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GREEN-Seeds.com
vegetables & herbs
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Okra
Abelmoschus
esculentus
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.
VARIETIES
Green types:
Blondy, 48-50 days, dwarf plant 3' high, spineless, ribbed, lime-green.
Prelude, 52 days, plants 3-4' tall.
Clemson Spineless, 55 days, plants 5' tall, pods 5-6" long, large diameter,
most commonly available variety.
Emerald, 55 days, plants 5' tall, pods to 8" long, small diameter.
Perkins Mammoth Long Pod, 60 days, plants 6 to 10' tall, pods 7-8" long,
intense green.
Cajun Delight
Green Best
Red types:
Red Okra, 55 to 65 days, 3 to 4' tall, bushy plants with 6 to 7" pods.
Red Velvet, similar to Red Okra.
Burgundy
SOIL
Well drained,
sandy soils are preferred. Addition of manure or other organic material
is usually beneficial on such light-textured soils. Okra grows best in
neutral to slightly alkaline soils, pH 6.5-7.5.
TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS
Okra is
a tropical plant requiring warm growing conditions. Commercial production
is recommended only in the warmest portions of the state. Night temperatures
should be above 55 F for good growth.
Minimum
soil temperature for germination is 60 F. Optimum soil temperature range
is 75-90 F.
SEEDING
Okra seed
numbers approximately 8,000 per pound. Use approximately 8-12 lb seed/acre.
Plant 1 inch deep, 4-6 seeds/foot of row. Thin to desired spacing when
plants are 3 inches tall.
Germination
many be enhanced by soaking seeds several (4-6 hours) hours or overnight
immediately before planting. The seed will need to be surface dried for
mechanical planting.
SPACING
Rows 36-48
inches apart, 12-24 inches between plants. Tall or spiny cultivars require
wide spacing.
TRANSPLANTING
Growers
interested in early fresh market or in short growing season areas may
find it profitable to transplant. Sow seeds in 2-inch pots or cell-packs,
3 seeds per pot, 1/4 inch deep, 4-5 weeks ahead of transplanting. Thin
to 1 plant per pot or cell.
FERTILIZER
The following
are general recommendations. Before planting apply:
Nitrogen:
30-50 lb/acre applied at planting. Side dress with an additional 35-50
lb N/acre when plants are 8-10 inches tall, or use 25 lb N/acre after
first fruit set and again after 4-6 weeks at the same rate. Adequate nitrogen
is necessary to ensure a long harvest period; however, excessive rates
are to be avoided as they can cause okra to become excessively vegetative.
Phosphorus:
50-100 lb/acre, all applied at, or before planting.
IRRIGATION
Okra requires
adequate soil moisture throughout its entire growing period if optimum
growth and yield are to be obtained. Avoid heavy early irrigations as
these can cool the soil and slow development.
PLASTIC ROW COVERS AND MULCHES
 Black plastic mulch
may increase soil temperatures, will control weeds, and conserve moisture,
increasing yield and earliness. For black plastic mulch to increase soil
temperature, it is critical that the soil surface be smooth and that the
plastic adhere to the soil surface. This can only be accomplished with a
plastic laying maching designed and adjusted properly for this purpose.
Clear plastic mulch is very effective at increasing soil temperature but
does not control weeds.
A new generation of
plastic mulch films allows for good weed control together with soil warming
that is intermediate between black plastic and clear film. These films are
called IRT (infrared-transmitting) or wavelength-selective films. They are
more expensive than black or clear films, but may be cost-effective where
soil warming is important.
A new generation of
plastic mulch films allows for good weed control together with soil warming
that is intermediate between black plastic and clear film. These films are
called IRT (infrared-transmitting) or wavelength-selective films. They are
more expensive than black or clear films, but may be cost-effective where
soil warming is important. (See also section on spacing).
Plastic, spunbonded,
and non-woven materials have been developed as crop covers for use as windbreaks,
for frost protection, and to enhance yield and earliness. They complement
the use of plastic mulch and drip irrigation in many crops. Some sources
of these materials and information on their use are:
American AgriFabrics,
Alpharetta, GA. Phone 770-663-700, fax: 770-663-7690, email: dan@agrofabric.com.
Ken-Bar, Inc., Reading, MA. Phone: 800-336-8882, fax: 781-944-1055, email:
kenbarinc@msn.com.
Non-woven or spunbonded
polyester and polypropylene, and perforated polyethylene, row covers may
be used for 4-8 weeks immediately after transplanting. Covers should be
removed when plants begin to flower to permit proper pollination. Row covers
can increase heat unit accumulation by 2-3 times over ambient. Up to 4 F
of frost protection may also be obtained at night. Soil temperatures and
root growth can also be increased under row covers as are early yields,
and in some cases total yields.
HARVESTING, HANDLING, AND STORAGE
Okra pods should be
harvested while still tender and before the seeds are half grown. This is
usually 5-6 days after flowering. Pods with tips that will bend between
the fingers without breaking are too tough for use as fresh fruit. Consumer
preference demands pods 2.5-3.5 inches long. Okra should be harvested about
3 times each week. Regular picking increases yield. Remove and discard old
pods from the plant as such pods will retard pod set and reduce total yield.
Under good conditions 300 to 400 lb might be obtained per picking per acre.
In the warmer, longer season areas of Oregon (the Columbia and Snake River
areas) okra might be harvested over a 50 to 60 day season.
Okra plants and pods
may have small spines to which some people are allergic. Pickers should
wear gloves and long sleeved shirts as skin protection.
STORAGE (quoted from USDA Ag. Handbook # 66):
Hold okra at 45 to 50
F and 90 to 95 % relative humidity. Okra deteriorates rapidly and is normally
stored only briefly to hold for marketing or processing. Large quantities
are canned, frozen or brined. It has a very high respiration rate at warm
temperatures and should therefore be promptly cooled to retard heating and
subsequent deterioration.
Okra in good condition
can be stored satisfactorily for 7 to 10 days at 45 to 50 F. At higher temperatures
toughening, yellowing, and decay are rapid. A relative humidity of 90 to
95 % is desirable to prevent shriveling. At temperatures below 45 F, okra
is subject to chilling injury, which is manifested by surface discoloration,
pitting, and decay. Holding okra for 3 days at 32 F may cause severe pitting.
Contact ice or top ice will cause water spotting in 2 or 3 days.
Fresh okra bruises easily,
the bruises blackening within a few hours. A bleaching type of injury may
also develop when okra is held in hampers for more than 24 hours without
refrigeration. Storage containers should permit ventilation.
Prepackaging in perforated
film is helpful. both to prevent wilting and physical injury during handling.
Results of a packaging study suggest that 5 to 10 % carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere lengthens shelf life by about a week. Higher concentrations of
carbon dioxide caused off-flavors.
PACKAGING
Okra is
shipped in bushel hampers or crates, holding 30 lb net; 5/9-bushel crates,
18 lb net; 12-quart baskets, 15-18 lb net; or loose pack in cartons or
L.A. lugs, 18 lb net.
PEST CONTROL FOR OKRA
WEED CONTROL
The Pacific Northwest
Weed Control Handbook has no control entries for this crop. Herbicides registered
for okra, but not evaluated by University personnel in the Pacific Northwest,
include glyphosate and trifluralin. Consult labels for rates, restrictions,
and weeds controlled.
Cultivate as often as
necessary when weeds are small. Proper cultivation, field selection and
rotations can reduce or eliminate the need for chemical weed control.
INSECT CONTROL
The Pacific Northwest
Insect Control Handbook has no control entries for this crop. Insecticides
registered, but not evaluated in the Pacific Northwest, include Cythion,
Bacillus thuringiensis, malathion, Nemacur, Sevin, and Telone. Consult labels
for rates, restrictions, and insects controlled.
Proper rotations and
field selection can minimize problems with insects.
DISEASE CONTROL
The Pacific Northwest
Disease Control Handbook has no control entries for this crop. Fungicides
registered, but not evaluated in the Pacific Northwest, include Apron and
Telone. Consult labels for rates, restrictions, and diseases controlled.
Proper rotations, field
selection, sanitation, spacings, fertilizer and irrigation practices can
reduce the risk of many diseases. Fields can be tested for presence of harmful
nematodes. Using seed from reputable sources reduces risk from "seedborne"
diseases.
Use spacings and irrigations
practices that minimize diseases and allow for cultivation. Choose fields
free of perennial weeds and where related crops have not been grown for
the previous three years to minimize problems with diseases and weeds.
For updates on above
information and authors, please click on osu.orst.edu/Dept/NWREC/vegindex.html
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Green - Seeds Co., Ltd.
81/10B Ho Van Hue Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ward 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (8) 847 6901 - Fax: +84 (8) 844 1392 - Email: info@green-seeds.com
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