Okra seeds are probably the easiest garden seed of all to save, you just leave a few of the best looking pods on the stalk until they have matured and dried to a wheat-straw-colored-pod. At that time, you can hear the seeds rattle when you shake the pod. (About 6 to 8 weeks after blossom). At that time, cut the dried pod from your plant before it gets rained on too many times and bring it inside to cure an additional 30 days, before shelling out next year's seed crop. (Easy as pie), even easier if you start out with an improved variety. Good genes are the secret to success.
Also, you can improve your own okra variety over the years, by harvesting seeds from only your very best plant and no others. (Kind of like building a good herd of cattle over the years by saving only your best heifer calf each year and culling out all the others).
I've been doing this since the summer of 1972, and have developed my very own strain of okra, called, "Heavy Hitter." Heavy Hitter Okra started out as a single stalk, Clemson Spineless plant, bearing an average of 14 pods per plant, per season. Now, it is multi-branching, and bears over 100 pods per plant, per season or I chop it down. I only save seeds from plants bearing over 100 pods. My all-time-record was just a little over 250 pods from one plant. I'll attempt to upload an image below. You can obtain seeds from Heavy Hitter Okra, by contacting me by email,
[email protected] or visiting heavy hitter okra / dry creek farm store.
