1. Land Preparation
Site Selection:
Choose a place that has fertile soil. Loam soil is the most
favourable.
Your field should be able to receive full sunlight (do not plant
under a shade); okra doesn't tolerate too much water, therefore avoid waterlogged
places.
Prepare your soil by ploughing and harrowing.
Ensure you clear the boundaries of your field to avoid weeds from
growing into the cleared field.
Depending on the season you can plant your seed on ridges or basins.
Ridges:
This is most favourable during rainy season to avoid excessive
moisture from the ground. Too much water is a breeding ground for most of the fungal
infections that affect the plants. Too much water will wash away nutrients in
your soil hence starve the plant causing it to underperform.
Basins: (20cm
deep x 30cm wide)
This is most favourable during dry/hot season. The basin can be
filled with decomposed manure (2 - 3kg) and watered regularly to mix with the
soil before planting. The basin locks in moisture for a good period of time
giving you a break from watering all the time.
2. Planting
HH (heavy hitter) okra grows like a shrub. It therefore requires
enough space for it to branch out. Good spacing is therefore key to high
productivity. Good spacing also helps you manage the plant as you clear your
field. It also allows airflow hence reducing unnecessary dampness that attracts
bacteria to your crop.
Recommended spacing is 75 centimetres between plants and 1 meters between
rows.
Direct Planting:
You can plant your seed into the field directly without soaking
provided there is enough moisture for the seed to germinate. (HH okra will only
germinate when the seed absorbs enough water). If you do not have enough water
in the soil, you can irrigate
to supplement the moisture required.
Soaking:
During hot season, water drains out from the soil so quickly. This
means that it may be difficult for the plant to absorb enough water for it to
start germinating. Therefore, it is advisable to soak seed for 24 hours to
allow the seed to absorb enough water for the first critical days in the soil.
After 24 hours of soaking, a white shoot will show on your seed. This is the
root, plant immediately.
Planting can be done in seedling trays to avoid dropping your seed too
deep into the ground which may disadvantage your seed from sprouting on time (drop
your seed 2cm into the soil and cover lightly with soil). The seedling trays
also help to lock in moisture especially during the hot seasons. If you decide
to start out your seed in trays, transplant your seedling when they develop the
3rd leaf.
3. Watering
It’s very easy to manage the crop once it’s out of the ground
because even by looking, you're able to tell if the plants are thirsty.
Keep your soil moist at all times. But do not over water. 1 inch of
water per day is enough to grow your crop.
4. Fertilisation
HH okra requires very little or no fertiliser when planted on fertile
soil.
Manure:
Apply decomposed manure
before planting (as recommended above) and a top up of 500 grams per plant
station can be done monthly. Ensure you aerate your soil before application for
easy drainage of the manure into the soil. All manure should be well decomposed
to avoid burning your plants. Termites may eat your plant whilst trying to
breakdown the manure if undecomposed.
Fertiliser:
You can apply basal dressing or compound D fertiliser, 5 grams per plant station when
the plants develops 3 leaves to give the plant a boost to establish the roots
firmly. You can use urea to provide more nitrogen 2 weeks after application of
D compound fertiliser. You can apply a mix of compound D and Urea once every 3
weeks, 10 grams per plant from 60 days onwards to keep feeding the plants.
Note that this crop is a heavy feeder. This means that there should
be enough nutrients in your soil to help it develop healthy, high productive
branches. Enough water, sunlight and healthy soil will make your crops perform
as expected. Avoid watering the leaves. This may attract unwanted moisture
which can be a breeding place for diseases. Keep your field clean.
5. Treatment
Once the okra germinate, you can spray it with insecticide of your choice
(Ask your agronomist). This will keep away insects that may stress your plant
at an early stage. Aphids and powdery mildew are quite frequent visitors of the
okra crop. Keep them away by applying the right chemicals at the right time especially
preventing the attacks. You can use Neem oil and abamectine for treatment or
prevention.
If you are growing organic, ask your agronomist.
From our demo project, the first fruit was spotted at 38 days! That
means that you will start harvesting your produce at 40 to 45 days from
planting.
This is where
we will be ending our discussion for today.
Remember to share your comments views and opinions.
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