Okra
Lady's Finger, Gumbo, Bhindi, Bamia
Thrives in heat — plant only after soil reaches 65°F. Soak seeds overnight to improve germination. Harvest pods at 3–4" every 2 days — pods become fibrous and tough rapidly if left on plant, and delay further production. Wear gloves; some people react to leaf spines. Very productive in hot southern gardens. Tolerates short droughts once established.
- Germination
- 5–10 days
- Soil temperature
- 18–35 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 50–65 days
- Spacing
- 30–45 cm
When to plant okra
Sow outdoors 2–4 weeks after your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow okra
- 1
Wait for heat
Okra needs warm soil. Sow 2.5 cm deep 2–4 weeks after the last frost, once the soil is at least 18 °C. Soaking seed overnight speeds germination.
- 2
Grow on
Give it the sunniest, warmest spot. Once established it tolerates short dry spells.
- 3
Wear gloves
Some people react to the fine spines on the leaves and pods.
- 4
Harvest
Cut pods at 8–10 cm every two days from 50–65 days after sowing. Pods turn fibrous quickly, and old pods stop the plant producing.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
18–40 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-sensitive — protect below 0 °C
Days to maturity
50–65 days
How Tomatograph watches your okra
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- Forecast of 2 °C or lowerFrost alert the evening before: cover plants with fleece or bring pots inside.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for fusarium wilt, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Okra questions
- When should I plant okra?
- Sow outdoors 2–4 weeks after your last spring frost.
- How long do okra seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 5–10 days at a soil temperature of 18–35 °C.
- How long until I can harvest okra?
- About 50–65 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant okra?
- Allow 30–45 cm between plants.
- What grows well with okra?
- Good neighbours include basil, pepper, marigold, sunflower.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).