How to Prune Okra Plants for Bush Type Production

Okra Plants

• Okra plants grow fast and tall and may get up to 6 feet in height. The thick stems have fine hairs which can be irritating to the skin. Okra flower resembles a smaller version of hibiscus and matures to become the edible pod. There are many varieties of okra with variations on the pod. Some are ribbed while others are smooth with sizes ranging from 2 to 8 inches long. Most okra pods are green but there are also red, purple, yellowish green and creamy yellow. The average time from seed to harvest is 55 days.

Seedling Care

• Okra plants need to be started indoors in almost all the zones of the United States. Only the most southern warm areas can spot sow and still get a crop. Seedlings are planted in the ground after soils have warmed to at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The planting bed should be well drained and have 1 lb. of complete fertilizer per 100 square feet incorporated into the soil. Young plants need to be watered every other day until well established. Prune or pinch off the bottom set of leaves and pinch the top 2 inches once the plant is a foot tall.

Pruning Juvenile Plants

• Pruning off any diseased leaves and plant material should be done as soon as problems are discovered. Thin out less productive stems once flowering has occurred. Prune off excess leaves to encourage air flow and sunlight introduction to the center of the plant. Take out up to one-fifth of the interior leaves. Tip prune branches in midsummer by taking them back 1 inch to the next growth point. In long-season climates, prune off all the leaves below the fruiting branches to help facilitate the harvest.

Harvesting

• Okra is best harvested when young and tender before the seeds inside harden and the skin gets tough. Wear gloves when harvesting and cut the pods off the plant with pruners or scissors. The harvest is an ongoing process and the plants need to be checked every other day at the end of the season. Watch the flowers for the optimum time to harvest. Okra is ready to harvest four to seven days after the flower opens. Take off any overly ripe pods and compost them to encourage the formation of new tender pods.