Okra, is this the dreaded Nematode ??

[hardland]

I have been trying to grow some Okra over the hot FL summer. I read it was a good summer vegatable. All my plants seem to reach about 6 inches, then stop doing anything. THis morning I looked underneath a leaf and spotted some tiny bugs, that had left brown spots. I wonder if this is a nematoded problem?

[TZ -OH6]

Nematodes are microscopic worms. You won't see them, but they make the roots turn knobby

[gumbo2176]

I can't understand why you are having problems with okra. They are generally one of the easiest plants to grow. They require little attention other than to make sure you pick often enough to keep them producing and are heat and drought tolerant.

I live in zone 9 also and put my okra seeds in the ground in mid to late May and I prefer the Clemson Spineless variety.

[cynthia_h]

What is your soil like? Does it provide any nutrition to the plants? This is my first thought.

My second is to wonder what the small bugs are....

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[Gary350]

My guess is you have a soil problem. I have planted okra on the far west side of my garden where the soil has not been worked much, it is all clay and extremely hard. Okra has a hard time growing in that clay it rarely gets taller than 2 ft therel. If I plant okra in better soil it gets 6 ft tall. My okra always seems to start off very very slow. It starts making okra when it is short about 3 ft tall but by the time it is 6 ft tall I have to pick every day to keep up. Late July and August when temperature is 95 to 100 every day with only a small shower every 3 weeks the okra seems to do better. This is one plant that seems to love it hot and dry. I picked okra 3 days in a row this week the crop is now producing more than we can eat.

[engineeredgarden]

Pull one of the plants up and inspect the roots. That will tell you if it's root-knot nematodes or not.

EG

[hardland]

I used an organic potting mix, jungle growth brand. The bugs look like tiny ants. The plant is in a container.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

Sounds like aphids. What color are the bugs? They may be a nymph of some other type of critter. Leaf footed bugs had been bothering my okra. Their nymphs look like small red ants.

[url]https://www.google.com/m/search?q=leaf+footed+bug+nymph&aq=0p&oq=l&aqi=p1-k1d0t0&fkt=2408&fsdt=4829&csll=&action=&site=images&gl=us&source=mog&ltoken=6f3a9c3d#I=3[/url]

here are aphids with their natural predator.

[url]https://www.google.com/m/search?q=aphids&aq=3&oq=aph&aqi=g4-k3d0t0&fkt=1632&fsdt=7748&csll=&action=&site=images&gl=us&source=mog&ltoken=7f4fff41#I=32[/url]

A picture of your critters would be helpful.

[garden5]

I think this [url=https://www.whatsthatbug.com/]bug identification website[/url] may help.

[lilcee]

I'm having a problem with my Okra too. Mine are covered in ants and a couple of the leaves are dying. I posted a couple of pics in another post before I saw this one.