Damage:
If the wet weather ends and you gently pull the infected blossom away, the pod may be worth saving if its tip has not darkened with rot. Prune off pods that feel soft at the tip.
Preventing Problems:
Grow okra at wide spacing, so that the leaves of neighboring plants barely overlap. After the soil has warmed in summer, mulch beneath plants to create a barrier between the soil and the plants’ foliage. Prune back plants in late summer to push out new growth. After the plants begin blooming, use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers to water thirsty plants.
Managing Outbreaks:
Harvest pods that grew from infected blossoms while they are small, because wet weather can cause the tip of the pod to start rotting. Clear away nearby vegetation that may slow the drying of okra foliage and blossoms after summer rains.