Why do okra leaves turn yellow? Growing okra plants is excellent to see in a backyard especially when they are started to produce flowers and pods. Many gardeners prefer to grow okra because it is effortless to grow and you can have a bountiful harvest when the plant starts to fruit.
But growing okra plants is sometimes not easy because of some problems that you may encounter along its journey. Just like when there are a lot of yellow leaves on the okra plant, how are you going to fix this problem?
Okra Leaves Turning Yellow
There are many reasons why okra plant leaves turn yellow. You need to observe your plant and find what is causing this to happen.
You need to protect your okra plant leaves so that the tree will thrive and produce a lot of okra when the plant starts to fruit. The leaves are an important part of the plant so the plant will be able to create food.
Okra Plant Is Lacking Of Water
When there are many yellow leaves on the okra plant, it is probably because of lacking water. Water is essential to all kinds of plant and you should give enough water to make your okra plant grows healthy.
½ to 1 inch of water per week is ideal for the okra plant for them to stay fresh and grow consistently. You need to water them regularly. The best time to water this plant is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
If there is a lot of rainfall in your area then you should not water your okra plants. The rainfall is enough for them to live. The soil will stay moist when the rain comes and the water will help the okra plant grows well.
Since you depend on rainfall as a source of water for your okra plant, there are times that there is no rain and you didn’t water your okra plant. There will be a lacking of water which can cause yellow leaves on your okra plant. You need to be aware of when and you must water your plants to make them grow steadily. There are many gardening tools that you can use to water okra plants.
Overwatering
Overwatering can cause yellow leaves on the okra plant. Overwatering sometimes is the most common mistake gardeners do. You need to be careful in giving water to your plant to prevent the leaves from going yellow.
To prevent overwatering, you can estimate enough water you can give to your plant. You can also check the soil first if it is still moist. You can use your index finger and check if the soil is dry or not. Once you already know that the soil is dry, then that’s the time you can water okra plants.
Most of the okra plants are planted in the ground, but there are also gardeners that plant okra in pots. Plants that are planted in the pot need more water because the soil dries quickly. You need to be careful watering okra plants planted in a pot. Taking care of the okra plant is very important to prevent yellow leaves.
Lack Of Sunlight
Gardeners grow their okra plants in an open area where there is an abundant source of sunlight. But there are times that the okra plants are grown in a shaded area and lacking sunlight can cause yellow leaves.
You need to grow okra plants at a distance away from tall trees and other concrete structures near the area to make sure the plants will get maximum light daily. The okra plant needs sunlight for at least 6 hours per day. If the okra plants are still young, at least 4 hours of sunlight will be good.
When the plant gets enough light, the lifespan of the okra plant will be in a good shape.
Lacking Of Iron
You really need to improve the iron content in the leaves to prevent the yellowing of okra leaves. There is chlorophyll found in the leaves but when the chlorophyll decreases it will cause the leaves to turn yellow.
In order to increase the iron in the leaves, you need to apply fertilizer rich in iron. Iron deficiency will be prevented when there is enough iron in the soil which will help the leaves to stay green.
Improper Fertilization
You need to apply fertilizer properly on okra plants. There are times that overfertilizing happens and it causes the leaves to turn yellow. You need to estimate or know the right amount of fertilizer you need to give to the okra plant to prevent over-fertilizing.
Aside from yellow leaves, curled leaves on the okra plant will also happen when too much fertilizer is given to the plant.
Damage Roots
When the okra plant roots get damaged, the leaves may turn yellow. It is because the nutrients and the water cannot enter the plant well. The roots are not working well which causes the plant to grow poorly. There are times that okra leaves losses.
The roots may get damaged when there is a flood or because of overwatering. You need to make a good waterway so that floods will be prevented. It will make okra plants safer.
Transplant Shock
Transplant shock may also cause to have yellow leaves on the okra plant but in a small percentage. There are gardeners who germinate okra seeds in the seedling tray and they transplant them once the seedlings have enough size.
Transplanting okra seedlings is easy to do and should be done early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Transplanting is only needed if you don’t sow the seeds directly in the soil.
Aging Leaves
Another reason why there are yellow leaves on the okra plant is that those leaves are already old. The young leaves are green and it becomes yellow once they reach their peak and then okra leaves turn brown and drop after.
You need to observe and check whether those leaves are old or if there are other causes why they turn yellow.
Pests And Diseases
Some of the pests of okra are aphids, flea beetles, stinkbugs, corn worms, etc. And some of the diseases of okra plants are powdery mildew, fusarium wilt, yellow vein mosaic, white mold, etc.
You need to control pests and diseases to prevent problems with the okra plant. You can keep the plants healthy by making them protected against those.
It is great to know why okra leaves turn yellow. There are some reasons why the leaves changes in color. Some of the causes are natural and some need treatment. You need to keep the okra plants healthy to have a good harvest sooner.