How to Grow Okra

Okra is a vegetable that produces fruit continuously throughout the summer. When you pick one fruit, another will grow at that location. Okra is related to hibiscus and also blooms beautifully like hibiscus flowers. Okra thrives best in hot climates, but even if you live in the northern regions, you can still grow it by sowing seeds indoors and planting them outside when the weather warms up.

Table of Contents

Planting okra

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Decide when to start sowing. If you live where the summers are hot and the winters are relatively mild, the easiest way is to grow okra in garden soil instead of seeding and growing the plants indoors. Sow okra seeds in early spring, after the last frost of the year, when nighttime temperatures don’t drop below 13 degrees Celsius. If your area doesn’t meet these conditions before late spring or early summer, It is better to incubate the plants indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost. When the seedlings are strong and the weather warms up, you can bring them to the garden and plant them in the ground.

Nurture the plants indoors by sowing the seeds in a mixture of peat moss and watering to provide moisture to the seeds. Place the seed pot in a warm, sunny room or use a grow light to keep it warm while the seeds germinate. Maintain the temperature between 18 – 21 degrees Celsius.
When you take your seedlings outdoors in warmer weather, you’ll follow the same steps as when growing okra from seed outdoors.

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Choose a sunny spot in the garden. Okra grows best in full sun. The plant will not produce much fruit if you plant okra in a shady place. Okra needs to be grown in a place that receives at least 6 hours of full sun per day. Don’t worry about the plants getting too hot – okra does well in the peak of summer, when the sun’s rays hitting the garden are at their hottest.

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Adjust the pH in the soil. Okra grows best in soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Test the pH in the soil to determine if the pH is appropriate. You can apply limestone or bone meal to increase the pH in the soil. If you don’t want to use drastic measures, you can apply lots of compost to adjust the pH to 7, which is neutral.

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Provide nutrients to increase soil fertility. Okra grows well in nutrient-rich soil. You can apply compost, bagged compost, or a 4-6-6 slow release fertilizer. ^{[1] X Research Source} Whatever fertilizer you use, you should till the soil to a depth of about 30 cm and apply a layer of compost about 10 cm into the soil. Use a rake to distribute the fertilizer evenly.

Okra may not produce much fruit if you don’t fertilize the plant.

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Sow seeds or plant seedlings into the soil. When the weather warms up, it’s time to plant okra in your garden. Sow the okra seeds about 10 cm apart and at a depth of about 1.3 cm. If you grow plants indoors, be very careful when handling the seedlings. Plant okra seedlings about 30 cm apart in rows in beds spaced about 1 m apart. Dig a hole large enough to fit the root pot and pat the soil lightly around the base of the plant. Water the garden until the soil settles.

If you want the seeds to germinate quickly, you can soak them in water the night before sowing, or freeze the seeds until the shells crack.
If growing seedlings, you need to be careful not to cut the taproot of the plant. The tree will not survive if the roots are crushed. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Take care of plant

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Provide enough water for the plant. Okra needs to be watered at least 2.5 cm per week. Water every morning to keep the soil completely moist, except after heavy rain. Okra can tolerate slightly dry soil, but the plant will grow much better with adequate watering throughout the summer.

It is best to water the okra in the morning to give it time to dry before nightfall. Standing water on the ground overnight can cause the roots to begin to rot.
Try not to get the leaves wet when watering. When the sun shines on the leaves, the water droplets on the leaves will turn into a “magnifying glass” that can burn the leaves.

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Prune the seedlings. When the okra seeds sprout and grow to about 8 cm tall, remove the small plants, leaving only the strongest plants. Prune the seedlings so that the remaining plants are spaced about 30-60 cm apart in rows 1 m apart. Skip this step if you are growing the seedlings indoors.

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Pull out the weeds and apply garden mulch over the okra beds. When the plants are young, till the soil to remove weeds, then apply a layer of mulch (like dry pine needles) around the seedlings. Mulch will prevent weeds from growing and invading the okra bed. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Fertilize plants. Since okra requires a lot of nutrients to grow, you should continue to fertilize the soil throughout the summer. Fertilize okra 3 times: once after removing the seedlings, once after the first fruiting, and the third time in the middle of the growing season. Use a rake to fertilize about 10 cm of compost into the soil around the base of the tree to add nutrients to the plant.

You can also use prepackaged or slow-release fertilizers for okra.
Do not fertilize too often; Just fertilizing three times is enough. Over-fertilizing will do more harm to the plant than it will help.

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Keep an eye out for pests. Aphids, mealybugs, and corn borers are all very fond of okra. Okra has a strong vitality and is usually less affected by pests and diseases, but you should still control the number of pests to help the plant produce more fruit. Check tree branches regularly for holes, yellow leaves, and other signs of pest infestation. You can use your hands to catch insects or spray soapy water on the leaves to keep them away.

Harvest and use okra

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Pick okra and continue to harvest. After about 8 weeks from the start of planting, okra begins to bear fruit. Once the okra pods are ready to be harvested, you can start picking them regularly. Use scissors or garden shears to cut the okra just above the top of the fruit, where the stem of the fruit joins the branch of the plant. When you cut off a popcorn, another will grow from that spot. Continue harvesting okra throughout the summer until the plant slows down and stops producing new fruit.

Harvest okra when the pods are about 5-8 cm long.
Harvest okra every 2 days, or harvest every other day in a warm climate during peak season to stimulate regrowth. You can even pick them twice a day to catch them when the okra is in season. Okra that is too big will be old and fibrous.
You may need to wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting okra. Okra leaves and fruit have tiny spines that can cause itching. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Advice

Okra is relatively well adapted to pests, including aphids, thrips, red spider mites and larvae.

Warning

Green wilt disease caused by soil agents affecting okra plants; Okra should not be planted on land that has previously grown either Cabbage (potatoes, tomatoes, etc.) or Cruciferous (cabbage, broccoli, etc.)

Things you need

The garden has the right space
Soil digging tools
Okra Seeds
Water source
Garden cover material
Compost or fertilizer 4-6-6

Steps