How to grow okra in South Africa

Originating in Africa, okra is a popular vegetable cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm, temperate regions.

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Okra (Hibiscus esculentus) is valued for its edible green seed pods. It is rarely eaten as is, except when fried with a meal; a small quantity is usually cooked with other vegetables or added to soups and stews.

Okra grows best in well-drained, sandy loam soils. A poorly drained soil may cause the plant to drown. Okra is highly sensitive to soils with a hardpan: soil compaction can severely restrict plant growth.

The optimal soil temperature for growth is 24°C to 32°C, and the minimum soil temperature is 18°C. Damping off (seed rot) and seed decay are likely to occur at a soil temperature below 21°C.

PREPARATION

Turn the soil after the harvest in autumn and early spring. This will expose overwintering insects to frost, killing them, and bring weed seeds to the surface to germinate. The weed seedlings will be destroyed when you disc the soil before planting, thereby reducing chemical use and saving on labour for weeding.

Recommended row spacing is 71cm to 96cm, with 20cm to 30cm between plants in the row. Treat the seeds to reduce damping off and plant them 2cm to 5cm deep. The recommended seeding rate is four to six seeds per 30cm.

When the plants are 8cm tall, thin them out so that they are 20cm to 30cm apart. Between 5kg and 6kg of seeds are required to plant 1ha. If a precision planter is used, plant at a rate of 3kg/ha.

Okra has a thick seed coat and does not germinate easily. Encourage germination by soaking seeds in water four to six hours or overnight immediately before planting. The seed must be surface dried for mechanical planting. Before planting, carry out a soil analysis and follow its recommendations. A high level of nitrogen (N) will cause excessive vegetative growth, reducing yield.