When to Plant Okra Seeds

If you are starting your okra seeds indoors, plant them in peat pots 4 weeks before the average last Spring frost date in your area. If you’re starting your okra seeds outdoors, plant them 3-4 weeks before the last Spring frost but make sure to cover them with a cold frame to protect them against the cold. If you want to wait until it has warmed to plant your okra seeds, wait until the soil has reached around 65 or 70 degrees F.

Where to Plant Okra Seeds

Find an area in your garden that gets full sun and has rich, well-draining soil.

How to Plant Okra Seeds

Before planting, we recommend soaking okra seeds for 24 hours to encourage germination. Learn more about here.

Okra seeds require light to germinate, so be careful not to cover them when planting. Learn more about germination light requirements here.

Plant your seeds around 12 inches apart and ¼ inch deep. When the plants get to be larger, you can weed the plants so they are between 3 and 4 feet apart.

How to Harvest Okra

Your okra will be ready to start harvesting after about 2 months. After that, you can keep picking the okra every two days with a knife cut to the stem above the okra cap. *If you want to create faster production, remove the lower leaves of the plants after the first harvest. *We recommend wearing gloves and/or skin protection while touching or handling the okra plants to prevent irritation from the tiny spines on its surface.