Okra is a great vegetable to grow from seed. It has beautiful flowers, and the pods are edible when cooked. Okra grows best in warm weather and needs little watering or fertilizer.
Growing okra from seed is not difficult, but does require some patience since the plants will not produce pods for several months after planting the seeds.
Once you harvest your first crop of fresh okras, you’ll be hooked. Here’s how to grow this in your garden.
How to Grow Okra From Seeds?
1. When temperatures are warm, plant seeds in a sunny area of soil at least 8 inches apart.
The best time to plant your okra seeds is early in spring, but they can also be planted in fall as well, so if you want fresh okra during those months it’s possible too.
Be careful not to overwater your plants; they need very little water once they’re established because they don’t have deep roots like other vegetables do (like peas).
Water the okra seedlings regularly but avoid getting the leaves wet and keep them well-watered to prevent wilting, which will cause the pods to drop off prematurely.
Fertilize the plants with a balanced fertilizer to promote healthy growth. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
2. The soil needs to be well-drained.
Okra needs a sandy soil that is well-drained. If the soil is too soggy, okra will not thrive.
A good way to test the drainage of your soil is to dig a small hole and fill it with water.
After an hour, see if the water has drained away from the sides of your hole or pooled at its bottom.
If it’s pooled at the bottom of your hole, add more sand and compost to increase drainage.
Okra plants are best planted in the early spring, as soon as soil temperatures reach about 50 degrees F.
3. Occasional watering is necessary when the weather is dry and hot.
Okra is a heat and drought tolerant plant, but it still needs to be watered regularly.
When the weather is hot and dry, you may need to water your okra once every two days.
It’s important to water only when the soil feels dry at least an inch down into the dirt; overwatering can cause root rot.
4. Okra is ready to harvest within 50-60 days of planting, or when the pods are 3-4 inches long.
Okra is ready to harvest within 50-60 days of planting, or when the pods are 3-4 inches long.
The best time to harvest okra is when the pods are about two-three inches long. You can use a sharp knife to cut off the stems and then eat them right away.
5. You can then cut the pods off with a knife, or by snapping them off.
It’s best to cut the pods off at an angle so that they don’t fall apart when you try to pick them up.
You don’t want to pull the pods off, because this will damage other parts of the plant and make it less productive in future seasons.
Growing okra from seed is a great way to add okra to your home garden.
Not only is okra delicious, it’s also a great source of vitamins A and C and fiber. It can be eaten raw or cooked in many different dishes, including soups, stews and salads.
Okra is low in calories and contains no cholesterol. It’s also relatively high in protein (1 cup provides about 4 grams).
All parts of the plant are edible – leaves as well as pods – so you can use the entire crop for cooking once it has matured.
If you don’t eat your plants completely before frost comes through then be sure to store any remaining fruit by hanging upside down from their stems inside your house where it will stay cool until needed again next year.
Conclusion
Growing okra from seed is an easy way to add okra to your home garden. Okra can be harvested and eaten when the pods are young and tender, or allowed to mature into larger pods with a more pronounced flavor.
The pods can also be used in recipes like soups or stews. You can even freeze them for later use.