The first time I planted okra, I thought there was something wrong with my plants. They looked healthy, but they hadn’t bloomed. I longed to see the beautiful okra blossoms, which resemble those of its “cousin” the hibiscus. But what I longed for, even more, was okra! No flowers meant no okra. It was late in the growing season; perhaps I had missed the window of opportunity? What I didn’t know then, but know now, is that a young plant with no flowers is perfectly normal. It takes time, about 7 to 9 weeks, for a plant to mature to the point of flowering.
But what if your plant has reached maturity and it still doesn’t have flowers? Here are six reasons that might explain why your okra plant isn’t blooming.
1. It’s Just Not Time for Flowers
As already mentioned, it’s just not time. Give your okra plants between 50 to 65 days after planting (more or less, depending on the variety). Continue to take good care of the plant and be patient. It will happen!
2. Not Enough Exposure to the Sun
Okra plants thrive in the heat. They need a bare minimum of six hours of full sun and prefer eight or more. If your plants aren’t blooming, it could mean they aren’t getting the sun exposure they need. If you grow in containers like I do, the remedy could be to simply move them to a sunnier location. If you garden in the ground, you might be able to transplant them to an area where they’ll get more light. But I would wait to make sure that’s the reason before uprooting them. Also, take time to map out the different areas of your garden to see which gets the most exposure to the sun. Next season you’ll know where to plant your okra.
3. It’s Too Early or Too Late in the Season
Okra plants hate the cold. Think of them as New Jersey snowbirds who travel to Florida to avoid the winter chill. If you planted too early in the season and daytime temperatures are not consistently 85o F or warmer, or if you planted too late in the year and temperatures have started to dip, your plant may not be getting the message from the heat to produce flowers.
4. Too Much Nitrogen, Not Enough Phosphorus
Okra plants are heavy feeders. And they’re picky, too. They need nitrogen for their foliage, but too much nitrogen can impede flower production. Phosphorous, on the other hand, is the green light that tells the plant to produce flowers. Try using a fertilizer that is slightly higher in phosphorous than nitrogen. But be sure to follow the package directions. Too much can alter the pH of your soil. As a general rule, however, you can use a balanced fertilizer with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
5. Water Issues
Okra are not cacti. Yes, they love the heat, but they don’t like dry soil. Be sure to water each plant thoroughly. If you are growing them in containers, this may mean watering more than once a day at the height of summer. Conversely, okra plants aren’t great swimmers, so don’t over water them, either.
6. Mature Pods Left on the Plant
What if your okra plants were producing flowers but have slowed or stopped altogether? It could be your plant is confused. If you are going to save okra seeds you may be tempted to leave a few pods on the plant while you continue to harvest the rest. But okra plants have a one-track mind when it comes to reproduction. It will stop producing flowers to focus on maturing the pods for seed production. Wait until the end of the season to allow a few pods on the plant to mature for seed production.
With a little patience and proper care, your okra plants should be producing flowers before long, and that means there’s going to be okra in your future!
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Perhaps you can explain: I am growing Jambalaya and Crimson (both are F1). The plants have 5 pods each
now but none of them has flowered. They have been indoors under LED light and are now becoming acclimated
to the outdoors. I use General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow as fertilizer and ProMix potting soil with vermiculite
added. The plants are anywhere from over 12 inches to 18 inches tall and they look very healthy.
I didn’t know that okra plants can grow pods without having blooms.
What is going on?
Hello Gabriella,
Thanks for stopping by the website! As for your question, that is very perplexing. I have never heard of okra producing pods without flowering! The flower is attached to the ovary, i.e., the okra pod. A mystery, indeed!
Same issue and these two okra plants have had heat and sun and care…. now they have these pods with seeds but never gave flowers? This is in Virginia USA and the two plants are in containers.
Hi Roz,
This is strange indeed! I have searched the internet and cannot find any papers on the subject. I am including a link, however, to a diagram of a cross-section of an okra flower. As you can see, the pod is a part of the flower’s anatomy. Thus, it appears biologically impossible to have a pod without first having a flower. Let me know if you come across any information.
Thanks for stopping by the website and for commenting!
First time growing an okra plant, got it from Chicago park district. It has three small pod buds and I harvested a fully formed pod and it has never flowered! I know it’s not getting as much sun as it should so maybe that’s why?
Hi Peggy,
Thanks for reaching out. Okra is definitely temperamental when it comes to sun exposure. It requires at least six hours of full or direct sun. It takes a lot of energy for the plant to make the flowers/pods. So that would be my first guess. See if you can relocate the plant to a sunnier location. In addition, water and the proper fertilizer also play a role in flower/pod development. Water the plant thoroughly when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch and use a liquid fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus (middle number listed) than it is in nitrogen (first number listed), like Neptune Liquid Fertilizer, which is the one I use. (This is an affiliate link.) Hopefully, with these changes, the plant will begin to produce flowers/pods soon! Best wishes!
Glad to see I am not the only one having issues with okra. My burpee baby bubba okra is green and healthy but the flower buds are rotting off. I had something similar going on with my sunburst squash so I removed her from my aerogarden to a pot. They think it was the shock of going from water to soil. Maybe so, i don’t know why her budding blooms turned strawlike and died off too.
Perhaps it is the nutrients, such as not getting enough? or should Okra have a higher led light of 80w to bloom? I am so confused as to what the problem is. The tomatoes and the eggplant are fine just not the okra nor the squash.
I am looking a EarthBox and considering removing to there with soil and water and another grow light. Any suggestions? Help!
I’m not sure from your comment if you are growing okra hydroponically or in soil. But too much rain or overwatering can cause blossoms to fall of prematurely, as can a fluctuation in temperature. Remember,Okra loves warm weather! Good luck!
my okra started fruiting straight away without flowering. I’m confused why how it is happening that way
I have never had an okra plant fruit without first flowering. Sometimes okra flowers do not open or open fully before they deteriorate and/or fall off. Perhaps the flower fell off before you noticed it?