Okra Seeds - Sea Island Red

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 80

Packet Weight: 6g

Planting Season: After Last Frost

Sowing Method: Direct Seed

Seed Depth: 1/2"

Direct Seed Spacing: 3-4"

Soil Temperature: 60-90 ℉

Days to Sprout: 7-15

Mature Spacing: 12-18"

Sun Requirement: Full Sun

Frost Tolerance: Frost Sensitive

Days to Harvest: 60

When to Seed Okra

Okra is a heat-loving crop that should be planted after all danger of frost has passed. They can either be transplanted or direct seeded, but if you’re starting them indoors ahead of planting, do not let them mature longer than two weeks in pots. Okra typically doesn’t like to be transplanted, because it produces a tap root. But if you can transplant them out before the tap root gets too long, you’ll be in the clear! 

Where to Plant Okra

Choose a spot that gets eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Okra isn’t a heavy feeder but will benefit from a top dressing of compost at planting time. As previously mentioned, okra produces a deep root system, so planting in a bed that is loosened or amended to a depth of at least 12 inches will be beneficial. 

Growing Okra

Sow your seeds ½ inch deep and three to four inches apart, if direct seeding. Okra seeds have a very hard seed coat and benefit greatly from scarification as a pre-treatment to planting. If you are transplanting, take care to handle your starts very carefully and not disturb the roots. Okra should be given at least an inch of water per week. Once fruiting begins, they may not need as much water. You’ll increase your yields if you top dress with compost two to three times throughout the growing season. 

Harvesting Okra

Okra is an extremely productive crop. The more you harvest, the more it’ll produce. We recommend harvesting once a day during peak production. Use sharp shears to cut the okra pods just above their caps, where the stem of the pod meets the plant. Depending on the variety, okra is most tender when picked around two to three inches in length. If you wait too long, the pods will become tough and fibrous. Watch out for the sharp spines that can irritate your skin.

Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus
Pollination, self/insect; Life Cycle, annual; Isolation Distance, ¼ - ½ mile

Okra flowers are perfect and self-pollinating, but they are so large and showy they attract lots of bees to help get the job done. Okra needs at least ¼ mile to retain seed purity, but ½ mile would be best. Okra will keep producing as long as you pick, so it's best not to save pods from early flushes as you will be selecting for lower overall yields. Let your seed pod choices dry on the plant, and cut them off (wearing gloves!) with pruning shears or just grab the pod and twist. You can store the seeds in the pods until use, but for best long term storage, crack open the pods and store seeds in glass jars.