growing okra - part II

​In my previous post, I discussed growing okra and outlined some general tips for success.  In this post, I will cover some specific tips for sowing, planting and harvesting okra.

Sowing seeds

•          Okra is most commonly green in colour.  The main variety in New Zealand is Clemson Spineless (distributed by Yates and Kings Seeds).  Kings Seeds also have a green variety called Millionaire F1 and Egmont Seeds have one called Emerald Green.  It’s also possible to grow red okra.  Both Kings Seeds and Egmont sell a burgundy variety.  Kings Seeds also have an orange variety called “Jing Orange”
•          I personally think it’s better to raise seedlings in punnets first and then transplant them later, either into the garden or in pots, depending on how you want to grow them
•          Don’t sow okra seeds too early.  Depending on the weather, I normally sow seeds between mid-November and the beginning of December.  By this time, temperatures are consistently warmer, especially at night. There’s no point trying to get a head start only for temperatures to drop later on, which will cause your plants to die
•          Okra seeds have a hard coating, so soak them overnight to aid germination
•          Okra requires warmth to germinate.  Using a heat pad can help, especially as the temperature falls at night time
•          Use a high quality seed raising mix rather than potting mix or garden soil for germinating seeds.  I recommend Gardn Gro’s seed raising mix (the company delivers direct to your door).  I have also used Yates Black Magic seed raising mix in the past, with good results
•          If your seedlings fail, it is possible to find okra plants at certain garden centres.  I’ve seen plants at Palmers and Kings Plant Barn in Auckland.  Getting okra to germinate isn’t the hard part though, it’s seeing your plants through to maturity that can be more tricky, especially if it isn’t a great summer.  Even if you purchase plants, you might still encounter problems later on

Planting okra

•          Choose a site with full sun, whether you’re growing okra in containers or in the ground
•          If you’re going to the effort of growing okra, aim to have at least a dozen plants.  This might sound like a lot, but you’ll find that okra doesn’t mature all at once.  In order to have a decent feed, you’ll need more than just a couple of plants
•          Once it is warm enough, okra grows fairly rapidly.  Generally speaking, okra grows over summer and crops in autumn.  Our plants usually crop in March and April
•          Take care when transplanting seedlings not to disturb the roots too much
•          To encourage growth, liquid feed plants weekly.  A fertiliser that’s formulated for fruiting veggies is perfect.  I’m going to use my Yates Thrive Tomato Liquid Plant Food fertiliser on ours
•          Okra is self-pollinating.  Plants produce both male and female flowers and are fertilised by their own pollen.  They do not require insects or the wind to pollinate them.  This makes them suitable for growing in a glasshouse, which I recommend if your climate is marginal

Harvesting okra

•          Pick pods regularly otherwise they will become tough to eat.  Harvesting regularly will also encourage further fruiting
•          Okra can be stored in the fridge if you don’t want to eat them immediately.  It should keep for a week or so, but usually doesn’t last that long around here!

 
Today’s photo is of my bean seedlings. These were a variety of seeds from the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust.   Our cat Ginger just loves sleeping in her bed in the greenhouse!  Sorry the picture quality is poor – I tried taking this photo many times but it always came out blurry.