Why Does My Okra Look Unhealthy?

Are the leaves of your okra yellow, wilted and falling off, stems are rotted at soil line?

Is the plant yellow and stunted and wilts during hot days, roots have swollen galls?

Are the buds, flowers and seed pods malformed and prematurely falling off?

Have the flowers turned brown and seed pods rotted?

Do the seed pods of your okra have chewed holes in them?

Southern blight is a fungal disease that causes leaves to turn yellow, wilt and fall off. Stems usually rot at the soil line. White-pink fungal growth may spread over the soil around the base of infected plants. Severely infected plants die. Destroy infected plants, dig out and dispose of the top few inches of soil within 6" of the stem. Adding lots of compost to the soil helps prevent this disease.

These symptoms are caused by root-knot nematodes. Prevent root-knot nematodes by applying chitin or introducing parasitic nematodes to the soil before planting.

These symptoms usually indicate Stink bugs. Seed pods may have hard, callused bumps. Adults are flat, shield-shaped, green, blue or red insects that emit a sharp odor when crushed. Handpick these pests to control mild infestations. Spray plants with pyrethrin if the injury is serious.

Brown flowers and rotted seed pods often indicate one of the fungal diseases - Choanephora blight or Gray mold. Infected parts may be covered with white or gray growth. Spray plants with compost tea as soon as plants start to bloom and repeat every few weeks to help prevent these fungal diseases. The sulfur spray will keep mild infections from spreading.

Several kinds of caterpillars will take a bite out of okra plants. Leaves may also have holes in them. Mild infestations should be controlled by handpicking. BTK spray should control all caterpillar species that attack your okra.

If the seed pods are pitted, discolored or have water-soaked areas on them your plant might have suffered a cold injury. Prevent cold damage by protecting plants with row cover when cold nights are expected.