Okra By The Numbers

Height, Spacing, and Quantity

 

Some questions potential and eager okra planters often ask:

1) How tall do okra plants get? 


As stated before, my variety of choice is Clemson Spineless. They can get really tall, maybe up to 10 feet in height. Once they get this tall, you'll need a ladder to reach them or simply, but gently, bend them down to cut the fresh pods off the top. Okra is the gift that keeps on giving!

This one is just about 8' tall and still growing in early fall.

2) When planting, how much space should be between each plant?

 





I've seen a lot of different suggestions on how much space should be between okra plants. While okra does grow to be pretty large in diameter with large, reaching leaves, it is not necessary to space the plants any more than 6 inches apart. I plant mine in 2 rows in a 16' long raised bed, spaced about 5 inches apart, as you can see below. The key to the plants not overcrowding is to snap (prune) the branches off once that branch's okra pod has been harvested. Instead of letting the giant leaves grow and grow, just simply pop them off with your hands and leave them lying in the raised bed for a mulch/ground cover. Some people won't grow this beautiful plant because they think it takes up too much room. Later, I'll show you my raised bed trench method that makes okra growing easy!

3) How many plants do I need to feed my family?

Admittedly, Okra can be frustrating to grow. It grows from a tiny seed and seems to take forever to really get its feet under it. When planting in the spring, patience is imperative! As the weather gets warmer, okra really thrives. In fact, mine doesn't really take off until temperatures are consistently in the 90's during the day. I should have planted more than I did this year. Most of the summer, I have harvested okra every morning and it has taken me about 3-4 days to get enough for a good sized skillet full for an okra loving family of 4. Next spring I'll probably have closer to 50 plants. This year I've had about 25. If you grow more than you can use, it's a treat to give to your neighbors or family. Everybody gives away tomatoes, squash, and watermelons. Not too many give away okra. And, it's always better to grow more than you need.