Okra is definitely grown from seed. Okra is a tender, warm-weather annual that requires midsummer warmth and just about tropical heat for the best growth. Okra is native to northern Africa and is a favorite among southern gardeners in the USA.
Plant okra right away throughout the garden a few weeks finally chance of frost has passed in spring. For uninterrupted growth, okra wishes a soil temperature of about 75°F (24°C). Planting in cooler soil will sluggish then again no longer totally compromise okra root growth.
Okra seed will also be started indoors about 4 weeks previous to without equal frost. Wait until warmth late spring or early summer season temperatures are established previous to transplanting okra into the garden.
Okra matures 55 to 65 days after planting.
Okra is a key issue of gumbo and jambalaya.
That is your knowledge to starting okra from seed every indoors and out of doors.
Okra Seed Starting Basics
- No longer extraordinary identify: Okra, gumbo
- Botanical identify: Abelmoschus esculentus (Hibiscus esculentus)
- Family: Malvaceae, the an identical family as mallow and cotton
- Life cycle: Annual
- Fruit type: Tablet
- Seed-sowing depth: ½ inch (1.3 cm)
- Seed starting tips: Scarify seed coat or soak seed for 12 hours in warmth water prior to sowing
- Seed-starting soil temperature: 70° to 95°F (21-35°C)
- Indoor seed starting time: Get began seed indoors in peat pots or other biodegradable containers 4 to 5 weeks previous to without equal frost. Bottom heat speeds germination.
- Delicate prerequisites: Glossy gentle, entire sun
- Transplant time: After the chance of frost; do not disturb the roots when transplanting.
- Direct sowing time: Direct sow 2 or 3 weeks after without equal frost; okra wishes a longer season of warmth local weather for easiest pod development.
- Spacing throughout the garden: 18 inches (46 cm) apart for small varieties; 36 inches (91 cm) apart for tall varieties.
- Seed germination: 3-12 days; okra seed germination fee is able 65 %.
- Crops: 5-petaled plants, generally yellow with pink amenities, borne in terminal racemes or singly from leaf axils; plants look like hibiscus plants
- Pollination: Self-pollinating, insect-pollinated
- Transfer-pollination: Can cross-pollinate with other okra varieties; cage vegetation or bag plants to prevent cross-pollination.
- Isolation distance: ½ mile (0.8 km)
- Days to maturity: 50-60
- Harvest time: Choose the long, green seed pods when they are 2 to 3 ½ inches long. Scale back the pods rather than pull them off the plant. Achieve pods each other day to stick the vegetation producing; if pods mature on the plant, safe to eat pod production will sluggish to a save you.
- Seed saving: Let the seed pods stay on the plant until they turn into totally mature; brittle, brown, and up to a foot long. In late fall, acquire the pods, break them open, and shell out the seeds like beans. Dry and store.
- Seed processing: Dry pods on the vegetation or harvest prior to frost and allow pods to continue to dry completely. Placed on gloves and long sleeves to harvest pods.
- Seed power: 2-3 years; same old germination fee is 65 %
Okra Sowing and Planting Tips
- Broaden okra from seeds or seedlings.
- Okra seeds are viable for 2 years.
- Okra is regularly started indoors in a greenhouse or warmth, well-lit sunroom or kitchen.
- Sow okra in particular person pots of light potting mix 6 to 4 weeks previous to you intend to set vegetation out.
- Do not set okra out of doors until the midnight temperature is constantly greater than 60°F (15°C)—even then you may have regarded as attempting to protect vegetation from temperatures beneath 65°F (18°C).
- Sow 3 to 4 seeds to a pot or all over residences; then clip away the weaker seedlings once essentially the most robust seedling is able 2 inches (5 cm) tall.
- Sow seed ½ inch (13 mm) deep.
- The optimum soil temperature for germinating seed is 85°F (29°C).
- Keep the seed starting mix merely rainy until seeds germinate.
- Okra seed will also be sown right away throughout the garden if the soil temperature is warmth enough—and there are enough days throughout the season for vegetation to succeed in maturity. The optimal emerging soil temperature is 85°F (29°C).
- Okra seed germination takes 7 to 12 days at 85°F (29°C) or warmer.
- Seedlings started indoors will have to be stored underneath a expand gentle or in a sunny window after germination. Keep the indoor midnight temperature above 65°F (18°C).
- Water to stick the seed starting mix from drying.
- Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble complete fertilizer at phase energy.
- Transfer seedlings to a larger container once they are 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) tall; make certain that seedlings have sufficient room for root growth. This process is referred to as “potting up”; continue to pot up seedlings as they outgrow containers—until they are transplanted into the garden or a very huge container.
- Transplant okra to the garden after seedlings are at least 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) tall.
- Set vegetation 24 inches (60 cm) apart in rows at least 24 inches apart.
- Add aged compost, aged manure, and herbal matter to planting beds prematurely of transplanting.
- Okra prefers a soil pH range of 6.0 to 6.8.
- Broaden okra in entire sun for easiest yield.
- Fertilize with an herbal fertilizer paying homage to fish emulsion at phase energy.
- Give okra an inch of water (6.5 gallons) each week; okra does no longer like constantly wet soil.
- Protect vegetation from cold local weather underneath lightweight spun poly row covers supported via wire hoops. Cold nights will explanation why blossoms to drop producing furry vegetation without pods.
- No longer extraordinary okra pest enemies include aphids which excrete a sticky substance known as honeydew which attracts ants, corn earworms, and flea beetles.
- No longer extraordinary okra diseases include powdery mould and fusarium wilt. Crop rotation is essential to stem diseases that have an effect on okra.
Further tips at Tips about how one can Plant, Broaden, and Harvest Okra.
Interplanting: Plant okra with basil, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, and peppers.
Container Emerging: Choose a 15-gallon container for emerging okra.
Okra Planting Calendar
- 6-4 weeks previous to without equal frost in spring: get began seed indoors.
- Transplant seedlings to the garden when night time time temperature is constantly greater than 65°
- Sow seed right away throughout the garden when the minimum soil temperature is 75°.
Okra Truly helpful Varieties
Broaden okra from prime quality seeds. Get seeds from a seed company that provides disease-resistant varieties.
- ‘Blondie’ and ‘Clemson Spineless’ are very best performers.
- ‘Cajun Delight’ is a short-season choice of okra for cool spaces.
- ‘Baby Bubba’ is a dwarf okra variety for small spaces.
Botanical Establish: Abelmoschus esculentus
Okra is a member of the Malvaceae or mallow family; other members of this family are cacao and cotton.
