Grow Okra in the Summer

If you've never grown okra in your summer kitchen garden, you are really missing out! Okra is one of the most prolific and easiest vegetables, and it does especially well in a hot, humid southern climate when many other plants are struggling.

Here are some tips and information on how to add this wonderful plant to your garden.

How to Plant Okra

Okra does not like to be transplanted and is best direct-sown out in your garden.

When thinking about the best location for your okra, keep in mind that the plants get really huge—upwards of six to eight feet tall. I didn't think about their mature height the first time I planted okra in my raised beds, so I had to grab a step stool to reach the top each time I wanted to harvest!

Okra plants are relatively thin on the bottom, so other things can be interplanted, especially anything needing a bit of overhead shade during the hottest months of the summer. Good companion plants are peppers, cucumbers, and melons. 

Be sure to pick a spot that gets lots of sun, around eight hours or more. You want really fertile soil with lots of compost mixed in. 

The Best Time to Grow Okra in Your Garden

Okra is definitely a heat-loving summer vegetable. You will want to wait until the soil temperature is at least 70 degrees and the outside temperatures are in the 80s to 90s before you plant your okra seeds to ensure you're growing okra in its preferred growing season.

How Many Okra Seeds to Sow Per Hole

Place your okra seeds about one to one and a half inches deep. Okra seeds are nice and large, which makes them easy to sow. Place two to three seeds per hole (you'll pick the strongest seedling later and thin the others, if needed). 

You'll want to stick to one okra plant per square foot in the garden. 

How Many Okra Plants to Grow Per Person

Okra can be quite prolific. Typically one to two plants per person is enough, with three to four plants producing plenty of pods for a small family. Last summer, I planted eight okra plants, and let me just say, I had so much I was giving it away to all my neighbors. Okra for everyone!

How to Care for Okra

Okra is overall a pretty easy-going plant. It does not need to be supported on a trellis or with a stake, but it will want some mulch to help keep the soil cooler.

How to Fertilize Okra

Once your okra plants sprout, you will want to start fertilizing with fish emulsion about once monthly.

How Often to Water Okra

Water your okra seedlings daily until they are a few inches tall. Once established, okra can handle dry periods, so watering can be minimal, usually a deep soak once a week.

How to Harvest Okra

Okra takes about 52 days to reach maturity after being planted by seed in the garden, and at this point, you will start to see lovely yellow flowers forming. The bees definitely go crazy for them! Your okra pods will grow from these beautiful flowers within a matter of days.

Try to harvest your okra when the pods are about two to three inches long, especially if you are going to eat them whole. When okra grows much longer than that, it can get really stringy and tough. This is not as big of a deal if you're planning on cutting it up and frying it, but overall, you'll find okra tastes better when harvested sooner, when the pods are still on the smaller side.

Use a clean pair of pruners or a kitchen knife to slice off each okra pod.

During its peak, you can expect to harvest from your okra every one to two days.

Toward the end of your harvest, you can pick a few okra pods and save the seeds inside. They should keep for a couple of years in a cool, dry place. Then you can have okra again and again!

The Benefits of Okra

Okra is a great source of folate and calcium; in fact, it has a ton more calcium than cow’s milk!

The nutrient-dense pods can be cooked numerous different ways, including stewing in soups or gumbos, frying or baking it, or my favorite, slicing it and grilling it with spices!

One last note: there are many different varieties of okra these days. You can even find some that are red or purple! My personal favorite is Clemson Spineless, which is probably the most popular. But whichever variety you choose, you will not be disappointed.

Give okra a chance and add it to your garden this summer!

Happy gardening!

Dani Boss — Summer Skye Gardens

Dani is a Gardenary-certified garden coach and proud owner of Summer Skye Gardens in Spring, Texas. Located just outside of Houston, Dani knows a thing or two about the hot, humid climate that okra plants thrive in! She loves giving tips for how to garden in a southern climate or how to set up your own pollinator garden, complete with cut flowers and roses.

As a garden coach, she's passionate about helping families get started growing their own food with confidence and success in their very own backyard gardens. She offers design service, one-on-one coaching, and consultations.

Follow Summer Skye Gardens on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest to see how Dani is helping others grow in health and happiness. If you're in the Spring area, sign up on her website to receive a free seasonal planting guide and see how Dani can help you make your kitchen garden dreams come true!

Thanks to Dani for supplying the photos for this article.