Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
About it
- Kind
- Vegetables · Annual
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 12 in apart
- Soil depth in a pot
- At least 12 in
- Water
- About every 7 days
ⓘ We don't know this plant's soil pH, feeding needs and mature size yet.
When to plant
- Sow outdoors
- Sow 4 weeks before the last frost
- Window
- Open for about 2 weeks
- Soil temperature
- Germinates from 65°F
- Ready
- About 60 days from sowing
Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.
Planting partners
No cited companion planting notes for Okra yet.
Safety for pets and children
- Cats No information in our sources
- Dogs No information in our sources
- Horses No information in our sources
- Children No information in our sources
"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.
Pests and diseases
No pest or disease notes for Okra yet.
Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.
Where this comes from
Source: NC State Extension ↗
- beginner friendly Clemson HGIC ↗ Clemson ranks okra Easy; the only source found, and uncontested
- category NC State Extension ↗ Listed in Table 16-4, "Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs"
- climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox: "a warm-season vegetable"; sow "after the chance of frost has passed". No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
- days to maturity NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4: T=18-28, S=60-70; the from-seed low end
- direct sow weeks rel last frost The Old Farmer's Almanac ↗ Almanac: "Sow okra directly into the garden 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date"
- family npgsweb.ars-grin.gov ↗ GRIN page: Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench
- indoor start weeks The Old Farmer's Almanac ↗ Almanac: for short-season areas, "start okra seeds indoors... 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost"; top of the range
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- life cycle NC State Extension ↗
- maturity counted from NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4: "T=18-28, S=60-70"; the row's existing 60 days is the from-seed low end (0069)
- min soil depth in NC State Extension ↗ Not in Table 18-1; 12 in as peppers and eggplant (12-16), the tall warm-season plants in that table. Derived. A group figure, as every ch. 18 depth is
- min soil temp f Clemson HGIC ↗ Clemson HGIC: "minimum 65 °F at 4-inch depth"; Almanac's own page agrees ("wait until the soil is 65° to 75°F") but states no minimum, only a range
- sow window weeks The Old Farmer's Almanac ↗ -4 through -3 inclusive
- space requirement NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4 distance between plants: 12 in. The table publishes no row distance, so rows equal plants -- the square spacing of an intensive bed
- species NC State Extension ↗
- sunlight NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- water frequency days NC State Extension ↗ NC State Gardener Handbook ch. 16, "Watering": "On average, vegetable gardens need 1 inch of water per week; provide only what is not supplied by rain." This is the handbook's general guidance for a vegetable garden, not a figure published for this crop.