[snoozy]

I posted this on the gardening forum and it just seems like there is no traffic there, so maybe I can tap into a bigger pool of helpers here:

Has anyone had success growing okra in containers? The highest point in my greenhouse, which is kind of low-ceilinged, is in the center aisle, and so I want to grow okra in 5 gallon buckets in the aisle and shift them as needed to move around the greenhouse. Will 5 gallon buckets be deep enough for the roots? I figure one plant per bucket.

 

[charles]

A five gallon bucket should be plenty big. Okra likes strong sun and heat to grow well. Pick your okra fruits when young both for better texture/taste and to keep more flowers and fruit coming on. Watch out for white flies in your greenhouse, they love mallows.

 

[Guest]

they need lots of heat- what ever you do keep them warm or they wont produce fruit- much more finicky than about anything for the heat.

 

[Hank - Narita]

We have never grown or eaten okra on a regular basis. We have a good recipe but want any and all tips for growing it. We were given seeds and plan to grow lots for our market garden as it sells very well (last year's experience with a neighbor).

 

[Katherine in KY]

If you're going to grow okra in pots, I would use one of the dwarf varieties. Regular okra has really big roots, and I don't think it would do well confined to a pot.

 

[snoozy]

Yes, I was thinking dwarf varieties would be the way to go -- although often warm climate plants end up a little stunted here anyway. I haven't had bug problems in the greenhouse, thanks to a lot of frogs, I think. Baby slugs have zipped the heads off seedlings, but I'm going to work on being extra vigilant about that.

 

[Shrek]

I grew 12 stalks in two 60 qt totes last season . That was one plant per 2 1/2 gallons of area . Those 12 plants grew to about 5 ft tall and yielded about 350 pods and two cups of okra peas from over mature pods.