How to Care for Your Okra Plant


Growing okra can be fun and rewarding. How can you ensure your okra plant thrives?
By     

Okra can be used in various ways in the kitchen, especially for thickening stews. The okra plant reaches maturity in 50 to 65 days and produces beautiful blooms all season.

Okra is easy to grow in the garden when you provide it with ideal growing conditions. Let’s look into its care and maintenance requirements.

Why You Should Consider Growing It

Okra’s eye-catching flowers make it popular as a landscaping plant. Okra is related to and has flowers similar to hibiscus. 

When in bloom, the plant provides a lovely backdrop. Some varieties range from tiny to over eight feet tall when mature. Its height also serves as a good companion plant by providing shade in the garden.

Okra is a nutrient-dense addition to various dishes. It is frequently grown as a vegetable crop due to the delicious seed pods that form after the flowers bloom. This low-calorie crop is also rich in vitamin C, which helps improve the immune system.

fresh harvested okra placed in brown table

When To Plant It

Okra is a tropical plant that requires warm temperatures to thrive. For the best yields, plant okra in the spring, two to three weeks after the last chance of frost has passed. 

Plant okra seed in the garden when the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees or higher and at least three weeks have passed since the last frost. It will take at least three months to produce a successful crop.

Ensure you give okra enough room to grow as it can grow four to six feet tall and wide.

General Care

Water Needs

Okra has a low water requirement and dislikes having wet feet, so make sure not to overwater. Regular watering is necessary and crucial when the plant is blooming and the pods are forming. When there are extended periods of dryness, weekly deep watering is beneficial. 

Amount of Sun

Okra grows best in hot, direct sunlight. It flourishes in warm temperatures and can endure drought. The ideal temperatures for growing this crop ranges from 75ºF to 90ºF, with nighttime lows of 60ºF or above.

okra plants with blooming white flower

Fertilization

Okra likes nutrient-rich soil. After the seedlings reach 6 inches in height, a balanced fertilizer is typically applied every four to six weeks during the growing season. Another practical option is to use a water-soluble fertilizer and apply it when you water your plants. 

Other Maintenance

Okra is generally trouble-free, with most issues affecting just the leaves and not the pods. Aphids, corn earworms, Japanese beetles, flea beetles, and stink bugs can all damage plants, so keep an eye out for them. Eradicate them by hand or with a water spray as soon as possible before the infestation spreads.

Okra can be pruned back to produce a late summer or fall harvest. Use shears to cut, leaving 6 to 12 inches of each plant above ground. This process helps the plants rejuvenate and grow fresh for the following growing season.

Carley Miller
Carley Miller is a horticultural expert at Bustling Nest. She previously owned a landscaping business for 25 years and worked at a local garden center for 10 years.
WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.