Abelmoschus esculentus (okra, lady's fingers) is a warm-season annual vegetable native to East Africa. It belongs to the Malvaceae family and is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions worldwide for its edible immature seed pods. The plant reaches 1-2 meters in height with large palmate leaves and hibiscus-like flowers.
Before sowing
Seed treatment with hot water or soaking is essential due to hard seed coat. Chemical scarification with H2SO4 (3 min) is most effective (80-96% germination). Water soaking at 30°C for 12 hours achieves 91.3% germination.
Sowing
What to expect
Tips
Okra requires full sun and warm soil temperatures (minimum 16°C, optimal 25-35°C). Cannot grow in shade. Prefers moist soil and tolerates wide pH range (5.5-8). Most cultivars require 4 months to produce a crop, though early-maturing varieties can produce in 50 days in tropics. Hard seed coat requires pre-treatment for reliable germination. Germination improves significantly with soaking or scarification.
Sources: PFAF Plant Database, Wikipedia, Clemson University HGIC, Hindawi International Journal of Agronomy, CABI Digital Library, scholarly research on okra seed dormancy breaking (H2SO4 scarification, hot water treatments)
