Aphids may attack young leaves and developing flowers and fruit and are often controlled by natural predators such as ladybugs. Sucking insects such as stinkbugs and leaf-footed bugs attack the pods and cause them to become misshapen. Use suggested insecticides to control these insects. Okra pods can be invaded by corn earworms, but this is not a major problem unless you plan to save seed. It is caused by planting in soils that are too cold and using seeds that are not treated with a fungicide.
Southern blight is a soilborne fungal disease that remains in the garden from one year to the next.
It attacks the base of the plant and destroys the tissue at the base of the plant. Remove any plants that you suspect have this disease. Crop rotation is the most effective means of control. The fungal vascular wilts caused by verticillium and fusarium are present in some soils. The best method of control for this disease is crop rotation and disease-free seed.