Removing Lower Leaves

[hedgeapple]

So, a few years ago I had a blight rip through my okra and kill all of the leaves on my plants. It was too late in the year to start over so I just removed all of the dead leaves on the plants and within a few weeks they were back in action with new healthy leaves, producing pods, and no problems the rest of the year.

After that I took note of some advice I had read here and elsewhere about removing leaves after harvesting pods and my okra does indeed seem to thrive on the abuse. Amazing plant.

[heavyhitterokra]

Hedgeapple,

You're certainly right about that. Okra plants are hardy plants that can sure take a beating.

On my plants, the bottom leaves turn yellow and shed off as they age anyhow, so when I see small branches forming in the leaf crotch, I cut the mature leaf off right below the branch to help the plant focus more energy on growing branches. If watered regularly, each branch produces as many pods as a single stalk before they reach a terminus. If I harvest tender pods as soon as they get large enough to eat, the plant seems to put on more and more branches to compensate. (Just be sure to leave enough leaves so that the plant is still healthy). Use your own discretion on that.

I've had okra thousands of plants that have grown secondary, and tertiary branches along a branch that has had leaves pruned in that way.

When I have time, I prune all but about three or four leaves off of every branch, leaving the leaves nearest the blossom head intact. Somehow, that seems to give the plant more vigor. They look mangy as all get out when I do that, but they seem to get along alright.
Following, are examples of plants pruned in the manner as I described above. 

The dead leaves on the ground are ones I pruned off to increase pod production.  The hollow stem still attached to the stalk was a mature leaf in its final stages.  I make drinking straws from these as one use straws that are tossed at the end of the day.  (Be sure to wipe the okra fuzz off before using one though). 

A couple of photos with a tape measure for reference.



Same plant, showing example of secondary and tertiary branching along a single stem.  Each additional branch along this line will bear pods.  Note the branch on the bottom right having several secondary branches that have formed.  These branches will form tertiary branches above their leaf nodes.

Just a close up of the main stalk.  It takes sturdy stalks to support all the extra weight of branches bearing multiple pods.  That's why good watering practices are so important during the developmental stage.  These type plants are heavy feeders, so use plenty of compost to keep them happy.  I slip compost under the edge of the plastic and run a hose under there to get the composting action started.  Once started, it pretty much takes care of itself.

Just another photo of a pruned plant.  The branching patterns on all plants are not the same.  The 'candelabra' type branching above is quite rare.  Most okra branches more like a tree than a candelabra.  Neither one is more productive than the other, both types form both secondary and tertiary branches.  It's just that I like the looks of the candelabra type better than the tree type. 

Believe me, these are no fun to pull in the winter.  That's why I wait until March to 'break' my okra plants off at the soil line where soil bacteria has been feeding all winter, forming a ring of decay around the stalk where it comes into contact with the soil.  I leave the old, dead, roots and stumps in place to rot out to help aerate the soil for the next season.  I plant my rows 10' feet apart and plant the middles the following season.  Does that make sense?  I don't exactly rotate crops, but I rotate the soil being used, by scooting the planting zone over 5' feet next season.  

[hedgeapple]

Ron,

Thank you for the detailed post. It has never occurred to me to encourage the leaves/branches that start in the crotch of mature leaves. I've always gone out of my way to pluck them along with the older leaves, but... I think an experiment is in order! Think I'll encourage them as you showed and see what happens.

Okra straws - I imagine they would add something nice to a glass of cool iced tea. 👍🏻


I'm sure that your plants must have deep and extensive root systems that add a lot to the soil structure, allowing all kinds of microbes, fungi, organic matter etc. in to improve the ground for future planting rotations. I started doing something similar, on a much smaller scale of course, while fighting with the caliche "soil" in Texas. I figured any organic matter in the soil would be better than the gravel I was working with there.