Generally, okra should be pulled up and disposed of at the end of the growing season. However, there is something called 鈥渞atooning,鈥 which is the process of cutting down the okra plants in late summer to encourage a second production of okra into fall. This is usually done in late July to mid August, and stems are cut down to about 6 to 12 inches. Depending on where you are located, it’s likely too late in the season for ratooning this year, so we would recommend pulling up your plants if they’ve stopped producing and your first fall frost date is less than 10 or so weeks away.
Generally, okra should be pulled up and disposed of at the end of the growing season. However, there is something called 鈥渞atooning,鈥 which is the process of cutting down the okra plants in late summer to encourage a second production of okra into fall. This is usually done in late July to mid August, and stems are cut down to about 6 to 12 inches. Depending on where you are located, it’s likely too late in the season for ratooning this year, so we would recommend pulling up your plants if they’ve stopped producing and your first fall frost date is less than 10 or so weeks away.