I have been growing okra in the upper Willamette Valley a number of years with reasonable success. I think the secret is a heat wire in the ground. Control plants planted in like conditions but away from the heat wire do abysmally. Plants now are about 4'-5' high and producing well in the upper plant, but this year I have noticed that in the lower plant areas the baby okras just dried up after the flower dropped. Have not had this problem before. Any ideas? Thanks for any help. Terry
Southern Green Stinkbug (Nezara viridula) Melon Thrips (Thrips palmi) Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea) These are three of the pests that can cause pods to drop, there are more on the list. Since you mentioned that only the lower pods are being affected it might not be these but you might investigate further just in case. By lower plant areas, do you mean near the ground or the lower ones under the canopy of leaves?
toni, Thanks for the suggestions. By "lower part" I mean the bottom 15 inches or so of the stalk. It is under the canopy. I did cut three or four leaves away in the lower area because it was so dense (I had not done that in preceding years). The okra is sandwiched between 10' high corn and 6' high tomatoes but seems to get plenty of sun... Terry
Lack of sun on those bottom pods could be the culprit then since the more sun it can get the better it produces. Maybe next year put it in front of the toms instead of between the tall crops. Thinning out the leaves will probably help. But if you are getting plenty of pods from the upper part of the plant and it's just the lower pods that are affected I wouldn't think you have a major problem. I think you can call growing Okra in the NorthWest a success.
