Okra Plants. How tall are the plants before they start to produce blooms?
Monday, November 9th, 2009 at
2:28 am
Usually, how tall are okra plants before they start to bloom? My plant is about 1ft tall. It looks very healthy but I have not seen any blooms yet. Thanks for any help.
Filed under: Plants
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Mine start blooming when they’re about 6 feet tall. There are different varieties of okra and it may be different from variety to variety.
Okra is heat loving crop, originating in North Africa, where it was been cultivated for centuries. Okra was introduced to Brazil in
1658 and entered North America with the slave trade. With an increasing interest in regional cooking, okra is finding its way into more grocery stores and more Saskatchewan home gardens.
Okra is member of the Mallow family and is closely related to the tropical flowering hibiscus. This close relationship explains the large, attractive, yellow flowers produced by this plant. The heart-shaped, lobed leaves have long stems and are attached to a thickly wood stem. The fruit develops in the leaf axil and is a long generally ribbed pod that develops rapidly after flowering.
Although okra prefers a long, hot growing season, cultivars have been developed that are fast maturing and small fruited. These dwarf types reach a height of 2 feet and require 7-9 weeks to mature. Some cultivars that do well locally include Emerald, Dark Green Long Pod, Anne Oakly and Perkins Spineless. Although more difficult to obtain, the cultivar Burgundy produces a novel
purple pod. Like tomatoes and peppers, okra needs special attention to cultural practices. Okra should be started indoors 3-6 weeks before the last frost. Once the risk of frost is over, transplant into a sunny sheltered spot in the garden, or against a south-facing wall or fence. This will be the optimal microenvironment for okra. You can further enhance the growing conditions by the use of plastic mulch and row covers.
The soil should be loose and of moderate fertility. Care must be taken to avoid root damage when transplanting, as okra is sensitive to root shock. Adding compost or other organic matter to the soil prior to planting will increase both the quantity and quality of the fruit. Okra should be planted 1 foot apart. For the average home garden, 4-6 plants should be sufficient, as much each plant will produce a kilogram of pods. Okra will tolerate drought, but responds to plenty of water. Okra has no major insect
or disease problems, but is very frost sensitive.
The pods are ready to be harvested once they are 2-4 inches long. If allowed to grow larger they become tough and fibrous. Harvesting often (every 2-3 days), and thoroughly ensures continued production. Pods can be removed by hand or with the
aid of scissors or knife.
Okra should be used the same day as harvested or frozen. Fresh okra should be stored below 45 F, otherwise chilling injury and decay will occur. Pods may be sliced and cooked in soups, curries and stews, where they have thickening effect. Okra forms an integral part of many Cajun and Creole recipes. In some countries okra is dried (bamia) for long-term storage.
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Okra is not well adapted to Oregon climatic conditions, requiring high soil temperatures and high day and night temperatures for best production. Okra may be grown in the warmer parts of the state when special efforts are made to provide the proper environmental conditions. This would include the use of plastic mulch and wind breaks to improve temperatures around the plant and in the soil.
it is all according to the type of okra plant you have ..there is one that flower after six weeks of planting..it is called the six weeks okra..
the other ones take longer time period…