Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus • Malvaceae
🌱 Seed Category
Vegetable
🌍 Origin Region
West Africa, now cultivated worldwide in warm temperate and tropical regions.
📅 Days to Maturity
50 to 60 days from direct sowing to first harvest. Continuous harvesting encourages further pod production throughout the season.
🌡️ Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 9 through 11 as a perennial, grown universally as a warm-season annual in zones 2 through 11.
About This Seed
Seeds are round, hard, grayish-brown to dark green, and pea-sized with a wrinkled texture. The resulting plant is a tall, upright annual with lobed leaves, showy hibiscus-like yellow flowers with dark red centers, and edible ridged seed pods.
Growing Information
Growing Season
Spring and Summer, direct sow after all danger of frost has passed when soil reaches 65°F.
Germination
Germination takes 7 to 14 days at an optimal soil temperature of 70°F to 90°F. Soaking seeds in warm water for 12 to 24 hours prior to planting helps soften the hard seed coat and improves germination rates.
Planting Instructions
Plant seeds 0.5 to 1 inch deep, spaced 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Thin seedlings to 12 to 18 inches apart. Prefers fertile, well-draining loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Water deeply once a week, about 1 inch of water, though it has good drought tolerance once established.
Companion Plants
Companions well with peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, melons, and basil. Avoid planting near potatoes.
Special Characteristics
Highly heat tolerant, drought resistant, and produces attractive ornamental flowers. Attracts pollinators like bees while resisting most common pests.