OKRA? Can I put it in between tomato plants?

[sheeshshe]

if my tomato plants are 3" apart, is there enough room to put okra in between? I'm not sure how okra looks when its growing as it never grew bigger than 6" before for me.

[gumbo2176]

Okra will grow to between 6 & 8 feet tall by seasons end for me. I wouldn't advise putting it between the tomato plants. Okra likes heat and can tolerate a good bit of drought but if it's watered often, it needs well draining soil

What variety of okra are you trying to grow that only get to be 6 inches tall?

Or is that a typo????? By the way, my variety is Clemson Spineless.

[sheeshshe]

it was clemson spineless that I tried growing before. it only GOT 6" tall. isn't supposed to. it just didn't grow and then it made one okra. LOL IDK why it didn't grow. and last year it was a HOT summer and extra long summer and they didn't get taller than 1" and then died.

so IDK why its not growing.. I was hoping that since they're growing ok in the cold frame that maybe this is the lucky year. just how wide do they grow?

I was planning on putting them in my over flow area and realized yesterday that it gets shade there around 330pm so now I don't know where to put them.

[gumbo2176]

Well, like I mentioned between 6-8 ft. tall by seasons end and between 3-4 ft round at the widest part of the plant. When I pulled the plants I had to take a machete to cut the stalks about 2 ft. off the ground to get rid of the bulk of the plants and then had to dig and pry the rest of the trunk and roots out of the ground. Some of the trunks were between 2-3 inches thick.

Right now my okra is about 3 ft. tall and I have about 40 pods that I'm going to grill tonight to go with dinner. I'm smoking a 9 lb. brisket now and will have grilled okra, zucchini, yellow crook neck squash and corn. I also have some Basil/Cheese bread left over from 2 days ago.

[gumbo2176]

I was planning on putting them in my over flow area and realized yesterday that it gets shade there around 330pm so now I don't know where to put them.

My okra gets full sun till around 4:30, then the house shades that area of garden. So, you are only getting 1 hr. or so less sunlight a day than I am. I'm perplexed as to why it is not growing for you since it is one of the easiest, low maintenance crops that grow in the summer. All you have to do is pick the okra when it is ready and it will continue making more. If you stop picking, the plant slows production.

[sheeshshe]

holey smokes! those are gigantic plants! I doubt mine will get that large with the growing season. heck, they probably wont grow again I figure I'd put a plastic over it maybe and get it good and hot and then maybe it'll grow? yet, now I have no place to put them. unless I put them where it gets shade mid day. but that isn't going to work. shoot. too late to dig up my onions and move those, I'msure.

[applestar]

Hmm.. This thread seems appropriate and I won't have to start another -- any reason to think Okra shouldn't be planted where solanacea (in my case, potatoes, but tomatoes, peppers, eggplants too) were last year?

Also, though this might not quite fit -- could I sow Purple Hull beans among the Okra if Okra has a head start?

[sheeshshe]

I had it in full all day sun last year and it still didn't grow! and it was a HOT HOT HOT summer, and an extra long summer for us too. we had an extra month of summer. it should have produced!

so, do you think that if I put it on that side of the house that gets the shade, but put a plastic covering over it until it gets really large and the good heat of the summer comes, it might do OK? I want to make okra work because it is my DH's favorite and he's from NC and always had summer okra

[sheeshshe]

maybe my soil didn't have the right nutrients for it?

[gumbo2176]

Hmm.. This thread seems appropriate and I won't have to start another -- any reason to think Okra shouldn't be planted where solanacea (in my case, potatoes, but tomatoes, peppers, eggplants too) were last year?

Also, though this might not quite fit -- could I sow Purple Hull beans among the Okra if Okra has a head start?

To tell the truth Applestar, I plant my okra in the same 2 sections of row each year and have never had a problem with the growth, production or diseases. That stuff is as hearty as bamboo in my opinion and near impossible to kill unless you really want to.

I'm assuming you're talking about purple hull pole beans to climb on the okra plants??? I think that would work IF you let the okra get about a 3 ft. head start since the bean vines will grow much faster than the okra will. You've given me an idea since my okra is now 3 ft. tall.


Gotta love this place!!!!

[Bobberman]

If your tomatoes are three inches appart that is way too close. I would not plant tomatoes less than 9 nches appart!

[applestar]

I grew Burgundy Okra ...last year? No two years ago?
Two of three I bought on late season sale -- COMPLETELY root bound in a tiny 4-cell pack (one cell was empty). They only grew to about 3 feet. I blame the standing to the root bound state of the transplants though.

Gorgeous plants with sweet light yellow/Cream flower followed by the dark red pods.

I planted one in an exposed hot dry raised bed and the other one against the SSW side of the house. Don't remember what I did with the 3rd but it didn't make it.

I tried saving seeds from the last pod but the seeds wouldn't grow -- maybe they weren't mature enough.

This year, I have Alabama Red? Crimson? Starts and direct seeding ClemsonSpineless.

Anyway, @Sheeshshe -- maybe try putting them in the hottest location you can? I think I would experiment with dark colored 1/2 barrel planters. If you are like me, I'd be happy if just a couple of plants grew and produced one year.

[gumbo2176]

I had it in full all day sun last year and it still didn't grow! and it was a HOT HOT HOT summer, and an extra long summer for us too. we had an extra month of summer. it should have produced!

so, do you think that if I put it on that side of the house that gets the shade, but put a plastic covering over it until it gets really large and the good heat of the summer comes, it might do OK? I want to make okra work because it is my DH's favorite and he's from NC and always had summer okra

This is the first year I've ever started my okra in starter pots. I did so in early March and they came up in about a week. I let them grow in the plastic 6 packs until early April then transplanted. I did lose several to cut worms and direct sowed the seeds in the ground to replace them. The direct sown seed plants are as tall and vigorous as the transplants now so I'll just go back to direct sowing them next year.

As far north as you are, maybe okra just isn't in the plans for some reason. I mean if you have good sun, hot temperatures and enough water to keep them happy then I'd look to the soil as a possible reason you're not having any success.

My soil is clay based, so much so it like to killed me making my garden the first time. After many years and far too many truck loads of organic matter to count, my soil is now as good as it ever has been, but it has been a bit of work getting there. If nothing else, get a soil test done to see if there is something missing.

[gumbo2176]

If your tomatoes are three inches appart that is way too close. I would not plant tomatoes less than 9 nches appart!

I'm pretty sure she meant 3 ft. apart and just hit the wrong key.

[sheeshshe]

ooops! I hit the shift key by accident! sorry about that! yes 3'

[gumbo2176]

If your tomatoes are three inches appart that is way too close. I would not plant tomatoes less than 9 nches appart!

Bobberman is starting a new gardening trend. 3/4 Square Foot Gardening.
Look for the book to be released soon at a nursery near you.

[Bobberman]

How did you know that?

[gumbo2176]

How did you know that?

You're a business man with a pretty good product on the market now. So knowing that, I'm going to assume you're willing to expand and corner a new market. Before you know it, you're idea is the next best thing since sliced bread and you'll raking in millions of dollars. Of course you'll have to share some royalties with Mel Bartholemew, the originator of Square FOOT gardening.

[sheeshshe]

what you all don't know is that I have a pending patent LOL! NOT on anything gardening though

I'm going to google planting OKRA again in my area. I did get the seeds from a local seeds place. and I swear I googled it before and it can be done, but I'm going to again

I assume that they'd not work in a 5g bucket?

[sheeshshe]

Here is a pretty good and thorough article. I should be able to grow it just fine according to this

https://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/2867/okra-grows-up-north

[Bobberman]

Great article. I guess when you find out more info on a veg you will want to grow it! Thanks