FREE SHIPPING OVER $99 US 48 | INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING VIA CALL-IN & ONLINE ORDERS ONLY. Plant seedlings 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-36 inches apart. While the Red Burgundy is a highly-productive heirloom variety that has dark red pods that stay tender at longer pod lengths. For a nice stewy dish, simmer fresh tomatoes and onions and perhaps some pre-fried bacon pieces. Plant okra in the spring or early summer once the threat of frost has passed. copyright 2023 Mequoda Systems, LLC COMPANY. Okra was brought to the United States in the 1660s by slaves. An ergonomic harvesting bucket hangs over both shoulders and sits right in front of you. Okra plants are tall, sospace out the rows 3 to 4 feetapart. It is a fruit tree that grows to a height of 80 to 150 cm. ", "The team is superb, very collaborative and willing to flex their approach to meet our needs. If you like, you might try dehydrating your own at home the low and slow way, in a food dehydrator. support@foodgardening.mequoda.com. Once youre 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. If you look at the flower of okra, youll see a resemblance to a hibiscus flower. If you can tolerate the slime factor (or if you love it!) When harvesting okra this twine knife can be worn either above or below the knuckle of your finger. 60 micrograms (mcg) of folate. Pale pods, even if the right size, can be woody. Harvest okra early in the morning or late in the evening before temperatures rise, which helps prevent wilting. Eliminate weeds when the plants are young, then mulch heavily4 to 8 inchesto prevent moreweeds. Harvest the pods when they're about 2-3 inches long. We are delighted to inform you that OKRA.ai is the winner of the Deloitte UK Fast 50 Women in leadership award. You are better off washing the pods closer to when you decide to cook with them. When seeding okra directly in the ground, wait until after the soil has warmed and the air temperature reaches at least 60 degrees. All repel insect pests (like cabbage moths and spider mites) and also attract beneficial insects and pollinators. Harvesting okra is easy. Some areas of the country experience drought conditions in the spring and summer, and some municipalities may impose watering bans; that means hand watering only. 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. Deploy with Okra. Okrathrives in warm weather and is traditionally grown in the southern U.S., though there are varieties for northern growers, too. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444. Get yourself a good-sized watering can, and have some fun finding a watering can with an interesting design that fits your personality. Twine knife (ring knife): This little gizmo will make harvesting your okra so much easier. The more you pick okra the more youll get. Another heirloom variety is Cowhorn which is an earlier producer that has long tender pods that reach up to 10 inches long. The plants grow back and product another crop ofokra. This is one of the reasons many do not like to eat okra. If the pods are left on the plant too long, they can begin to split and become over-mature. The plant is very much a summer staple, thriving in warm soil temperature and the summer heat we encounter. Okra pods are delicate so be careful when handling the pods so they don't bruise. To at least try to keep ahead of things, you can start watching for flower buds about 45 days after you plant your okra. long. Nutritional Content. Okra seeds are large, so screening and winnowing them easily separates the seeds and the chaff. The way to harvest okra is to wear gloves and long sleeves when picking pods to prevent the possibility of getting a rash from the small spines, and use garden shears or a sharp knife to gently cut the pods from the plant without bruising them. Easy to grow and use, it also has beautiful flowers that look great throughout the growing season! Having both hands free. Harvesting Okra The edible okra fruitsthe seed podsgenerally appear about 50 to 60 days after the seedlings sprout, immediately after the flowers bloom. For Alaska and Hawaii, select your state on the following checkout page for a shipping quote. })(); Join our gardening family to receive the latest tips. This harvest practice goes against what we sometimes think about when it comes to growing vegetables as bigger is encouraged. 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. Powered by The name, okra, comes from the West African Ashanti word, nkruma, and its Cajun name, gumbo, comes from the Bantu word, ngombo. Or fry it. Pods areready for harvest about 60 days after sowing. DIRECT SEEDING: After frost danger, sow 2" apart, 1/2" deep when soil is warm - at least 70F (21C). Okra will grow on a wide range of soils, but it prefers soils high in organic matter. When I grew up and I tried cooking it, it too turned out SLIMMY!!!! By Teo Spengler. It is a simple garden task you will perform a few times a week. Harvest the pods every day or two if you can or as often as you can as they can quickly turn tough and woody as they grow bigger. With wit and hopefully some wisdom, she shares what shes learned and is always ready to dig into a new project! Over-ripe pods are tough and woody. His Vegetable Garden Growers Masterclass is available online. Flowers and pods first appear at the base of the plant and then keep producing upward. 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. 2023 Gardening Know How, Future US LLC, Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. 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. Or you can leave them unseasoned to use them in stews, where theyll reconstitute and work as a thickening agent. Many plants thrive when watered slowly and deeply. Terms of Use, Switchboard: +44 (0)1223 420252 The results shown that the new tool could harvest 297-318 okra per hour (10.0 - 10.9 kg/hr) without damaging pods and also provides better protection to the hands of workers. 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. So, make sure that the place you choose has enough space. Rows should be about three to four feet apart, as the plants will grow quite tall. Pods should not be washed immediately unless you plan to cook with them that day. In 2020, Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), and UNDP Cambodia worked with Okra Solar to deploy mesh-grids to 140 off-grid households across 3 villages. Dry it out and use it in floral arrangements or save the seeds for nextyear. Envision Pharma Group acquires artificial intelligence technology company OKRA.ai: Pivotal acquisition in Envision Pharma Groups tech-enabled offerings provides clients with access to advanced AI to accelerate decision-making which optimizes their products path to market and ultimately supports the delivery of enhanced patient outcomes. Okra pods will be ready to pick up after 3 to 4 days. 13 Common Diseases, Whats Killing My Broccoli? If you collect rainwater, you can put it to good use when it comes time to tend your plants. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazons store. Summer insect pests do like okra. These cream-colored, hibiscus shaped flowers will be found against the plant stalk, below the large leaves. Hear from Medical and Commercial Leaders Regarding Scalable Insight Solutions: You may see that as you harvest your pods. There are five sizes ranging from 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. However, with a few cooking tricks, you can make them not only palatable, but delicious. Some communities offer rain barrels at a special discount to encourage water conservation. For best germination results, the pots should be bottom heated until the seeds sprout. The tender young leaves are also edible, for a fresh addition to salads, or as a cooked side dish. This can be done a few days after the blooms fade. Space seeds 4 to 6 inches apart within the row. Spread the diced or sliced okra on a cookie sheet. With additional writing and editing by Mike Quinn and Allison Sidhu. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Okra needs full sun and hot weather withevening temperatures that are in the 60s (Fahrenheit) or warmer. You may also prepare soaked or freshly picked okra by baking, roasting, or grilling it for a crisp texture, to be eaten that way or added to slow-cooked soups and stews. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. 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. 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. Since okra can reach 6 feet tall, plant it in an area of the garden . For a successful crop, only grow in areas with warm day and evening temps during the summer. Dont let mature pods stay on the plant; they will become stringy and bitter, andlike summer squashthe plant will stop producing. Tips for avoiding the slime factor of okra, Health Benefits and Home Remedies of Okra, Toilet-paper rolls (yes, these work great! Do you have any essential gardening tools you use that arent listed here? Removing them will encourage more pods to appear higher on the plant. Destroy crop residue, including roots; choose resistant varieties; solarize soil; add aged manure/compost; disinfect garden tools; till in autumn; Yellow/white blotches on leaves; scarred, dimpled, or distorted fruit/pods; shriveled seeds; eggs, often keg-shape, in clusters on leaf undersides, Destroy crop residue; handpick (bugs emit odor, wear gloves); destroy eggs, spray nymphs with insecticidal soap; use row covers; weed diligently; till soil in fall, Sticky honeydew (excrement); sooty, black mold; yellow/silver areas on leaves; wilted/stunted plants; distortion; adults fly if disturbed; some species transmit viruses, Remove infested leaves/plants; use handheld vacuum to remove pests; spray water on leaf undersides in morning/evening to knock off pests; monitor adults with yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap; invite beneficial insects and hummingbirds with native plants; weed diligently; use reflective mulch, Sow okra directly into the garden 3 to 4 weeksbefore the last spring. If youre growing in a warm climate, you may cut plants to the ground mid-season to let them grow up again for a fall crop. It will produce pods five to six days after it blooms, and the pods will be ready for harvesting two to three days after they first appear. this is actually enhanced by contact with water in those classic stewed dishes. Once the seeds sprout, thin the seedlings to 18-24 inches apart. Custom programming and server maintenance by Reinvented Inc. Common Garden Weed Identification (with Photos), Misshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers/fruit; sticky honeydew (excrement); sooty, black mold, Plants wilt (sometimes on just one side) in daytime; leaves turn yellow (lower ones first); later, entireplant wilts/dies; stunting; stem cross section reveals brown discoloration, Destroy infected plants; avoid excessive nitrogen; in acidic soils, raise pH to 7.0; choose resistant varieties; disinfect tools; rotate crops, Leaves skeletonized (only veins remain); stems/flowers/fruit chewed; grubs feed on roots, Typically, white spots on upper leaf surfaces expand to flour-like coating over entire leaves; foliage may yellow/die; distortion/stunting of leaves/flowers, Destroy infected leaves or plants; choose resistant varieties; plant in full sun, if possible; ensure good air circulation; spray plants with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 quart water; destroy crop residue, Roots knotty or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wilted. One inch of water per week is ideal, but use more if you are in a hot, aridregion. Dehydrator: A dehydrator can be a really useful way to preserve your okra harvest. Okra should be harvested cut-and-come-againthat means pick pods every other day so that you get pods when they are tender and taste best. Harvesting okra is easy. Bigger than this and you will find that the pods are woody and not as tender as they could be. Harvest okra every other day to keep them producing as long as possible. Note: Okra has large, hairy leaves, as well as tiny spines on its pods, both of which may cause skin irritation; consider wearing gloves and/or long sleeves when handling. Healthy Purple Produce: Should You Eat More Purple Fruits and Vegetables? As each flower fades, you have a three to four day window to wrap up your harvest. Over-the-shoulder harvesting bucket: You know what can make your okra harvesting go twice as fast? Okra lasts less than a week in the refrigerator. A drip-watering irrigation system that operates on a timer is one of the best irrigation solutions for watering plants. Or wash and blanch okra beforefreezing. 0.215 mg of vitamin B6. Harvesttotable.com has more than 10 million visitors each year. When transplanting using ourseed starting traysthis will ensure you develop a solid root ball because of the internal root training ribs that help the plants grow properly and reduce transplant shock when placed in the garden area. Our horticultural and agricultural products are largely heirloom varieties that can be reliably offered to our customers year after year. ); The Jambalaya okra is a hybrid variety that produces green pods that have heavy yields that are great for pickling, frying, or stewing. This tool is a vinyl-coated ring that slides onto your finger that makes it easier to harvest vegetables and cut twine when using the trellising technique. Food Gardening Network is an active member of the following industry associations: Food Gardening Network Harvest okra when pods are 1 to 4 inches long. Email: hello@okra.ai. Leaving the pods on the plant to mature like this slows down the development of new pods. Do you have any okra harvesting tips and tricks? This type of system better controls how much water you use, minimizes water lost to evaporation, and more exactly directs water to where you want to soak your soil. Harvest okra pods using garden pruners or scissors leaving a short stub attached to the fruit. A planting distance of 50 x 50 cm would be ideal. Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. When planting okra the best time to plant is during the spring, summer, or fall months. [7] 6. Don't be surprised if your red types turn green, or at least a paler shade of red, during cooking. Mequoda Publishing Network The blade is fixed and only sharp on the inside making it safer to carry and use around the garden. I would never try it again. Okra pods are best when picked young. In central Iowa, mid to late May would be an appropriate planting date. 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. It can also be used for cutting other types of vegetables from the plant such as green beans (pole or bush). Harvest your okra using a sharp knife or pruning shears and be sure to make a clean cut. Okra is mainly grown for its green tender nutritive fruits. Okra not only produces pods quickly, but the pods also grow and mature quickly. 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) To avoid having to climb a ladder to harvest your okra, you can trim it back. Okra grows very fast; therefore, it must be harvested every 2 days. If the pods are still developing, your plant is stillhealthy. You can soak the seeds overnight in tepid water to help speed upgermination. On the stove, cook for 25 minutes and the soft insides of okra will help create a nice thick savory broth to serve overrice. Soaking aids moisture absorption and germination. Okra grows best in warm, humid weather and requires full sun. The Malvaceous plant family members youve probably grown or are familiar with are hibiscus and hollyhock. What do I need to do, In reply to I live in south Georgia my by karen (not verified). Flowers and pods first appear at the base of the plant and then keep producing upward. If you let it get any longer than that it becomes tough, woody and pretty much inedible. The Memorial Day Flower: The Story of The Red American Legion Poppy, The Dahlia Chronicles, Part III: The Grande Dames of the Dahlia Garden-The Dinnerplate Dahlias, The Science & Art of Growing Tomatoes in Containers, The Dibber-A Marriage of Garden Art and Functionality. Thin to one plant per pot/cell. Transplant 12-18" apart in rows 3' apart. If you leave them too long, the pods get hard and woody. If you struggle to cut the stem of the okra pods, it's very likely too old to eat. Prune dwarf varieties of okra in the same way to rejuvenate the plants. While tedious and even sometimes difficult to do with a watering can, you might want to consider an irrigation method for keeping your plants slowly and deeply watered. Sign up for our newsletter. Air fryer: Air frying isnt limited to okra, but its a lower-calorie alternative to regular frying. Uncredited photos via Shutterstock. Okras BB-pellet size seeds have a hard shell. 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. The device has been described as used for cutting an okra pod or flower from a plant. The ideal size to pick okra is 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long. The Global Okra market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2023 and 2029. If the stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old and should be tossed. Even inferior metal trowels can bend in hard clay or rocky soil. So here we go with step by step instructions. Your email address will not be published. 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. Dont be surprised if your red types turn green, or at least a paler shade of red, during cooking. Okra pods should be harvested when they are young and tender and no more than 3-4 inches long.