How to Grow Okra
Okra is one of the easiest things you will ever grow in your garden.
It’s also rich in vitamin A and low in calories, which makes it a great addition to your garden and diet.
It is one of those summer-loving plants that you will want to grow in the heat of summer. If your summer is ending, you will need to wait until the end of spring to plant okra.
If you live in a glorious area that has warm winters it could be okra time for you!
Probably the most charming feature is the fact that okra can be completely overrun with Japanese beetles and you will never miss a harvest.
I swear this plant is indestructible.
By the way, do you know what okra tastes like right out of the garden? It is wonderful! I am addicted to it. So dang good. Many of us have only eaten okra fried or cooked up in a stew. Fresh okra is probably one of the best fruits from the garden.
Let’s grow some okra!
Okra is a warm weather-loving plant. It enjoys full sun and compost-rich soil.
I started my okra as a seedling. Simply transplant the little guy right into the garden after the threat of frost has past (this is the first week of May in my area).
Okra plants get HUGE. And I am not exaggerating. If you think a tomato plant or a cabbage can get large, you haven’t seen anything. If your okra has great soil and a happy life it can grow up to 3 feet wide in every direction. This means you will want to give them space. The books say to space okra plants 1-2 feet apart, but you may want to lean more toward the 2-foot mark.
These will need at least an inch of water per week.
To prevent the Japanese beetles from moving in, spray the plant with a little neem oil and dish soap solution (follow the directions on your neem oil bottle). Respray weekly to keep the bugs away.
The plant will produce gorgeous yellow flowers – these are the beginnings of okra spears!
Harvest the spears when they are 2-3 inches long.
Okra is like squash. You need to harvest it often or the spears will get enormous and be inedible. Yes, inedible. Unlike zucchini, which gets enormous but can still be used for bread, sauces, and stews; okra is nearly impossible to eat if it gets too large. The fruit gets tough (too tough to be sliced) and horribly stringy.
So harvest often and remember, that smaller okra is better. It will be tender, sweet and delightful.
Harvest every other day. Tender spears will snap off easily with a knife. If the spear is hard to cut from the plant, it is probably too old and will not be good to eat.
Happy gardening!
XO,
Candi
