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Vegetable Gardening

Is there anything okra shouldn't be planted near?

13 years ago

I have never had a problem growing okra, and have been growing it in my current garden for 4 or 5 years. We have always grown it from the previous year's seed. This year it didn't germinate very well, and I replanted with seed from 2009. It is doing a little better, but not as well as it usually does.

The okra is planted in a spot where we had tomatoes last year. I thought okra was my indestructible plant. What gives?

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Comments (6)

TxMarti
Original Author
13 years ago
Also, there is volunteer okra in a few other places in the garden, probably from a pod dropped or compost, and they are doing great.
jolj
13 years ago
Root Knot Nematodes(RKN) will attach them, so never plant them with or in soil that had nightshade plants the year before.
Nightshade is tomatoes,peppers,egg plants & white potatoes.
I know a gardener that plants his Okra in red clay to make it hard on the RKN.
Soak the seeds over night, then plant.
My father planted an acre of okra one year & we sold it at the market. Near the end of the season the price fell, & father had made a good profit, so we let the okra go to seed.
Then we picked the dry pods & gathered the seeds.
We used the 2 pounds of seed for 3 years, with no problems.
RKN will harm a fig tree to, some never plant tomatoes or okra near them.
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ezzirah011
13 years ago
older seed won't get the level of germination as newer seed will.

Just a thought....
tracydr
13 years ago
I noticed that the okra is an aphid trap. Aphids and the ants that care for them. But, I never noticed it hurt the okra. I'm not sure if the aphids would leave the okra for other plants, has anyone noticed this?
jolj
13 years ago
A lite dusting of cinnamon around the plant after each rain will stop the ants.
I have planted okra seeds that are four year old, with no problem. But I soak them & do not plant them too deep.
In 35 years of planting okra I have never had a poor stand.
But it is in the same family with cotton, so it loves the South.
Aphids will move to other plants as food shortages increase.
They love southern pea vines too.

Here is a link that might be useful: aphids control
tracydr
13 years ago
Wow, thanks for the cinnamon tip! My huge eggplants are always loaded and I hate cutting the fruits off because I always get bit!
I've got a line of ants right now, coming from the driveway into the garden. I haven't quite figured out what they want. Thinking I might give them some sugar and boric acid or stop at the store for some DE. I also have a bunch in my raised bed but they just seem to hang out on the edges and don't seem to be hurting anything, more of a nuisance.
Are there any beneficial ants that I should be aware of? These ants are really tiny red ones. They don't even seem to bite and I'm usually the one who is the ant trap.

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