A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Okra
So, the idea of growing okra sounds pretty appealing but you aren’t sure how to go about it? Don’t worry; okra is notoriously easy to grow, although it doesn’t seem to be a very popular plant to grow in the back yard. Okra is often seen as a “southern” crop, but it will flourish in northern and southern gardens alike. There is a common saying that if you can grow tomatoes, you can grow okra. Let’s go over what it takes to provide a good growing environment for your okra and how to harvest it. This should give you a good idea as to whether okra is right for your veggie garden.
You may have noticed okra “transplants” available for sale from your local garden nursery, but it’s probably a better idea to grow your own via the seed method. Obtain your okra seeds in time to plant them a few weeks after the threat of frost has gone. The type of soil best suited for growing okra will be fertile, but the area also needs to get good drainage, as you don’t want water to pool around your seeds causing them to rot. The area should also provide the crops with full sunlight—around six to eight hours of sunlight each day.
When you are ready to plant your seeds, allow them to soak in water overnight before actually putting them in the ground. This will provide a great boost during germination. You may also want to add a little fertilizer to the soil before planting to help provide vital nutrients for the seedlings. Plant each seed about an inch deep in the ground. They should be planted in rows, each seed being about five or six inches apart from one another. If you are planting more than one row, space each row apart by about two feet.
A nice watering every ten days or so will suffice while the seedlings are trying to settle in. After the plants have matured a bit, you don’t have to worry too much about watering. If you live in an area that frequently experiences hot summers with long periods between rainfall, you may want to prepare yourself to give your crops a deep watering every week or so until mother nature resumes regular rainfall. Okra is definitely the type of crop that you don’t have to worry too much about if you want to take a vacation for a week or two, as it is pretty tolerant of dry weather. (That means you don’t have to call around asking people to water your plants while you’re away!)
Most varieties of okra grow to a height between four and eight feet tall. Once they start flowering, you will know that harvest time is near, which means getting your harvest gear together. You will need a sharp knife or pruning shears if you have them, as well as a pair of gloves. The gloves aren’t a necessity, but you will find that mature okra plants have prickly hairs that are not only off-putting to touch, but they are actually quite irritating to the skin. About six days after the okra flowers bloom you should notice the edible okra pods growing rapidly. Okra “fruit” are best cut when they are between two and four inches in length. They won’t be very large, but they will be super tender and tasty. As okra grows larger, it tends to become tough and stringy.
You can store your okra in the refrigerator for about a week, or you can clean them up and freeze them in an air-tight container. If you are any good at pickling, pickled okra lasts for ages in the fridge and is absolutely gorgeous with salad, sandwiches, or even on its own! I hope you have found this guide helpful and I wish you the best of luck growing okra!