Okra is definitely grown from seed. Okra is a young, warm-weather annual that requires midsummer heat and nearly tropical warmth for the perfect progress. Okra is native to northern Africa and is a favourite amongst southern gardeners in the USA.
Plant okra immediately within the backyard just a few weeks in any case hazard of frost has handed in spring. For uninterrupted progress, okra desires a soil temperature of about 75°F (24°C). Planting in cooler soil will gradual however not completely compromise okra root progress.
Okra seed may be began indoors about 4 weeks earlier than the final frost. Wait till heat late spring or early summer season temperatures are established earlier than transplanting okra into the backyard.
Okra matures 55 to 65 days after planting.
Okra is a key ingredient of gumbo and jambalaya.
Right here is your information to beginning okra from seed each indoors and outside.
Okra Seed Beginning Fundamentals
- Frequent title: Okra, gumbo
- Botanical title: Abelmoschus esculentus (Hibiscus esculentus)
- Household: Malvaceae, the identical household as mallow and cotton
- Life cycle: Annual
- Fruit kind: Capsule
- Seed-sowing depth: ½ inch (1.3 cm)
- Seed beginning ideas: Scarify seed coat or soak seed for 12 hours in heat water previous to sowing
- Seed-starting soil temperature: 70° to 95°F (21-35°C)
- Indoor seed beginning time: Begin seed indoors in peat pots or different biodegradable containers 4 to five weeks earlier than the final frost. Backside warmth speeds germination.
- Gentle necessities: Brilliant mild, full solar
- Transplant time: After the hazard of frost; don’t disturb the roots when transplanting.
- Direct sowing time: Direct sow 2 or 3 weeks after the final frost; okra desires an extended season of heat climate for finest pod growth.
- Spacing within the backyard: 18 inches (46 cm) aside for small varieties; 36 inches (91 cm) aside for tall varieties.
- Seed germination: 3-12 days; okra seed germination fee is about 65 p.c.
- Flowers: 5-petaled flowers, often yellow with purple facilities, borne in terminal racemes or singly from leaf axils; flowers appear like hibiscus flowers
- Pollination: Self-pollinating, insect-pollinated
- Cross-pollination: Can cross-pollinate with different okra varieties; cage vegetation or bag flowers to forestall cross-pollination.
- Isolation distance: ½ mile (0.8 km)
- Days to maturity: 50-60
- Harvest time: Decide the lengthy, inexperienced seed pods when they’re 2 to three ½ inches lengthy. Reduce the pods moderately than pull them off the plant. Acquire pods each different day to maintain the vegetation producing; if pods mature on the plant, edible pod manufacturing will gradual to a cease.
- Seed saving: Let the seed pods keep on the plant till they develop into fully mature; brittle, brown, and as much as a foot lengthy. In late fall, collect the pods, break them open, and shell out the seeds like beans. Dry and retailer.
- Seed processing: Dry pods on the vegetation or harvest previous to frost and permit pods to proceed to dry absolutely. Put on gloves and lengthy sleeves to reap pods.
- Seed vitality: 2-3 years; typical germination fee is 65 p.c
Okra Sowing and Planting Ideas
- Develop okra from seeds or seedlings.
- Okra seeds are viable for two years.
- Okra is often began indoors in a greenhouse or heat, well-lit sunroom or kitchen.
- Sow okra in particular person pots of sunshine potting combine 6 to 4 weeks earlier than you plan to set vegetation out.
- Don’t set okra outside till the nighttime temperature is persistently better than 60°F (15°C)—even then you could need to shield vegetation from temperatures under 65°F (18°C).
- Sow 3 to 4 seeds to a pot or throughout flats; then clip away the weaker seedlings as soon as the strongest seedling is about 2 inches (5 cm) tall.
- Sow seed ½ inch (13 mm) deep.
- The optimum soil temperature for germinating seed is 85°F (29°C).
- Maintain the seed beginning combine simply moist till seeds germinate.
- Okra seed may be sown immediately within the backyard if the soil temperature is heat sufficient—and there are sufficient days within the season for vegetation to achieve maturity. The optimum rising soil temperature is 85°F (29°C).
- Okra seed germination takes 7 to 12 days at 85°F (29°C) or hotter.
- Seedlings began indoors needs to be stored underneath a develop mild or in a sunny window after germination. Maintain the indoor nighttime temperature above 65°F (18°C).
- Water to maintain the seed beginning combine from drying.
- Fertilize with fish emulsion or a soluble full fertilizer at half energy.
- Switch seedlings to a bigger container as soon as they’re 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) tall; ensure that seedlings have enough room for root progress. This course of is named “potting up”; proceed to pot up seedlings as they outgrow containers—till they’re transplanted into the backyard or a really giant container.
- Transplant okra to the backyard after seedlings are at the least 4 to six inches (10-15 cm) tall.
- Set vegetation 24 inches (60 cm) aside in rows at the least 24 inches aside.
- Add aged compost, aged manure, and natural matter to planting beds upfront of transplanting.
- Okra prefers a soil pH vary of 6.0 to six.8.
- Develop okra in full solar for finest yield.
- Fertilize with an natural fertilizer resembling fish emulsion at half energy.
- Give okra an inch of water (6.5 gallons) every week; okra doesn’t like persistently moist soil.
- Shield vegetation from chilly climate underneath light-weight spun poly row covers supported by wire hoops. Chilly nights will trigger blossoms to drop producing bushy vegetation with out pods.
- Frequent okra pest enemies embody aphids which excrete a sticky substance referred to as honeydew which attracts ants, corn earworms, and flea beetles.
- Frequent okra ailments embody powdery mildew and fusarium wilt. Crop rotation is essential to stem ailments that have an effect on okra.
Extra ideas at How you can Plant, Develop, and Harvest Okra.
Interplanting: Plant okra with basil, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, and peppers.
Container Rising: Select a 15-gallon container for rising okra.
Okra Planting Calendar
- 6-4 weeks earlier than the final frost in spring: begin seed indoors.
- Transplant seedlings to the backyard when evening time temperature is persistently better than 65°
- Sow seed immediately within the backyard when the minimal soil temperature is 75°.
Okra Really useful Varieties
Develop okra from high quality seeds. Get seeds from a seed firm that provides disease-resistant varieties.
- ‘Blondie’ and ‘Clemson Spineless’ are high performers.
- ‘Cajun Delight’ is a short-season number of okra for cool areas.
- ‘Child Bubba’ is a dwarf okra selection for small areas.
Botanical Identify: Abelmoschus esculentus
Okra is a member of the Malvaceae or mallow household; different members of this household are cacao and cotton.
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