Crop fact sheet · Heat season · frost tender
Okra
Not in season right now in Houston. Dates below.
Your dates in Houston
| Window | Order seed by | Start indoors | Plant | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | Feb 8 | — | Mar 1 – Mar 29 | from Apr 25 |
| Fall 2027 | Jul 29 | — | Aug 19 – Sep 16 | from Oct 13 |
Worked out from AgriLife planting windows (days before/after average frost) and Houston's average frost dates. "Order seed by" is our own 3-week heads-up, not an AgriLife date.
The numbers
- How to plant
- Sow seed directly 1" deep, 18" apart, rows 39" apart.
- Days to harvest
- 55–65 days
- Yield per 10 ft of row
- about 10 lb (100 lb per 100 ft of row)
- Keeps producing
- about 12.9 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Family
- Malvaceae (for rotation)
Water
Okra tolerates dry conditions, but watering every 7 to 10 days raises yield. Sandy soils need water more often than clay.
Feeding
- At planting: 2 to 3 lb of 10-10-10 or 15-5-10 per 100 sq ft mixed into the top 3 to 4 inches.
- After first harvest: 1 cup of garden fertilizer per 10 ft of row scattered between rows, then water.
Not sure what your soil needs? Get a soil test first.
Texas heat
AgriLife calls okra a heat-loving vegetable that grows well across Texas. Clemson lists best temperatures of 75-90 F and notes production may slow in the hottest, driest part of summer, so keep watering during high heat.
Pests to watch
- aphids
- stink bugs
- leaffooted bugs
- corn earworm
Diseases
- seedling root rot / damping-off
- root-knot nematodes
- pod rot
What to do about them: pest sheet · what's wrong with my plant?
When it's ready
Flowers appear about 2 months after planting and pods are ready 3 to 4 days after flowering. Pick pods 3 to 4 inches long every 1 to 2 days; big pods turn tough and stringy and slow the plant down.
Storing it
Refrigerate 3 to 5 days (AgriLife). Clemson: 45-50 F in a moist environment, up to 7 days; do not wash before refrigerating.
Texas tips
- Plant 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost date; for fall, plant at least 3 months before the first frost.
- Sow seed 1 inch deep, 2 inches apart, then thin to about 1 foot when plants are 3 to 4 inches tall.
- Grows well in most Texas soils.
Varieties that do well in Texas
Annie Oakley, Blondy, Burgundy, Cajun Delight, Clemson Spineless, Emerald, Lee, Louisiana Green Velvet, Stewart's Zeebest