oldleo
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:41 am
Location: kuching

Help! My okra plant is not bearing fruits!

A normal okra flower looks like this
[img]https://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/oldee9327/mini-IMG_1546.jpg[/img]

This okra plant is bearing flowers without stigma,
[img]https://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/oldee9327/mini-IMG_1540.jpg[/img]

without pollination so no fruits,
[img]https://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/oldee9327/mini-IMG_1542.jpg[/img]

Can anyone help? How to make this plant bear fruits?

LindsayArthurRTR
Green Thumb
Posts: 527
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 10:41 pm
Location: South Carolina, Upstate

Those stubby things under the flowers are actually the pods. I see you have quite a few pods on that plant, but they are small. I have never seen an okra plant do that. Is it the only plant? The flower looks normal to me. And you plant looks nice and healthy too. Did it ever make full sized okra?

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

[quote="LindsayArthurRTR"]Those stubby things under the flowers are actually the pods. I see you have quite a few pods on that plant, but they are small.


Lindsay, that is what I was thinking. If this is the only plant, perhaps this is not enough to pollinate them properly. I have 30 or so plants in 2 rows adjacent to each other, each about 20 feet long and that has given me more okra than I actually need.

And yes, those stubby things are the actual okra and I too have never seen that happen. From the number of them still on the plant, I'd say he hasn't picked a pod off that plant. Okra will form flowers farther up the stem each time and the pods below it will mature quite fast--------within a couple days to reach picking stage. Definitely something strange going on there.

oldleo
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:41 am
Location: kuching

LindsayArthurRTR wrote:Those stubby things under the flowers are actually the pods. I see you have quite a few pods on that plant, but they are small. I have never seen an okra plant do that. Is it the only plant? The flower looks normal to me. And you plant looks nice and healthy too. Did it ever make full sized okra?
The flower did not have stigma(purple color at the center). No pollination took place, so the pods did not develop....
Please have a look at these two other normal plants below
[img]https://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/oldee9327/mini-IMG_1553.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee61/oldee9327/mini-IMG_1555.jpg[/img]
Last edited by oldleo on Thu Sep 23, 2010 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

oldleo
Full Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:41 am
Location: kuching

gumbo2176 wrote:
LindsayArthurRTR wrote:Those stubby things under the flowers are ......... Definitely something strange going on there.
Yes, it's strange, anyone knows the reason why this okra plant produces flowers without stigma?

gumbo2176
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3065
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 2:01 am
Location: New Orleans

by your posting other pics of okra plants, I take it you have several growing in your garden. They seem to be doing fine.

Strange things happen in nature. If the strangest thing that happens to you is an okra plant that doesn't produce okra, consider yourself pretty lucky. I've grown green beans that made lots of foliage but no beans, tomatoes that should make fist size fruit that produce something in the size of a small plum. How many pics of 2 headed calves or snakes have you seen? These things sometimes happen.



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