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How to Grow Okra: Planting, Growing & Harvesting Tips

harvested okra pods
Botanical Name
Abelmoschus esculentus
Grown as
Tender Perennial
USDA Zones
10a
10b
11a
11b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
3-6 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Resilience
Drought-Tolerant
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Vegetables
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Okra isn’t just for gumbo anymore! This Southern staple is showing up in gardens everywhere, and for good reason. It’s easy to grow, fun to harvest, and comes with tropical-looking flowers that would make a hibiscus blush. 

Whether you’re a seasoned grower or okra-curious, we’ve got all the tips to help you grow it like a garden rockstar. Let’s get planting!

Many gardeners are discovering okra, and the range of this warm-weather crop has been creeping northward and gaining in popularity. This plant not only grows edible vegetables and beautiful flowers, but it is also rich in vitamin A and low in calories, which makes it a great addition to your diet. 

Okra flower
If you look at the flower of okra, you’ll see a resemblance to a hibiscus flower. It’s no coincidence—okra is a member of the hibiscus family!

Planting

Okra needs full sun and hot weather with evening temperatures that are in the 60°s (Fahrenheit) or warmer. Soil needs to be fertile and well-draining, with a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Before planting, mix aged manure and/or compost into the soil. 

When to Plant Okra

  • Sow okra directly into the garden 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date and cover the plants with a 2- to 3-foot-high cold frame or grow tunnel until the weather warms up fully. Make sure that the covering is this high so that plants have room to grow. Or, to direct -sow okra seeds without any protection from the cold, wait until the soil is 65° to 75°F.
  • Where summers are short, especially in more northern areas, start okra seeds indoors in peat pots under full light 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost.

How to Plant Okra

Okra’s BB-pellet-sized seeds have a hard shell. To speed germination, soak seeds for a few hours in warm water before sowing.

  • Plant okra seeds about 1/2 to 1 inch deep and 12 to 18 inches apart in a row. You can soak the seeds overnight in tepid water to help speed up germination.
  • If you are planting okra transplants, be sure to space them 1 to 2 feet apart to give them ample room to grow.
  • Okra plants are tall, so space out the rows 3 to 4 feet apart.

Growing

  • Eliminate weeds when the plants are young, then mulch heavily—4 to 8 inches—to prevent more weeds.
  • During the growing season, Joseph Masabni of Texas A&M recommends that you “cultivate around the okra plants to remove weeds and grass. To avoid damaging the okra roots, pull weeds close to the plants by hand.”
  • Side-dress the plants with 10-10-10, aged manure, or rich compost (1/2 pound per 25 feet of row). You could also apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. Avoid too much nitrogen, which deters flowering and encourages leafy growth. Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
  • When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall, thin the plants so that they are 18 to 24 inches apart.
  • Keep the plants well watered throughout the summer months. One inch of water per week is ideal, but use more if you are in a hot, arid region.
  • High heat can slow the growth of okra.
  • Prune the tops of okra plants when they reach 5 to 6 feet tall. This will result in more side branches. Prune those as needed.
  • In warm regions, some growers cut plants to about 2 feet when productivity slows in summer. The plants grow back and produce another crop of okra.
okra plants with flowers and okra
Photo credit: Chunumunu/GettyImages

Note: Okra has large, hairy leaves, as well as tiny spines on its pods, both of which may cause skin irritation; consider wearing gloves and/or long sleeves when handling. “Spineless” types have pods that don’t present this problem. Regardless of type, irritation does not occur when you eat okra.

Harvesting

When you harvest okra, get out the gloves and wear a long-sleeved shirt to protect yourself from the tiny spines that can make your hands and arms itch for days. 

  • Once okra is ripe, harvest every day! The pods grow so fast and ripen within a day, so you need to pick continually. Overripe okra is too tough to eat.
  • The best pods are only 2 to 4 inches long. This is when okra is at its softest and most digestible.
  • Cut the stem just above the cap with a knife. If the stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old and should be tossed.
  • Only one pod grows beneath each leaf, so break off the leaf after harvesting the pod.
cutting okra off from the plant
Photo credit: fz750/GettyImages
  • Harvest often: The more you pick, the more flowers will appear, and okra goes from flowering to fruit in a few days.
  • A severe freeze can damage pods. If one is predicted and pods are drying on the plant for seeds, cut the plant and hang it indoors to dry. Put a paper bag over it so if the pods shatter, the seeds will not be lost.

In the South, regular okra plants can get too tall to harvest; if this happens, cut them back to 12 to 18 inches above the ground. This is usually done in July or August. The plants will sprout again to make a second crop. Otherwise, consider a dwarf variety!

How to Store Okra

  • To store okra, put the uncut and uncooked pods into freezer bags and keep them in the freezer. Or wash and blanch okra before freezing.
  • Or, can okra to have it throughout the winter.

Pests and Problems

Okra Pests and Diseases
Pest/DiseaseTypeSymptomsControl/Prevention
AphidsInsectMisshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers/fruit; sticky “honeydew” (excrement); sooty, black moldGrow companion plants; knock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peels around plants; wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of dish soap (no additives) and water every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to invite beneficial insects
Fusarium wiltFungusPlants wilt (sometimes on just one side) in daytime; leaves turn yellow (lower ones first); later, entire plant wilts/dies; stunting; stem cross section reveals brown discolorationDestroy infected plants; avoid excessive nitrogen; in acidic soils, raise pH to 7.0; choose resistant varieties; disinfect tools; rotate crops
Japanese beetlesInsectLeaves skeletonized (only veins remain); stems/flowers/fruit chewed; grubs feed on rootsHandpick; use row covers
Powdery mildewFungusTypically, white spots on upper leaf surfaces expand to flour-like coating over entire leaves; foliage may yellow/die; distortion/stunting of leaves/flowersDestroy infected leaves or plants; choose resistant varieties; plant in full sun, if possible; ensure good air circulation; spray plants with 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 quart water; destroy crop residue
Root-knot nematodesNematodeRoots “knotty” or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wiltedDestroy crop residue, including roots; choose resistant varieties; solarize soil; add aged manure/compost; disinfect garden tools; till in autumn; rotate crops
StinkbugsInsectYellow/white blotches on leaves; scarred, dimpled, or distorted fruit/pods; shriveled seeds; eggs, often keg-shape, in clusters on leaf undersidesDestroy crop residue; handpick (bugs emit odor, wear gloves); destroy eggs, spray nymphs with insecticidal soap; use row covers; weed diligently; till soil in fall
WhitefliesInsectSticky “honeydew” (excrement); sooty, black mold; yellow/silver areas on leaves; wilted/stunted plants; distortion; adults fly if disturbed; some species transmit virusesRemove infested leaves/plants; use handheld vacuum to remove pests; spray water on leaf undersides in morning/evening to knock off pests; monitor adults with yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap; invite beneficial insects and hummingbirds with native plants; weed diligently; use reflective mulch

Types

Standard varieties can top 8 feet or more! Dwarf types, which seldom exceed 5 feet in height, are best for containers. 

  • ‘Blondy’: spineless; dwarf at 3 feet tall; 3-inch  pale green pods; ideal for northern growers
  • ‘Burgundy’: abundant 6- to 8-inch pods (harvest at 3 inches) on 3- to 5-foot-tall plants; edible ornamental, with deep red stem, branches, leaf ribs, and fruit
  • ‘Cajun Jewel’: dwarf at 2 1/2 to 4 feet tall; tasty 8-inch pods up to 1 inch in diameter
  • ‘Clemson Spineless’: tasty 6 1/2-inch to 9-inch pods on 4-foot tall plants
  • ‘Louisiana Green Velvet’: spineless; vigorous to 6 feet tall; good for large areas

Wit and Wisdom

  • Okra is sometimes called “lady’s fingers” thanks to the vegetable’s long, slender, elegant shape.
  • Thomas Jefferson determined freshness by bending the pod: If it gave, it was too old. If it broke, it was just right.
  • Thomas Jefferson grew okra in the vegetable gardens at Monticello. “An heirloom cultivar, ‘Cow’s Horn’, may be very similar to the ones he grew,” explains Craig R. Andersen, Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas.
  • If an okra stem is too hard to cut, the pod is probably too old. Dry it out and use it in floral arrangements, or save the seeds for next year.
  • “You can have strip pokra—Give me a nice girl and a dish of okra.” 
    –Roy Blunt, humorist (b. 1941)

Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening, so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Matt Harnick</span> Tue, 05/05/2015 - 16:54
Just a thought - are you trying to use seeds from pods you bought at the store? If so, this will never work as pods used in cooking are immature and the seeds are not fully formed. If you want to grow Okra at all, you will have to beg or buy seeds from mature pods. A clue is that mature seeds should be round and dark-colored a bit like very tiny peas. If you were starting with white, flattened seeds, they were definitely immature. My own method for saving seed is to allow one or two pods to mature and dry on the plant near the end of the season. The pods turn brown and woody and when they split open, I collect the seeds. I hope this helps
<span>Dewey Paris</span> Fri, 10/10/2014 - 09:33
We've had great success planting okra from the previous year's seeds, but we deliberately left pods on the plant until they completely matured and dried out and started to split. That way we were sure that the seeds were fully matured.
<span>Trubbel</span> Tue, 07/22/2014 - 13:26
I've had difficulty getting okra seeds to germinate too, but I just wasn't waiting long enough. Seriously, I had several sprout in a pot two weeks after I totally gave up and planted something else on top of them. One other trick that might help is gently cutting the seeds to break the hull, as is commonly done with Morning Glories.
<span>Angelea</span> Tue, 07/08/2014 - 12:34
That is what happens to GMO seeds, they are only fertile once. Get organic seeds and you will have better luck.
<span>Joel Useni</span> Mon, 06/23/2014 - 16:57
what is the efect of spacing on the growth and yield of okra?
<span>Suzy Selinger</span> Sat, 06/28/2014 - 09:43
I grew 2 25' rows of okra last year, didn't thin them, and regretted it. I couldn't get to the okra pods growing in the center of the rows, and I couldn't even get down between the 2 rows. Due to the tallness of the plants at harvest time, and the stickiness of the plants, I failed to obtain a full harvest. This year I've planted 4 rows, but I'm going to thin as recommended. However, the deer loved the pods I left! So not a total waste.
<span>Deedles</span> Fri, 06/13/2014 - 12:08
I live in DE and would like to plant okra. As okra require hot temperatures, will planting them from seeds give the plant enough time to grow and bear fruit in the summer? Also, how deep should the soil be for the plant. I'm thinking of planting in pots and need to know how deep the pots should be. Thanks!
<span>Conniedee</span> Wed, 06/04/2014 - 12:03
Hi I'm from Weymouth Massachusetts My first experience growing okra was fantastic and I plan to plant some this year as well. I soaked the seeds over night placed them in two long deep flower boxes and sat them on my patio. lots of sun, I also believe the heat from the brick kept the boxes warm. I was picking okra from my plants every day. I did not space them a distance apart they had no problems growing.I froze a large container and had them last week. Hope I have good luck this year as well. Happy gardening !
<span>Nikbakht</span> Fri, 05/23/2014 - 17:41
Hello We want to research on Okra in the university. to calculate Crop water requirement by FAO standard equations, we need Kc (crop coefficient) and period of the four growth stage. Can you help us in this case?
<span>Lori & Rebecca</span> Fri, 04/25/2014 - 19:34
Hi. We are a mother & daughter living in the Buffalo, NY area. We grew okra twice in the past few years. Our Clemson Spineless did not grow very tall, but we did harvest pods. It did better the first year than the second. We planted in the same space, which may not have been very smart, and the weather was not as hot and dry the second year. We have two seeds started inside, left over from a previous packet. We were wondering if this year (2014) will be good for okra in our area. If it won't be, we may wait to buy more seed another year. We are on a non-smart phone, with no access to a computer in the home, so it is very difficult to find websites that will load on this phone to research this ourselves. If anyone has this information, or knows of non-smart-friendly sites for us to view on this matter, we would very much appreciate that. Happy Growing, and Good Harvests!