Okra is tricky . It ’s in reality quick to peck before the pod are to the full fledged . Okra acquire so many pods so quickly though , that it ’s easy for pods to slip past you , but fledged seedcase are too tough and woody to eat . Leaving ripe pod on the works also slows the production of fresh pod , so harvest pods as you find them and compost ripe ones .
When to Go on Pod Alert
Depending on the diverseness and thegrowing conditions , gumbo reaches due date 50 to 65 day after you set it . So you’re able to count forward from the escort you found your Hibiscus esculentus and start watching for pods about a hebdomad before that date and for signs of blossom about two weeks before that day of the month . Pods will begin to appear five to six years after your okra blossom .
Prime Pod Watch Locations
The first flowers and seedpod will appear under the large leaves at the base of the plant . You will have to gently crowd these foliage away when looking for cod . As you move these leaves out of the way , be deliberate not to knock any efflorescence bud , bloom , or freshly forming pod off of your okra plant .
As you harvest these first , humiliated - hanging fruits , the blooms and pods will begin to come along high on the works .
Signs That Your Okra Pods Are Ready to Harvest
Okra cod spring up quickly , and the warm the temperatures the quicker they grow . Once pod begin to seem , you should check your okra plants day by day for pods that are ready for harvest .
When searching for pods that are ready to reap , look for :
If you have longer pods and you are loathe to discard them until you have made absolutely sure that they have become too tough to eat , you have one terminal trial run that you could apply . Take the pods into your kitchen andclean themas if you are catch ready to use them . Then , take a sharp tongue and seek to cut the pod unresolved .
If you may write out them open easy , they are not to a fault matured , but once you cut them open , you should use them like a shot or within a day or two . If the pods are difficult to hack , then they have become too tough , and you should compost them .
Harvesting the Pods
Toharvest your okra , simply expend a knife or pruning shears to abridge the stem about 1/4 column inch above the pod .
When you are harvesting the first pods from low on the plant and you have your pruning shear in one hand and the branches you ’ve push by in the other hand , it ’s hunky-dory to let the pods overleap the short distance to the ground . When you are pick seedpod from higher on the plant , however , seek to catch them to keep them from being bruised by the dip .
Once no more blossom and pods are appear around the lower leave of absence , you may remove those leaves . Removing them will boost pod production higher on the plant life .
Harvesting Pods for Seeds
Toward the end of the growing season , a few hebdomad before the first frost escort in your area , you could start leave ripe seedcase on your plants if you require somepods to harvest for seed . leave the pods on a single works should provide enough seminal fluid for the next growing time of year , if that ’s all you want .
If , however , you are trying to maintain a particular miscellany , you should save the seeds from five to 10 plants . If you are try out to carry on a rarefied variety of okra , then you should save up the seeds from 10 to 25 plants .
The pod that you save for come will be ready for harvest when they turn brown and dry . Cut them from the plant and then dry out them on screenland or landscape gardening material until they become brittle .
When the pod have become unannealed , cut them opened with pruning shears and pour the seed out , and then off the shuck by screening and winnowing the cum . Protect the seeds from pest , and you may put in them in a nerveless , dry , dark space for up to three years .
