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Often referred to as lady's fingers, okra is popular vegetable in the south of India (where it is mostly used in dry curries) and the southern states of America (where it is used in a variety of recipes including gumbos). Relatively unknown in Northern Europe the okra is a long green pod with a ribbed and slightly fuzzy skin. The inside of an okra pod has a somewhat gooey texture and is full of edible, creamy seeds. When cooking, okra exudes a glutinous juice which thickens stews and braised dishes.
Sow Okra seeds - adequately spaced - into either plugs or a seed tray containing John Innes ‘seed’ compost. Top the seed off with another 1/2 inch of compost then gently water them in. It's important that the seeds remain moist until they germinate and as such will require adequate ventilation to prevent fungal rots. If ventilation is poor you may need to spray newly germinated seedlings with a liquid fungicide once a week to protect them.
Once germinated, okra seedlings will require plenty of light, in fact for optimal growth they will need between 12 to 16 hours of light a day. If the seedlings have reached a reasonable size for transplanting - but the weather isn’t yet suitable for keeping them outside - then they will need to be placed onto a south-facing windowsill. However, remember to turn the plants daily to keep them from acquiring a permanent lean.
When the seedlings have produced four leaves they will be ready to prick out into individual pots, but you need to be careful so as not to damage their fragile root systems. The safest way is to gently hold onto one of the sturdier leaves while using either a pencil or slim dibber to lift the roots so that they are kept as intact and undisturbed as possible. When re-potting, use either a standard multipurpose compost or John Innes ‘No.1’ or ‘No.2’ potting compost. Grow them on for another couple of weeks and they will be ready for either the greenhouse or for planting directly outside into open ground once the threat of frosts is over.
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