How to Grow Okra? 2019 Planting Technology Guide

Okra is known as the king of vegetables, with extremely high economic and edible value. At present, the cultivation area in Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong and other provinces in China is also very extensive. Below is an introduction to the 2019 okra planting technology for everyone's reference.

I. Planting Time of Okra

Okra prefers warmth and fears frost. The entire growth period should be arranged within the frost-free period, and the flowering and fruiting period should fall in the warm and humid season of each region. For open-field cultivation, sowing is mostly done from April to June across northern and southern China, with harvest from July to October. In North China, sowing is generally done from mid-to-late April to May. In cold northern regions, sunlight greenhouses and plastic tunnels are commonly used for centralized seedling raising, and after the late frost in early spring has passed, the seedlings are transplanted into the field.

II. Variety Selection of Okra

In the Yangtze River basin and South China, varieties such as “Taiwan Wufu”, “Tokyo Five Corners”, and “Beautiful Five Corners” should be selected, generally yielding 1000-2000 kg per mu.

III. Sowing and Seedling Raising of Okra

Direct sowing is the main method. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at 20-25°C for 12 hours, then wipe them dry and germinate them at 25-30°C for 48 hours. When half of the seeds have sprouted white, they can be sown. Dig holes at a row spacing of 70 cm and a plant spacing of 40 cm, first water the bottom thoroughly, sow 2-3 seeds per hole, cover with 2-3 cm of soil, and plant about 6000 holes per mu.

IV. Transplanting of Okra

After the seedlings emerge, weak and diseased seedlings should be removed in time. When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves, thin or transplant them. Plant two rows per bed, with a row spacing of 66 cm and a hole spacing of 40-50 cm, planting 2000-2500 holes per mu, keeping 2 strong seedlings per hole. After thinning, earth up once, and after transplanting, apply enough settled root manure water to help them survive.

V. Field Management of Okra

1. Thinning

The first thinning is done when the heart leaf breaks through, removing residual weak seedlings. The second thinning is done at 2-3 true leaves, keeping strong seedlings. Final thinning is done at 3-4 true leaves, keeping 1 plant per hole.

2. Intertillage, Weeding and Earthing Up

After the seedlings emerge or are transplanted, when the temperature is relatively low, intertillage should be carried out twice in succession to raise the soil temperature and promote seedling recovery.

3. Watering and Fertilizing

(1) Watering

During the growth period, okra requires relatively high air and soil humidity. When water is lacking within 20 days after sowing, manual sprinkler irrigation in the morning and evening is suitable. After the seedlings are somewhat larger, mechanical sprinkler irrigation or furrow irrigation can be used. In hot summer, watering should be done before 9 a.m. and after sunset in the afternoon, to avoid root damage from watering under high temperatures.

(2) Topdressing

On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, appropriate topdressing should be applied, and nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied alone in excess.

VI. Harvesting of Okra

Okra begins to flower and bear fruit node by node from the 4th to 8th node. Under suitable temperature conditions, tender pods can be harvested 2-4 days after the flowers fade. Generally, when the tender pods grow to 6-8 cm long and weigh about 12 g, they can be harvested for market. Harvesting too early results in low yield, while harvesting too late results in heavy fiber and inedibility. In the early harvest period, harvest once every 2-3 days; in the peak harvest period, harvest once a day or every other day; in the mid-to-late harvest period, harvest once every 3-4 days.