How to Harvest Okra

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Okra, a popular vegetable grown in the south, is a main ingredient in many southern dishes, such as gumbos, deep fried okra and pickled okra. Not only is the plant valued for its edible pods, but it is also treasured for the beautiful flowers that resemble the blooms of the hibiscus. Read on to learn how to harvest okra.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Watch for the flowers to fall off the okra plant. Okra generally matures 50 to 60 days after planting. The pods can be picked daily, starting a few days after the flowers fall off the okra plant.

Step2

Determine the perfect size pod to pick. The pods should be 2 to 3 inches long. The pod will be soft, and the seeds will be half grown.

Step3

Wear gloves when harvesting okra. The pods and leaves have prickly hairs that can cause an itchy reaction.

Step4

Cut the okra pods off the stem with a sharp knife. Cut right above the cap. There should be very little stem attached to the pod.

Step5

Continue to pick okra daily. If pods are not picked everyday, the plants will stop producing pods. When harvested frequently, the plants will continue producing pods until the first frost. The normal harvest season lasts from May to mid-August.

Step6

Monitor the outside temperature. The warmer the temperature, the faster the okra pods will develop and mature.

Step7

Prune the okra plant's main stem back by a third in late summer. This will encourage the plant to grow lateral branches and produce new flowers and pods.

Tips & Warnings

Okra can be stored for two days after harvest. Refrigerated okra can be stored for up to a week.
The pods grow very quickly. Do not leave them on the plant too long or they become woody and inedible.