How to Grow Okra
Okra At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Fruit
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to 7°C
Plant Family
Malvaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Most Canadian summers are too cool for okra sown outdoors to give much, so start it inside. Soak the hard seeds in water overnight and sow 1 seed per pot, 1 cm deep, about 5 weeks before your last frost, in a warm spot. Okra roots dislike being disturbed, so plant out the whole root ball in one piece, 30 cm apart, 2 weeks after the last frost. Before planting out, set the pots outside in a sheltered spot for a few hours a day, a little longer each day for about a week, so they toughen up (this is called hardening off).
Okra is quick once it is warm, with pods ready about 50 days after sowing, but it barely grows in cool weather. The secret to a big crop is picking the pods young, every day or two, since pods left on the plant turn woody and the plant slows down.
When To Start
First chance to plant
10 Days After Last Frost
Last chance to plant
60 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Okra?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Okra Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Okra Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Optional: sow okra outdoors in warm soil (hot summers)
2 weeks after your last frost· every year· optional
Start okra indoors in a warm spot
5 weeks before your last frost· every year
Pick okra pods young, every day or two
60 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your okra seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Your okra is growing! Give it your warmest, sunniest spot, it loves heat.
About 31 days after you plant it
Harvest is near! Pick pods while they are small and tender, they toughen fast.
About 47 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your okra.
About 50 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Okra's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
1 cm
Seeding Depth
30 cm
Plant Spacing
90 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Trellis.
Method: Trellis.
Succession Planting
Yes.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give okra full sun, at least 8 hours a day, in the warmest spot you have.
- 2Mix plenty of compost into the soil, and in a pot use one at least 30 cm wide and deep.
- 3Water deeply about once a week, more in hot spells, and spread mulch once the soil is warm to keep the moisture in.
- 4Feed with worm castings or compost tea every 3 to 4 weeks once the first flowers open.
- 5Tall types may need a stake so wind does not tip them over.
- 6Wash aphids off the leaves and buds with a spray of water, and check under the leaves every few days.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~50
Days to Maturity
150 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Pick pods when tender
How to Harvest
- 1Pods are ready just a few days after the flower fades, when they are 5 to 10 cm long and still tender.
- 2Wear gloves and long sleeves, since the leaves and pods have tiny prickles that can make your skin itch.
- 3Cut each pod off with pruners or a sharp knife just above the cap, rather than pulling it.
- 4Pick every day or two at the peak of summer, because a pod left too long turns tough and woody, and the plant makes fewer new ones.
- 5Keep pods dry and unwashed in a bag in the fridge and use them within a few days, or slice and freeze them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Okra flowers mostly pollinate themselves, but bees can carry pollen between varieties, so grow only one variety, or keep different ones as far apart as you can. Hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true, so save only from a variety that is not a hybrid. Leave a few of the first healthy pods on the plant until they are dry, brown and starting to split, which takes several weeks. Snap them open over a bowl, let the round seeds dry for another week, and store them labelled somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep about 2 to 3 years.
Seed Production
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