Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is a vegetable rich in fiber. Many Filipinos consume it raw or stewed, depending on the dish. It is rich in vitamins C, A, K, and folate. In the Philippines, there are two types of okra seeds. It is the Smooth green and Native.
It is good to plant okra in sandy-loamy soil. It is ideal if the pH of the soil is 5.8 to 6.5. Okra can be planted in any month of the year because it can survive in dry conditions and even in waterlogged soil.
Till the land for cultivation. Apply one kilogram of dried chicken manure and 300 grams of carbonized rice hull per square meter. Make furrows with an interval of 0.75 meters in the rainy season or one meter in summer. It is a good idea to apply plastic mulch to control weeds and reduce watering frequency.
Place two to three seeds in furrows 30 centimeters apart and three centimeters deep. Cut back a seedling a few days after germination and leave only one seedling per furrow.
Apply compost or vermicompost after cutting a seedling. Increase it when the fruits start to form. You can also apply compost or water manure tea every third to fourth week after planting. Water the garden every ten days or depending on the weather. Manage the grass well but leave some to maintain the population of friendly beetles.
Common pests of okra are aphids, brown planthoppers, and leafhoppers. Spray a soap solution (100 grams of crushed chili in 16 liters of water mixed with a spoonful of powder detergent) if there are aphids. To control brown planthoppers, water the garden twice a week. Collect the leaf-eating insects and their eggs and burn or bury them in the ground.
Meanwhile, the most frequent disease is leaf spot caused by Cercospora. To treat spotting, remove diseased leaves and burn or bury them in the ground.
Harvest the crisp fruits in the morning. Usually, this is five to six days after flowering. Fruits with a length of six centimeters to nine centimeters are ideal to harvest. Harvest two to three times a week.
This information is from the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI)
