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When to Plant Okra

Plant okra 2 to 3 weeks after your last spring frost, once the soil is at least 65°F at a 4-inch depth and preferably 70°F or warmer. In short-season areas, start transplants indoors 4 to 6 weeks ahead. In Florida and the low desert, planting starts in late winter or early spring.

Your dates for okra

Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant okra where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.

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Okra planting dates by zone

JFMAMJJASOND Zone 4b Zone 5b Zone 6b Zone 7b Zone 8b Zone 9a
Start indoorsPlant out or sowFirst harvestDates use each zone's typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code for your own.
Dates from each zone's typical (median) frost dates.
ZoneStart indoorsPlant outSow outdoors
Zone 2aApr 7 to 21May 19 to Jun 9Jun 2 to 9
Zone 3aMay 28 to Jun 11Jul 9 to 30Jul 9 to 16
Zone 3bMay 18 to Jun 1Jun 29 to Jul 20Jun 29 to Jul 6
Zone 4aMay 8 to 22Jun 19 to Jul 10Jun 19 to 26
Zone 4bMay 1 to 15Jun 12 to Jul 3Jun 12 to 19
Zone 5aApr 26 to May 10Jun 7 to 28Jun 7 to 14
Zone 5bApr 25 to May 9Jun 6 to 27Jun 6 to 13
Zone 6aApr 23 to May 7Jun 4 to 25Jun 4 to 11
Zone 6bApr 18 to May 2May 30 to Jun 20May 30 to Jun 6
Zone 7aApr 12 to 26May 24 to Jun 14May 24 to 31
Zone 7bApr 2 to 16May 14 to Jun 4May 14 to 21
Zone 8aMar 20 to Apr 3May 1 to 22May 1 to 8
Zone 8bMar 10 to 24Apr 21 to May 12Apr 21 to 28
Zone 9aFeb 23 to Mar 9Apr 6 to 27Apr 6 to 13
Zone 9bFeb 16 to Mar 2Mar 30 to Apr 20Mar 30 to Apr 6

Wait for warm soil

Okra is one of the most heat-dependent crops in the vegetable garden, and planting too early is the most common timing mistake. Frost injures the plants, and cool soil causes trouble even after frost danger has passed: Clemson calls root-decay diseases that kill young seedlings the most serious okra problem, and they are worst in cold, wet soil.

That is why extension services set the sowing date by soil temperature rather than the calendar:

  • Clemson: at least 65°F at a 4-inch depth, with an optimum of 70 to 95°F.
  • Maryland: 65°F, which usually arrives 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost.
  • Utah State: 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost, or once the soil reaches 75°F.

The dates for your zone above are built around that 2- to 3-week delay. Check the soil with a thermometer before sowing, and if a cold, rainy spell is forecast, wait. Soaking seed (6 hours to overnight, depending on the source) speeds germination, but Clemson warns that it won’t keep seedlings alive in cold soil.

Clemson’s best growing range is 75 to 90°F air temperature, and Utah State notes that yields are highest when temperatures stay above 65°F.

Starting transplants in short-season areas

Where summers are short or cool, transplants give okra the head start it needs. Maryland sows indoors 5 to 6 weeks before frost danger ends, Utah State 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting, and Alabama allows up to 6 to 8 weeks. Alabama sets plants out at 3 or 4 leaves, after a week of hardening off. Don’t set them out until the soil is warm. Black plastic mulch helps by raising the soil temperature (Utah State). Utah State recommends compact, early varieties such as Annie Oakley II for cool, short-season gardens, and notes that okra takes about 90 days from seed there.

Regional windows

Southeast. Clemson’s South Carolina dates are May 1 to June 30 on the coast and May 15 to July 15 in the Piedmont, with no fall planting. Alabama plants from April through July after frost danger has passed.

Florida. UF/IFAS lists late March through July for North Florida, February through August for Central Florida, and two windows for South Florida: January to March and August to October.

Low desert. The University of Arizona calendar for the Phoenix area schedules seeding from mid-March through May, using varieties that take 70 to 100 days.

North and Mountain West. Plant at the late end: 2 to 3 weeks after the last frost, into soil that has truly warmed. Use transplants, black plastic and early varieties.

How late can you plant?

Okra starts bearing about 60 to 70 days after sowing (Clemson, UF/IFAS). Alabama gives 45 to 55 days and Utah State about 90 in its cool climate. Once it starts, it produces until frost, for up to about 12 weeks on well-tended plants, according to Clemson. For the last sensible sowing date, count back the variety’s days to maturity plus the weeks of harvest you want from your average first fall frost.

In the South, you don’t need a second sowing for fall okra. Clemson suggests ratooning instead: between mid-July and mid-August, cut stalled plants back to 6 to 12 inches, fertilize and water them, and expect new pods in about 4 to 6 weeks.

For spacing, feeding and harvest, see the okra growing guide.

Where frost is rare

Okra loves heat. Plant from late winter through summer. Only frost-free South Florida also uses a late-summer to fall window, and it still avoids the coolest months.

ZonePlanting months in Extension guides
Zone 9Feb-Aug (Central FL); mid Mar-May (Phoenix low desert)
Zone 10Jan-Mar, Aug-Oct

Based on UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (VH021) Table 1, okra: North FL late Mar-Jul, Central FL Feb-Aug, South FL Jan-Mar and Aug-Oct. University of Arizona AZ1005 Maricopa County calendar: seed mid-March through May. Zone mapping is an editorial approximation: zone_9 uses Central FL plus Phoenix, and zone_10 uses South FL. No source covers zone 11 or Hawaii. Warm-winter areas are matched to zones approximately, so use the months for your region.

How to grow okraYour full planting calendar

Questions

What soil temperature does okra need to germinate?

Clemson and Maryland want at least 65°F, and Clemson measures it at 4 inches deep. Clemson's optimum is 70 to 95°F, and Utah State waits for 75°F. Seed in colder soil germinates slowly and seedlings often die of root rot.

Is it too late to plant okra in July?

Not in the South. Clemson's Piedmont window runs to July 15, North Florida plants through July, and Central Florida through August. Farther north, count back the variety's 60 to 70 days to harvest, plus several weeks of picking, from your first frost.

Can okra be planted in the fall?

Clemson does not recommend fall planting in South Carolina. Frost-free South Florida is the exception, with an August to October window. Elsewhere, Clemson suggests cutting back summer plants in mid-July to mid-August so they regrow for a fall crop.

Should I start okra indoors?

Only where summers are short. Maryland starts seed 5 to 6 weeks before frost danger ends, Utah State 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting and Alabama up to 6 to 8 weeks. Harden plants off for about a week before setting them out.

Sources