If you attempt to transplant okra seedlings into your pots, you run the risk of damaging the taproot. When you are growing okra in pots, you want to make sure that your plants thrive. Fill your pots to within 1/2 inch of the edge with your potting soil mix. Layer the bottom of your okra pots with broken pottery pieces or gravel for drainage before adding your potting mix. Setting your pots on plant pot casters allows you to move your plants, and placing pot saucers under your pots or lining a larger pot with gravel and then placing your okra pot inside the larger pot avoids drips. You also will want to avoid drips when you water your plants, especially if you are growing your okra on a balcony. The pots in which you grow your okra will become very heavy when you fill them with potting mix and water them. You can nick the coating of each seed with a rasping file, soak the seeds for 12 to 18 hours, or wrap them in moist paper towels overnight. Okra seeds are covered by a protective coating, so you need to prepare them before sowing to encourage them to germinate. Those temperatures will keep the soil temperature in your pots at or above 65☏ (18☌), where okra needs it to be. In warmer climates, you may be able to start your okra in early spring, but in cooler climates, you may need to wait almost until the start of summer.įor okra to germinate and grow well, wait until daytime temperatures reach 85☏ (29☌) or higher and nighttime temperatures reach 60☏ (16☌) or higher. Okra will not tolerate frost, so, regardless of where you live, wait until two weeks after the last frost date in your area. It just keeps the pods within reach.ĭwarf and semi-dwarf varieties are available, however, and dwarf varieties grow to just 5 feet tall. Topping off your plants won’t interfere with their pod production. You can grow them in containers, or keep them a more manageable height for harvesting in a garden, by cutting back the top one-third of each plant late in the summer. Regular varieties of okra can grow to be 8 feet tall. When you’re growing okra, or any other plant, in a container, watering removes some of the nutrients from the soil, so container grown plants need extra fertilizer. Work aged compost, aged manure, or a 10-10-10 or 20-20-10 organic fertilizer into your potting mix before adding your potting mix to your pots. You can also use a potting soil mix that contains no soil but that consists of equal parts of sand, vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss. Okra will grow in soils with pH levels up to 7.0, but avoid soils with pH levels above 7.6. If you are choosing a potting soil for your okra, pick one that has been mixed for vegetables or herbs and vegetables that is rich in organic materials and that has a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. Plant molds, mildews, and other soil-borne diseases can arise from soils that are too wet if containers cannot provide sufficient drainage.īefore using topsoil, you will need to mix it with equal parts of topsoil, vermiculite, sand, and organic matter to ensure that your containers of okra drain well. Because topsoil is heavier, it can become packed down in a container, and that interferes with good drainage. Potting soil is lighter and looser than topsoil, and okra prefers light, sandy or loamy soil. Why You Should Use Potting Soil, Not Plain TopsoilĮven if you are planting your okra in a planter or tub, you should use potting soil, not plain topsoil. Plastic or galvanized buckets or tubs, but punch or drill drainage holes in the bottom and sides.Ĭontainers for any plant needs to have enough holes in the bottom, and sometimes the sides, to provide sufficient drainage.Okra likes the heat, so, while it will likely cause the soil to dry out more quickly and increase the need for watering, consider choosing dark-colored, heat-absorbing containers for your okra. If you want to grow your okra in a planter, it should be long enough to allow 18 to 24 inches between the plants, exactly the same spacing you would use if you were planting okra in a garden. If you are putting each plant in an individual container, your containers should be 12 to 14 inches wide. This means your container should be at least 14 inches deep. If you aren’t certain, find another container.Īny container you choose needs to have enough depth to accommodate okra’s taproot. While you can be almost as creative as you want to be when choosing a found or repurposed container for smaller plants, okra requires a sturdy container because it needs to support a tall plant and retain at least 3 to 5 gallons (11 to 19 liters) of soil moist.īe certain that your chosen containers have never been used for poisonous or hazardous materials, though.
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