If you have a larger pot - say 10 or 15 gallons - you can grow several plants together. Only one plant is needed for pollination, so you can grow a single okra plant in a 5-gallon pot. However, the vegetable can make do with a pot that's 12 to 15 inches deep. How deep do okra roots grow? Okra is known for developing a long taproot several feet deep in the ground. Use supplemental lighting, kept within 4 inches of seedlings, to make sure the seedlings get enough light as they grow. Warmer soil temperatures will hasten germination, so consider placing a seed-starting heat mat under the seed trays. For the planting medium, use a seed-starting mix and keep it constantly moist until seeds germinate - usually in a week to 10 days. Start okra indoors three to four weeks before the last average frost date. Use biodegradable peat pots so garden-ready plants can later be transplanted outside - pot and all - without disturbing the roots. Otherwise, start seeds indoors to give them a jump on the season, then transplant them outdoors when nighttime temperatures are reliably above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the growing season is long, you can start okra seeds directly in the container where they'll spend the summer. Avoid problems with root-knot nematode pests, which can be found in some garden soil. Have more control over the amount of moisture and fertilizer plants receive.Customize the soil to promote peak growth.Extend the growing season by taking containers to shelter when the weather gets cold.Move pots around to take advantage of the sunniest spots in the yard.When you grow okra in containers, you can: While you can grow okra in the garden, container gardening allows you to maximize your growing space if you don't have room for a large vegetable garden. This heat-loving vegetable can be quite productive when conditions are right - and you have a lot more control of those conditions when growing okra in containers. It may be a Southern staple, but okra is catching on with gardeners in other areas of the country, too.
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