Harvesting Okra: When and How to Pluck Those Prickly Pods

Freshly harvest okra on a blue kitchen towel on a small wooden cutting board.

You have successfully grown a nice little patch of okra and now it’s almost harvest time. But when and how do you go about it? We give you directions, picking tips, and tricks, plus some recipe ideas for your harvest. Read more now on Gardener’s Path.

11 of the Best Companion Plants to Grow With Okra

A close up horizontal image of okra pods developing on the plant pictured on a soft focus background.

Okra is easy to grow, but you can increase its yield and keep the plants healthier by sowing it next to compatible flowers and vegetables. We present 11 top okra companion plants, including basil, oregano, beans, snap peas, and cayenne peppers. Try companion planting now for better yields and fewer pests.

How to Grow and Care For Okra

A single okra fruit growing on a stem with young, immature fruit budding above it. The background is blurred and green.

Okra is a flowering plant with elongated, edible pods that are frequently used as a thickening agent in gumbo. With colorful varieties ranging from dwarf to over eight feet, it’s as pretty in the garden as it is functional. Read on to learn how easy it is to grow okra in your vegetable patch, here on Gardener’s Path.

Tips for Growing Red Burgundy Okra

A close up horizontal image of 'Red Burgundy' okra pod and flower growing in the garden pictured in bright sunshine, fading to soft focus in the background.

Prolific and terrific, ‘Burgundy’ heirloom okra grows fast and produces bushels of edible red pods in a single season. Our guide shares ways this variety differs from green types and how to care for the plants from sowing to harvest and cooking. Eat the pretty yellow blooms, too, or grow red okra as an ornamental.

How to Save Okra Seeds for Planting

A close up horizontal image of okra growing in the garden.

Okra grows readily from seed, and you’ll have an ample supply of the best open-pollinated varieties when you collect and dry seeds at season’s end. This guide covers which types are best for seed-saving, and how to collect and dry them. Just a few pods will yield enough for a bumper crop and more to share with friends.

13 of the Best Okra Varieties for Your Vegetable Patch

An okra plant with a white blossom.

Okra is a flowering annual that bears edible pods in shades of red and green. Famous for its use as a thickener in gumbo, it’s not just for Southern gardens, but all USDA Hardiness Zones. Discover 13 of our favorites, and choose from dwarf varieties suitable for containers to tree-sized plants, here on Gardener’s Path.