The Latest Okra Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Okra, also known as okra pod, goat's horn bean, and goat's horn pepper, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Malvaceae family, grown for its tender pods, which are harvested for eating; the tender flowers and leaves are also edible. It originated in Africa and later spread to the Americas. Today the largest okra producing area is there——the southern United States, where Americans have given it an easier-to-remember name——“plant Viagra”. In China, it is now grown in places such as Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Anhui, Heilongjiang and Shaanxi, and seeds are available from places such as Jiangsu Changjing Garden and Guangdong.

Growing Conditions

Okra likes warmth and fears severe cold, and has strong heat tolerance. Growth stops below 8°C; when the air temperature is 13°C and the soil temperature is around 15°C, the seeds can germinate. However, the optimum temperature for both seed germination and the growing period is 25~30°C. When the monthly average temperature is below 17°C, flowering and fruiting are affected; when the night temperature is below 14°C, growth is slow, the plants are short, the leaves are narrow, there are few flowers and many flowers drop. At the optimum 26~28°C, there are more flowers, a high fruit-setting rate, fast fruit development, high yield and good quality.

1. Water

Okra is drought-tolerant and moisture-tolerant, but not waterlogging-tolerant. If the soil is too wet during the germination period, it easily triggers damping-off in the seedlings. If there is drought during the fruiting period, the plants grow poorly and the quality is inferior, so the soil should always be kept moist.

2. Light

Okra is especially sensitive to light conditions; it likes strong light and requires a long photoperiod and sufficient light. A sunny plot should be chosen, ventilation should be enhanced, and reasonable close planting should be observed so as to avoid shading one another and affecting ventilation and light penetration.

3. Soil

Nutrition: Okra has a fairly wide adaptability to soil and is not particular about soil fertility, but loam or sandy loam with a deep soil layer, that is loose and fertile, and well drained is preferable. In the early stage of growth, the fertilizer should be mainly nitrogen, while in the middle and late stages more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is needed. However, too much nitrogen fertilizer makes the plants prone to excessive vegetative growth, delays flowering and fruiting, and raises the node position of fruit set; too little nitrogen fertilizer causes poor plant growth and affects flowering and fruit set.

Growth Cycle

1. Germination Period

From sowing to the flattening of the 2 cotyledons is the germination period, taking about 10~15 days. Sown at the optimum temperature of 25~30°C, the seeds germinate and emerge in 4~5 days. Usually, direct sowing in the open field takes about 7 days for the seedlings to emerge, and plastic film mulching can advance emergence by 2~4 days.

2. Seedling Period

From the flattening of the 2 cotyledons to the opening of the first flower, it takes about 40~45 days. Generally, after the cotyledons have fully unfolded, the first true leaf unfolds after 15~25 days. After that, one true leaf appears every 2~4 days, of which the first and second true leaves are round. Growth is slow during the seedling period, and even more so when the soil temperature is too low.

3. Flowering and Fruiting

The period from the first flower to the end of harvest takes about 85~120 days. The first flower opens 50~55 days after emergence. The first and second flowers take slightly longer from flowering to harvest. As the temperature rises thereafter, the harvest time shortens. Usually, the first harvest can be made about 70 days after sowing. At the optimum daytime temperature of 28~32°C and night temperature of 18~20°C, harvesting can be done 4 days after flowering. After flowering and fruiting, okra grows faster and its vigor increases, especially at high temperatures, when one true leaf unfolds every 3 days in July, while in September it takes 4~5 days for one true leaf to unfold.