okra...

[sheps4her]

How tall is okra suppose to get, and when do you harvest? I got seeds with no instructions. they are growing, and I think they are starting to develop....but they seem small to me. In fact, everything I am growing so far seems to be smaller than it should be....maybe I bought mutant shrinking soil!!!!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Okra gets about 3-6 feet depending on the variety. We usually harvest ours when they're about 2-3 inches long. They need to be harvest frequently or the pods get tough real quick. Chances are if the pods are hard to cut then it's too late to eat and the pods won't be tender at all. Make sure you cut the pod with sharp pruning shears to reduce damage to the plant. Also, wear gloves when picking okra, they have these nasty tiny hairs that irritate skin, at least they irritate my skin. :/

Most plants start producing flowers when they are smaller and shoot up so I wouldn't worry too much. Are they planted in containers or in the ground?

Good luck!

 

[sheps4her]

They are in a raised bed. They are maybe 5 inches tall. It just seems strange... my cucumber plants are small, but they are starting to produce...so are my zuccini. And everywhere I read said tha zuccini takes over! And then there is the corn that is tassling out and most of them are less than 2 feet tall. Go figure...

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Wow. Talk about intensive gardening!

You may want to pick off flowers from some plants to give them a chance to grow a bit bigger.

What are your watering methods, if I may ask? Also, what kind of soil do you have?

Sometimes when plants are stressed (which is common during hot summer days) they will try to flower and set fruit early to promote survivability. Lack of good deep watering might be the culprit. As may be pests and disease.

 

[sheps4her]

Everything is in raised beds with organic soil. I will try watering more. They do say that raised beds require more watering..... I just thought I was watering enough. All the plants look healthy,,,,just small. I will try pinching off the flowers of the smaller plants. Now my garden beans and my peas grew like mad! everything else seems stunted.

 

[Tutter]

Oakland, it irritates me, too. I think that's a pretty common problem. We relegate it to the back of the beds when we grow it, so it's not brushed against while caring for other plants.