How to Get Okra to Bear

From fried and pickled to gumbos and stews, okra is a versatile vegetable found in many cultures. The warm-season annual is related to other heat-loving plants in the mallow family, such as hollyhocks and hibiscus. It requires well-drained soil, and should be planted only after the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed. With proper care, okra will produce an abundance of edible pods continuously through the first hard frost in your region. In some temperate and warm climates, it can be grown year-round.

Pruning shears, or secateurs
Fertilizer
Plastic mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Hand weed and cultivate the surface soil around your okra plants continuously during the growth season. Weeds reduce soil moisture and nutrients available to the plants, which diminishes fruiting performance.
- 2
  Fertilize your okra twice during the growing season to boost vegetable production. Use a complete fertilizer with a guaranteed analysis of 5-10-10 or similar low nitrogen ratio. Make the first application when the young plants are 6 inches or 8 inches tall. The second application should follow in two to three weeks. Apply fertilizer according to product label directions, but do not exceed 7 1/2 pounds of fertilizer per quarter acre of plantings. Refrain from overfertilizing, particularly with nitrogen, which inhibits fruit production.
- 3
  Harvest the okra pods every day or every other day, so the plant will continue to produce new pods. Never allow pods to age on the plant, because this drive down harvests. Snip the pods on their short stem once the are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in length.

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