right.
We will harvest Okra again this afternoon and pull up the last of the Carrots.
I put up four pints of my Sweet Jalapeno Relish this week and still have enough Peppers on the plants to put up at least four more pints. Stocking up for the Winter
ThomasT
My neighbor came over yesterday and we used my 8-foot step ladder to harvest another box full.
With so much Okra now near the top and the plants are so tall they were beginning to lean outwards. So I placed tall stakes on all four corners of the bed and used a small nylon cord to pull them up right.
We will harvest Okra again this afternoon and pull up the last of the Carrots.
I put up four pints of my Sweet Jalapeno Relish this week and still have enough Peppers on the plants to put up at least four more pints. Stocking up for the Winter
ThomasT
Its not been getting much over 70 here lately and it been as low as 44 at night.
Today only got to 60 nut its been cloudy and drizzling for four days now with rain in the forecast for the next 4 days.
This morning there were dozens of blossoms on the Okra but no new okra yet, I picked every bit that was on the plants on Sat. and it'll take 4 days or so for any to be ready again.
Something that I'm finding is that if I pick only the larger okra, say 5 days after blossom drop, the smaller okra from a few days before turns hard and inedible long before is achieves full size. More than 5 days after blossom drop and its too hard to eat. If i strip the plants, hopefully I can get them all on same schedule and get a decent amount at one time. Also, if there's one growing, that plant doesn't set a new blossom until the last set is removed.
In all years past, the plants set new okra all over, not just at the very top or on the new growth.
Taste wise, what I have gotten has been some of the best, sweetest okra I've grown here yet.
With the last two days of cool, wet weather, the plants in the raised garden up front have grown about a foot or more now reaching well over my head with a huge yellow blossom atop each plant today.
I did notice that not all blossoms form an okra. About 20% of them just fall off and never result in a fruit, just a bud that never progresses that will eventually just fall off.
I may try to start a few flats of plants indoors next spring, that way they can be in the ground ealier rather than waiting for germination and that first few feet of growth in June. I tried it before but not all survived transplanting though.
A buddy who plants a lot more than me had pretty much the same results planting both Clemson and Emerald varieties this year, both are doing the single okra deal like mine are and my seeds were a mix of new and last years seeds. I believe they started out an heirloom variety, possibly Emerald.
They are not spineless, these things are like picking off a cactus.
Today only got to 60 nut its been cloudy and drizzling for four days now with rain in the forecast for the next 4 days.
This morning there were dozens of blossoms on the Okra but no new okra yet, I picked every bit that was on the plants on Sat. and it'll take 4 days or so for any to be ready again.
Something that I'm finding is that if I pick only the larger okra, say 5 days after blossom drop, the smaller okra from a few days before turns hard and inedible long before is achieves full size. More than 5 days after blossom drop and its too hard to eat. If i strip the plants, hopefully I can get them all on same schedule and get a decent amount at one time. Also, if there's one growing, that plant doesn't set a new blossom until the last set is removed.
In all years past, the plants set new okra all over, not just at the very top or on the new growth.
Taste wise, what I have gotten has been some of the best, sweetest okra I've grown here yet.
With the last two days of cool, wet weather, the plants in the raised garden up front have grown about a foot or more now reaching well over my head with a huge yellow blossom atop each plant today.
I did notice that not all blossoms form an okra. About 20% of them just fall off and never result in a fruit, just a bud that never progresses that will eventually just fall off.
I may try to start a few flats of plants indoors next spring, that way they can be in the ground ealier rather than waiting for germination and that first few feet of growth in June. I tried it before but not all survived transplanting though.
A buddy who plants a lot more than me had pretty much the same results planting both Clemson and Emerald varieties this year, both are doing the single okra deal like mine are and my seeds were a mix of new and last years seeds. I believe they started out an heirloom variety, possibly Emerald.
They are not spineless, these things are like picking off a cactus.
I wanted to add a few more insights that might help:
- Nitrogen Levels: You're absolutely right about excess nitrogen. I recommend using a balanced fertilizer that supports blooming.
- Flowering Time: Yes, okra blooms are fleeting! They typically open in the morning, so it helps to check early.
- Environmental Factors: Full sun is key, and overwatering can definitely lead to issues.
- Plant Spacing: Adequate spacing is crucial for air circulation and sunlight penetration.
They are blossoming, every plant has a blossom on it, then it slowly turns into an okra, after I cut that one off, the next day it shoots off a new blossom and it starts again. If I miss a day watering, they don't produce. I run the water via both a soaker hose and a series of low ground level sprinklers for about an hour every day unless it rains, and a bit less on cloudy days figuring there's less evaporation loss.
The nights here are now starting to drop into the high 40's to low 50's consistently, with days in the mid 70's. The leaves are getting narrower and the new growth looks weaker or slower.
They're loosing the lower leaves faster now. Before the lower leaves would hang in there for about a week after the last okra was picked from that plant.
What they are doing is that they are growing only vertical, after picking an okra, the plant sprouts three new leaves, puts on one blossom, and an okra forms, when picked, it repeats and the last leaves die out soon after and it keeps going. I get to fill a bag every 4 or 5 days now, but I really figure that the plants will give up soon due to the temperatures at night.
What puzzles me is that I've been saving my seeds every year since 2009, plus planting a complete row of new seed that I buy along side. Both rows are doing the very same thing.
In all prior years, my okra grew more like a hedge row remaining full from late June to the end of September or so. I usually just let it go for seed at this point allowing at least half the largest plants to fully mature and eventually dry out their okra pods to give me seeds. Once the pods turn brown and dry up, I clip them, hang them to dry and usually by mid winter I cut them for their seeds. When the weather is staying over 60 degrees at night in the spring, I till, fertilize, and plant again.
I've done the same thing every year here since 2004, and did the same as a kid at my dad's house in the 60's and 70's.
I started saving my own seeds after having a year where not many of the bought seeds came up or amounted to anything. After getting some seeds from a new source the following year I started to save seeds, at first I wasn't sure what I was going to get, not knowing if the seeds were a hybrid or not but the result has generally been better than before. Each year I buy a handful of seeds for the second row, plus I plant the raised bed up front as sort of a control. That raised bed gets 100% new, fresh soil every year, always different from the soil in the main garden but with the same prep and initial fertilizer. Its also where I test anything new, whether it be pest control or fertilizer.
There's a local farm co-op here run by a college that will do soil testing for free and advise you on what to add if needed. The last soil test, from June, said all was fine, and to continue 10-10-10 on my tomatoes monthly.
I added some 12-12-12 to the okra once they first set blossoms, I simply ran a pointed hoe down the middle of each row and poured in a trail of granulated fertilizer as I always do. For the tomatoes, I have 1.5" PVC tubes stuck a foot into the ground by each plant, each tube has several holes on the bottom sides and an open end, I put a handful of 10-10-10 down each tube ever month and fill the tube with water. I also have 5-10-10 and 5-10-5 but I found that anything less than the 10-10-10 limts the leaf growth too much.
The nights here are now starting to drop into the high 40's to low 50's consistently, with days in the mid 70's. The leaves are getting narrower and the new growth looks weaker or slower.
They're loosing the lower leaves faster now. Before the lower leaves would hang in there for about a week after the last okra was picked from that plant.
What they are doing is that they are growing only vertical, after picking an okra, the plant sprouts three new leaves, puts on one blossom, and an okra forms, when picked, it repeats and the last leaves die out soon after and it keeps going. I get to fill a bag every 4 or 5 days now, but I really figure that the plants will give up soon due to the temperatures at night.
What puzzles me is that I've been saving my seeds every year since 2009, plus planting a complete row of new seed that I buy along side. Both rows are doing the very same thing.
In all prior years, my okra grew more like a hedge row remaining full from late June to the end of September or so. I usually just let it go for seed at this point allowing at least half the largest plants to fully mature and eventually dry out their okra pods to give me seeds. Once the pods turn brown and dry up, I clip them, hang them to dry and usually by mid winter I cut them for their seeds. When the weather is staying over 60 degrees at night in the spring, I till, fertilize, and plant again.
I've done the same thing every year here since 2004, and did the same as a kid at my dad's house in the 60's and 70's.
I started saving my own seeds after having a year where not many of the bought seeds came up or amounted to anything. After getting some seeds from a new source the following year I started to save seeds, at first I wasn't sure what I was going to get, not knowing if the seeds were a hybrid or not but the result has generally been better than before. Each year I buy a handful of seeds for the second row, plus I plant the raised bed up front as sort of a control. That raised bed gets 100% new, fresh soil every year, always different from the soil in the main garden but with the same prep and initial fertilizer. Its also where I test anything new, whether it be pest control or fertilizer.
There's a local farm co-op here run by a college that will do soil testing for free and advise you on what to add if needed. The last soil test, from June, said all was fine, and to continue 10-10-10 on my tomatoes monthly.
I added some 12-12-12 to the okra once they first set blossoms, I simply ran a pointed hoe down the middle of each row and poured in a trail of granulated fertilizer as I always do. For the tomatoes, I have 1.5" PVC tubes stuck a foot into the ground by each plant, each tube has several holes on the bottom sides and an open end, I put a handful of 10-10-10 down each tube ever month and fill the tube with water. I also have 5-10-10 and 5-10-5 but I found that anything less than the 10-10-10 limts the leaf growth too much.
My Okra is still blooming but only about half as many and it is taking two days longer to mature. The size of the leaves ( the width ) is about 1/3 from mid summer. More and more leaves are turning brown and falling off, this normally does not happen until we have the first frost.
I have two Hummingbird feeders out in the garden and up until two days ago there would be swarms of 25 to 30 or more around each feeder. The birds were drinking 1-1/2 feeders per day. Yesterday and today I have only seen two at one time. I only have one feeder out now and I can only see a very small drop in the liquid. My point is that I believe those little birds no more about the weather than I do and I am guessing some cold weather is on it's way. My growing season is ending.
ThomasT
If it ending in Texas, then it surely is ending here in NJ.
Its not been as bad in recent years though, our warm weather has held on for longer in recent years. Last year I didn't pull my tomato plants out till the end of November. We didn't get our first frost till the first week in December for 2023 and the past 7 or 8 years have been similar, but our cold weather has lasted longer into the spring than in years past.
15 years ago I would have my garden fully planted by the end of April, sometimes by the second week in April, but its gotten later and later every year, with last year being the latest year and I wasn't able to plant till the end of the first week in June, and even then we didn't see consistent temps over 60 at night until the last week of June. This year was a little better but still a month later than in the past.
My tomatoes didn't really get going until the second week in September. I got a handful of early ripe tomatoes the last week in August but nothing after that till the start of September. I even started planting my seeds later because of this because the plants would get too tall for the trays too far ahead of planting.
I found that if I plant ealier, before the temps are staying over 60, I lose a few plants and have to keep a few extras around just for that reason. Its why I started the front garden, mostly as a place to put the extra plants, but its more become my test area now.
I used to plant in two week stages but that ended with the later warm weather, the first plantings barely have enough time to get going before we lose sunlight as the summer comes to a close.
Its not been as bad in recent years though, our warm weather has held on for longer in recent years. Last year I didn't pull my tomato plants out till the end of November. We didn't get our first frost till the first week in December for 2023 and the past 7 or 8 years have been similar, but our cold weather has lasted longer into the spring than in years past.
15 years ago I would have my garden fully planted by the end of April, sometimes by the second week in April, but its gotten later and later every year, with last year being the latest year and I wasn't able to plant till the end of the first week in June, and even then we didn't see consistent temps over 60 at night until the last week of June. This year was a little better but still a month later than in the past.
My tomatoes didn't really get going until the second week in September. I got a handful of early ripe tomatoes the last week in August but nothing after that till the start of September. I even started planting my seeds later because of this because the plants would get too tall for the trays too far ahead of planting.
I found that if I plant ealier, before the temps are staying over 60, I lose a few plants and have to keep a few extras around just for that reason. Its why I started the front garden, mostly as a place to put the extra plants, but its more become my test area now.
I used to plant in two week stages but that ended with the later warm weather, the first plantings barely have enough time to get going before we lose sunlight as the summer comes to a close.