When picked often, okra … Always follow label directions. 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. Okra is typically ready to harvest from mid August to mid September in the Central/Midwest. The first harvest will be ready about 2 months after planting. Okra that is too mature can be dried, cured, and used in flower arrangements. Okra Harvest Time. How to Harvest Okra. Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Harvest the pods when they are 3 to 4 inches long. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. – Harvesting for Fresh Market: Pods are harvested when they are 2½ to 4½ inches long and graded according to these sizes: Remove all rocks and trash from the soil, and then rake it soil smooth. For a good fall crop, plant at least 3 months before the first fall frost. Our work makes a difference, in the lives of Texans and on the economy. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. The time from planting to harvest is 50 to 65 days. Before using a pesticide, read the label and always follow cautions, warnings, and directions. Don’t worry, these are both cool season crops so they will be harvested and gone before it’s time to harvest okra. Larger varieties retain their tenderness until they reach full size which can be as much as six inches or more. OKRA FLOWER FLOWER SET TO POD POD FORMATION GROWING POD OKRA PODS – HARVEST. Submit. To harvest: Okra plants can produce crop for 10 to 12 weeks. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. The plant can be prickly and scratchy so it is best to use gloves and secateurs when it is time to harvest your crop. Many insecticides are available at garden centers for homeowner use. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. If you are in any other parts of Texas, choose a site that is exposed to sunlight, with deep, well-drained, fertile soil, for ample yields. Pods grow quickly, and unless the older ones are cut off, the plant will stop producing new ones. The best okra varieties to grow in Texas are Annie Oakley (Compact), Blondy (Compact), Burgundy, Cajun Delight, Clemson Spineless, Emerald, Lee, Louisiana Green, Stewart’s Zeebest (Heirloom), and Velvet. Harvest okra every other day or so to ensure regular production. And they often grow quickly, within a few days after flowering. crop from time and place of harvest to the time and place of consumption, with minimum loss, maximum efficiency and maximum return for all involved ... To identify those factors affecting the quality of marketable okra by post harvest handling operations. If you are harvesting okra for processing, you will have to harvest three times a week with pods over 4½ inches long but still tender. When okra starts to bloom, harvest will happen within a few days. After planting, you can start picking most varieties of okra in about 60 to 70 days. It did so well, and I let much of it get too big, before i realized how to harvest. You have some okra growing, but are not sure when is the right time to pick. The larger they grow, the tougher the pods become so harvest regularly. 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Large okra can tend to be stringy and not as tasty. If the okra gets too large, it will be tough and stringy. If the pods are tender, use a sharp knife to cut the stem cleanly just below the okra pod. If you miss the prime harvest time, you can save these larger okra pods to collect the seeds. Check the plants daily and treat them with an approved fungicide if diseases appear. Your Harvest Okra stock images are ready. Sign up for our newsletter. The idea is you want to pick okra when they are young and tender. 3). Sevin is a synthetic insecticide; organic options include sulfur and Bt-based insecticides. Make it a point to harvest okra daily while it is producing – leaving pods on the plant slows or stops production. Space the rows at least 3 feet apart. Thanks for your info here. The optimum conditions for storing fresh okra are a moist environment and temperatures of 45 to 50 °F. Figure 2. Water the plants after fertilizing. Okra pods starts to appear 3-6 days after the flowers appear. Okra can be stored for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Okra matures quickly, especially if you have a summer of hot weather which the plant prefer. Okra matures quickly, especially if you have a summer of hot weather which the plant prefer. Once you’re 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. After the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin them to 1 foot between the plants. Okra blossoms can start appearing in seven or so weeks when conditions are good. Okra plants will produce large flowers about 2 months after planting. Okra plants will benefit both lettuce and green peas. Choosing okra Choose small okra (less than 10 cm long) with smooth, small pods. Harvest Time You want to harvest your okra when it’s around three inches long which is the optimal size for most cultivars before they start getting woody. Because okra is self-pollinating, you can save some of the pods for seeds for the following year. Thanks! Harvest these pods daily based on their growth. When the plants begin to set their pods, harvest them at least every other day. It will take 6 days to grow from a(n) Okra Seed and may be harvested again every 2 days for up to 5 times. I grew okra for the first time – in central NY state. Download a printer-friendly version of this page: Okra, View this publication in Spanish: Cómo cultivar quingombó. If you leave them too long, the pods get hard and woody. More tips at How to Harvest and Store Okra. Traditionally planted in the southern United States, okra is ready for harvesting around 2 months after planting. If they are too difficult to cut, they are too old and should be removed as they will rob the plant of the nutrients it needs to produce new pods. Okra is a crop that can be grown by the player on their farm. Okra should be dry, firm and dark green and snap easily in half. 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