How to Grow Okra in a Pot

Include okra in your container garden and enjoy its large flowers and bright green foliage.


Gardeners with limited growing space strive to balance the space with edible and ornamental plants. This is especially easy when an edible plant exhibits showy flowers, adding beauty as well as food to the garden. A relative of hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) features edible, finger-like pods and large flowers similar to ornamental hibiscus flowers, usually in shades of white or creamy yellow with a deep red center. While gardeners traditionally grow this heat-loving plant in the ground, pots make it possible to grow okra on balconies and patios and extend the growing season for cooler climates.


Select a pot for the okra plant that is at least 10 inches in diameter. You can use a 10-inch or larger pot from a garden center or use a 5-gallon bucket, which has a top diameter of about 12 inches and a bottom diameter of about 10 1/2 inches.


Drill 1/4 inch or smaller holes in the bottom of the container and line the bottom with gravel or broken pottery pieces to allow excess water to easily drain from the soil. The pot requires a plate or tray to catch excess water as it drains from the bottom of the pot.


Place the pot in a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and where nighttime temperatures are no less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Okra seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The pot becomes quite heavy when filled with watered potting mix, so you may find it easier to place the pot in the desired location when it is empty.


Prepare a potting mix for the pot or choose a bagged mix that drains well. You can use a soilless potting mix, containing equal parts sphagnum peat, sand and vermiculite, or amend garden soil with equal parts garden soil, organic matter, sand and vermiculite. Garden soil compacts rapidly in container gardens without the addition of organic matter, sand and vermiculite to improve soil porosity and drainage.


Mix a complete fertilizer with the potting mixture, such as 10-10-10, or a high-nitrogen and high-phosphorous fertilizer, such as 20-20-10. Supplemental nitrogen prepares the okra plant for the long growing season, but too much nitrogen leads too excess foliage and lackluster pods.


Fill the pot with the potting mix to within 1/2 inch of the container edge. If you prefer, you can blend the potting mixture directly in the pot, but using a larger container to mix the ingredients prevents spilling over the edge.


Plant three to five seeds near the center of the pot, spacing each seed 1 to 2 inches apart, then cover them with 1/4 inch of potting mix. Planting multiple seeds increases the chances that at least one seed will germinate. Delicate okra roots make transplanting seedlings difficult, so sowing the seeds directly in the large pot eliminates the risk of damaging the roots.


Water the soil as needed to keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge. After plants are well established, drought-tolerant okra should only require weekly supplemental watering, especially during the flowering and fruiting period.


Thin the seedlings to only one plant for each pot, choosing the most vigorous of the seedlings after two or more sets of leaves develop.


Apply a nitrogen fertilizer side dressing at least once during the growing season, such as when plants are about 8 inches tall and again a few weeks later. Nitrogen sources include urea, bloodmeal and poultry manure; regular compost application can provide the necessary nutrients without a nitrogen-specific source. General guidelines for side dressing fertilizers suggest 5 tablespoons for every 10 feet in a garden row, so 1/2 tablespoon of nitrogen fertilizer benefits a plant in a 12-inch container. Remember that too much nitrogen hurts okra production, so it is best to add too little nitrogen.


Pinch the leaves at the ends of the okra branches when the plant reaches 2 feet tall. This forces the plant to branch, leading to more okra pods.


Cut okra pods from the plant when they are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches long, while the pods are young and tender. Check the plants several times a week so you don't leave mature pods on the plant, which prevents the plant from producing new flowers and okra pods.

Things You Will Need

  • 10-inch pot or larger
  • Power drill
  • Drill bits
  • Gravel
  • Sphagnum peat
  • Sand
  • Vermiculite
  • Organic matter
  • Complete fertilizer
  • Nitrogen fertilizer
  • Bypass pruners


  • Start okra seeds about two weeks after danger of frost has passed. Maturity depends on the okra variety, usually between 50 and 60 days.
  • You can soak okra seeds in buttermilk or vinegar for 24 hours or scratch the seeds with a file or sandpaper to soften the hard seed coat, making it easier for the seeds to germinate.
  • Choose a smaller okra cultivar, such as semi-dwarf "Lee" and "Prelude" or dwarf cultivar "Blondy" for best results when grown in a pot.

Photo Credits

  • Hemera Technologies/ Images
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