How To Grow Okra in a Polytunnel

Okra loves a warm atmosphere and lots of sunshine. When you are deciding to experiment with more exotic crops in your garden polytunnel, okra is a good exotic vegetable starter. Not only because it is easy to grow. Okra is great to eat and can be added to a variety of dishes including casseroles and pies.

 

What Are the Health Benefits of Okra?

 

Even though okra is not a large vegetable, it certainly packs a punch when it comes to health benefits. As a matter of fact, it is one of the few vegetables that you can grow in your garden polytunnel that produces a higher-than-average level of magnesium.

 

Okra is also rich in both vitamin C and A. It also contains folate and is a rich source of dietary fibre.

When Should I Plant Okra?

 

If the temperature within your domestic polytunnel is constant and does not fall below 10 Celsius, you can plant okra almost any time.

 

Plant okra directly into the ground or in pots. As long as the seeds are planted about 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart, your okra plants will thrive in the correct environment.

 

Can I transplant okra? Most gardeners that grow okra say that they don't like being transplanted. It is best to sow your okra in the place where they are going to grow.

 

After you have planted the seeds, water them generously. Professional growers of okra often soak the seeds overnight before they plant them.

 

What Soil Is Best for Okra?

 

The best thing about growing okra in a domestic polytunnel is that you can control the soil or compost that you place your okra plants in.

 

This is a plant that loves nutrient-rich soil. The better soil or compost you offer your okra plant, the more it will yield.

When it comes to growing okra in pots, you need to make sure you use a large pot. The roots are rather large and need a lot of space to support the plant. Be prepared to stake your okra plants to give them some extra support.

 

Don't overwater your okra, but make sure that you give it sufficient water to stay healthy.

 

Is Okra Disease Free?

Okra is surprisingly a rather disease-free crop. Just make sure that you keep an eye out for any wilting plants or plants that look like they may have a problem. The best policy is to remove any diseased plants to make sure that they don't interfere with the rest of your okra plants.

 

One of the most common pests to affect okra is aphids. Practise good biological environment control and your plants will do well.

 

Feed with a natural feed. You can also use a good quality tomato fertiliser.

 

Conclusion

 

Despite their prickly pods, okra makes a great garden polytunnel plant. It is still a rather unusual vegetable in the UK. One way of making extra money from your okra apart from selling it as a vegetable is trying to sell it as a houseplant. It has surprisingly pretty flowers and loves to produce okra pods in a home environment.