Growing okra is just fun! Its large tropical looking leaves, tall strong stems and beautiful yellow flowers make it a showcase in your garden! I have even grown okra in my front yard it's so pretty.
After all, okra is a part of the Hibiscus family and when you see their flowers you know why one may choose to grow them in or out of a vegetable garden. There are several types of okra, you can find a good list of them on SFGates Home Guides site, and they normally grow from 4 feet to upwards of 6 feet tall! As such, you should plan for space with this gumbo, fried, or boiled friendly veggie!
Tips for Growing Okra
- Okra needs full sun! It loves the heat and the hotter the better. As such, make sure and plant it after the soil has reached about 70 degrees and place it in a nice sunny spot!
Give Okra the space and sun it needs! - Okra seeds are round with a very hard shell. Soaking them in water about 30 minutes before planting can assist with germination rates.
- Well drained fertile soil is best for okra; as well as, a few hits of nitrogen or fish emulsion twice a month to ensure their tall large stalks have food.
- One really should thin okra to about 12 inches apart. However, I am guilty of pushing it to around 5 - 6 inches as I love them and don't have as much space as needed. Okra will work grown closer together; however, doing will also increase your risk of aphids so if your cheating it like me be on the look out for them.
- Aphids love okra! Watch for them and act quickly to ensure your plants are not overrun. Okra is also susceptible to powder mildew if it gets too humid or rainy for too long. This makes a good sunny spot more important.
- Okra will produce fruit within 45-50 days. Once it has started its pods grow very fast! Watch for them daily so they do not become too hard to harvest. If they have gone to far simply allow them to go to seed or throw them out.
- Fighting Aphids (coming soon)
- Fighting Powder Mildew (coming soon)
- Using Okra and Corn Stalks in your Garden (coming soon)
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