Okra question..when to cut it back to make it more productive

[Trophybucks]

You guys were talking about cutting down your okra and it came back thicker and produced more.....Heres the question....how tall do you let it get before you cut it back?   do you wait for it to start blooming?   any directions into actually doing it would be much appreciated.

[mphymel]

My dad and most folks from where I grew up trimmed down everything below the bottom most flower, and as they picked, they would trim along.

I know a few of the best gardeners on the forum don't do it that way, and I have seen pictures of their Okra, and it won't hurt one bit if you dont trim them. Some say trimming makes it easier to pick. Some say trimming makes the plant focus on fruiting. Some say a bushier plant is pulling in more nutrients and therefore can produce more.

I think Tbird and Donald figured out that spacing the plants far apart, like 3 or 6 ft (I believe) and letting them bush out will give higher yields, without a 10 foot tall plant. So next year I plan on trying that.

Hope some of that was useful,
Mark

[joeh20]

I saw a flower on one of my 60 plants today, my God have mercy on my okra picking soul, for it has started and won't stop till a killing frost, its a long way to November.

[Guilt Trip]

A friend said his neighbor had a small farm and use to plant every year a regular truck farmer, His health wouldn't let him do it any more. a Spanish family called him on planting, harvesting okrs on his farm using all his equipment and share the profits, being a good old red neck he had second thoughts, His wife said at least we won't have to pay to mow ? The family planted okra harvested and pruned it back side dressed it to his surprize and had anouther bunker crop He is wondering why he didn't do this several years ago, Oh ! he made more money than he ever did farming, The pickers came with the deal

[LakeRat1]

Trophybucks, I cut the okra stalk back to about 1 ft. high in Aug. by mid Aug. the okra is so tall that you are having to pull it over to pick/cut, take a cane knife or something like that, and whack it off about a ft. above the ground, it will come back with sometime 2 stalks just below where you cut, with a lot of viger, because its not having to feed that big stalk you cut down, That the way i was taugh by my Dad, i also cut the leaves as i cut the okra, so i am not haveing to deal with them ever time i cut the okra, i know a lot of people just snap it, i use a knife to cut pod & limb in one stroke

LakeRat1

[Rajun Gardener]

I never tried to cut it back but from what is posted, it's usually later when the okra is growing too tall to pick. How tall are your plants? They might need some nitrogen and maybe prune most of the leaves and they should grow as long as it gets some water. When you prune, leave some of the side shoots and trim just the leaves. The side shoots will make okra and it increases production on 1 plant.

[PawPaw gene]

A fellow I worked with plants his okra as early as possible in the spring. He picks for a few weeks to get some frehs okra and when he has enough he takes his bushhog to them and cut them about 1 1/2 foot tall. They regrow with many sprout and he starts picking again around August and picks to the frost. By then he's finished canning his beans, peas, and tomatoes and has time to concentrate on the okra.
"gene"

[Trophybucks]

Thanks guys...as some of you guys alluded to I am specifically wondering about the bushoggin/ cutting it down so it will bush out strategies...     I just remembered the guys saying cut it down but didnt know the specifics...