Germinating okra indoors

I did this once a few years ago and it worked OK, but I don't remember the details.

Anybody know about how long it takes from germination to plant-out? 8 weeks like tomatoes?

If the plants get largish before I plant them, do they get sensitive to being transplanted?

Last year was my first time growing Okra.
I just cannot believe I never ate or grew Okra before. What a waiste of my life.
Anyway ...
I learn that Okra really like the heat. I did started too early indoor and it kind of seat there.
So in my zone, I will seed indoor at the beginning/mid of April and plant out in May.

I gre the Red Burgundy and Jing Orange varieties.
This year I am trying lots of different varieties.

PS. I luve the multiple pictures posting

Tarheel2az,
Okra absolutely LOVES, LOVES, LOVES the heat. The hotter, the better. If you start them before it is absolutely HOT outside, they will sit, sulk, and stall. Your production may not be what it couldve been.

Okra seeds do not take long to germinate. If you soak them overnight in a cup of water and one capful of hydrogen peroxide, they will put out little white nubs almost overnight.

If it's warm where you sow them they will grow like lightning!
So, time your sowing, so that when you put them out, it's really close to being HOT out.

Linda

Gymgirl,
When will you sow your Okra seeds?
Indoor or outdoor?

What other seeds do you start with the hydrogen peroxide?

Yeah, it's hot here, a good deal hotter than the Houston area. Not nearly as uncomfortable, though. Houston has the most unpleasant summer s of any place we've lived.. The okra thivea in the dog days here. We grow them every year, I'd like to jumpstart and get well developed seedings in the ground April 1st.

I just don't know how long before that to plant the seeds in trays. Anybody have expereience with this?.

Drthor and Tarheel2AZ,
I'm planning on sowing my okra seeds about 6 weeks before April 15th or thereabouts. A couple of years ago, we got a freeze on Palm Sunday at the end of April!

Since you never know about this Houston weather, I'd rather hedge my bet on the other side of April. I KNOW we will have more than enough heat from mid-May onward, and well into the end of September. I really don't need to jump the gun with putting the seedlings out before they really want to be.

They cooperate very nicely when conditions are to their liking.

Drthor,
Okra are the only seeds I've ever started with the peroxide, althoug it works for just about any really hard shelled seed. I believe it oxygenates the inside of the seed, and this infusion does something that sort of jump starts those hard-shelled seeds. Beans. I've done beans before. Just keep in mind it better be getting good and hot when you do it!

Linda

"Anybody know about how long it takes from germination to plant-out? 8 weeks like tomatoes?
If the plants get largish before I plant them, do they get sensitive to being transplanted?"

"I just don't know how long before that to plant the seeds in trays. Anybody have expereience with this?."

I do! I do! :>) I got tired of seeing my in situ okra seeds come up sporadically some years back and have often started them in cell packs. My preferred size are the 50-plug trays but you can do fine with the deep 6-packs. Like you mentioned above, Tarheel, pretty much treat them like tomatoes, allowing 6 to 8 weeks till plant out. If you have good warm temps in your germinating area and plenty of sun I'd shoot for six weeks so the root system and the top growth will be close to optimum. If the plants get root bound, which I've had happen, I tickled the root ball (gently loosening the roots) and they did fine; they'll seem to just sit there for a while but once new roots kick in (warm soil and air temp is a must) they'll take off.

Like Linda I prefer to soak the seeds overnight but I just use tepid water, never saw the need for H2O2 if you're using fresh seed.

I'd love to have okra in the ground by your April 1st goal but our soil temps don't tend to get warm enough until May. No worries here, I get tired of picking okra before the summer is out, and love getting tired of picking it. Such a nice low-maintenance crop with an excellent harvest!

Happy Gardening!
Shoe

OK - thanks, Horsehoe.

We have lots of sunshine in April and warm temps, but like you I've had unpredictable soil germination then.

Check this thread out...

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1241306/

Gymgirl, I saw that.

Lat year for the first time that I've grown it, I fertilized the okra when the plant first bloomed. I used 1 to 2 to 2 like for tomatoes. I was pleased with how heavily they bore. The plants made several bearing stems, instead of just flowering on the main stem, which is what I'd experienced before. On just three plants (gardener SNAFU did in three others) Cindy and I had close to as much as we could use.

I don't know what variety, I seeded from a dried pod. On thing for sure, it wasn't a spineless variety, very itchy if I was gloveless and short sleeved.

This message was edited Feb 8, 2012 12:50 PM

Thanks, Tarheel2az,
I truly hope for a bumper crop of okra for the first time this coming season. Mine have only given me onesies, twosies, here and there. Never like the production I've seen others have.

Linda

Having grown okra for many years, I thought I'd share my harvesting method. Here in my Kansas area okra is easy to grow as long as it's warm enough when planted. As I cut the okra I always cut the leaf just below it. This makes it much easier to see the new pods and also less foliage means less itch! By the end of season, the plants look kinda funny with their naked stems and a top knot of leaves. The okra grows almost head high with no adverse effect to plant or crop.

mee too ... my DH tortoises love the okra leaves ...