How to Grow Okra from Seed? Latest Technical Method Tutorial

Okra is a warmth-loving plant native to India, mainly eaten as a vegetable and mainly grown in southern China. It is not a common vegetable and has relatively good economic returns. Okra is mainly grown by direct sowing or by raising seedlings for transplanting. Either way, it actually has to go through a seedling cultivation stage, so raising seedlings is a necessary process. Let's take a look at the specific work of raising seedlings.

I. Direct Sowing to Raise Seedlings

1. Sowing Time

Direct sowing is relatively common and is generally done in spring. Germination vigor is relatively strong in spring, but sowing must reach a certain temperature. Do not sow when there is frost damage. It is roughly in March, when the temperature rises to 15°C, that you can sow, but in a greenhouse you can sow one month earlier.

2. Seed Treatment and Sowing

After the seeds are soaked and swell by absorbing water, they can be sown. This is to meet the moisture needs for germination. You can also soak the seeds in carbendazim to kill pathogens and reduce disease during the seedling stage. The sowing row spacing is 10 cm. Cover with 1 to 2 cm of soil, sowing in drills or holes. Generally, water first and then sow, to avoid the seeds being washed away.

3. Cultivation

Before the seeds break through, water more and always keep them moist to promote germination. After germination, scatter plant ash on the soil surface, which can absorb moisture, reduce disease, and at the same time help maintain humidity. Once true leaves grow, reduce the amount of watering to once every three to five days. Once more than 4 true leaves have grown, you can use some diluted fertilizer water to promote rooting. Pay attention to diseases during the seedling stage; the common one is fusarium wilt, and there are also aphids and cutworms causing damage.

II. Raising Seedlings for Transplanting

1. Easy Seedling Raising

Use seedling trays of the same specification, sow one seed per cell, use river sand and peat as the growing medium, just cover the seeds, and place them in a moist shallow-water environment, so no watering is needed. They sprout relatively quickly; place them in a greenhouse to keep warm. You can raise seedlings earlier. After sprouting, you can mix a nutrient solution and water it on, and growth will speed up.

2. Care

Replace the shallow water layer for care, add nutrient solution, which can be treated for recycling and continued use, and regularly replenish the nutrient solution and water. If there is yellowing of leaves, it may be due to causes such as too much water, too weak ambient light, too high a temperature, or insufficient nutrients. Adjust growth at any time.

The main points of raising okra seedlings are to ensure the germination rate, fast growth, and no disease damage. Do not let them lack fertilizer. The most critical point is to pay attention to the timing of sowing and raising seedlings, and decide based on adjusting to the environment.