It’s easy to growing okra from seeds, but it does need a lot of moisture and takes its time germinating.
This plant is worth the wait, though, as it’s delicious and full of fiber and other nutrients. It grows best in tropical climates but can be grown where it’s arid, as long as there is enough water.
The seeds have a hard shell so to speed up germination, soak them in water overnight before planting.
The fiercer the heat, the better-growing okra from seeds, so give it a sunny spot, wait for the stable weather in the spring to get them started.
Planting the okra seeds an inch down and about two feet apart.
Okra production will generally keep producing throughout the growing season as long as you keep harvesting okra pods.
Okra pods are one of the lowest calorie vegetables available, but they have lots of fiber, carb, and protein.
Remedies made from the juiced fruits and leaves have traditionally been used to treat inflammation of all types, diarrhea, stomach aches, and sore throats.
Harvest the okra pods when they are green and immature.
If the stem is difficult to cut, they are probably too ripe to eat.
Some varieties have little hairs on them that are irritating to the skin, so wear gloves.
Don’t wash the pods until you are going to use them, as this decreases the shelf life.
They last in cool storage for about a week, but can also be canned for a longer shelf life.
