🌶️ When to Plant Okra

The hotter the summer, the happier the okra. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or read the quick reference.

Season type
Warm-season
very tender
Spacing
12″ / 36″
plants / rows
Days to maturity
55–65
from sowing

Don’t rush it — okra sown in cold soil just sits there. Once summer arrives it grows inches a day; harvest pods at 2–4 inches every single day, because a 6-inch pod is wood.

Okra planting windows by zone

ZoneMain planting window
Zone 1 Jul 6 – Jul 13 transplant outdoors
Zone 2 Jun 20 – Jun 27 transplant outdoors
Zone 3 Jun 5 – Jun 12 transplant outdoors
Zone 4 May 26 – Jun 2 transplant outdoors
Zone 5 May 13 – May 20 transplant outdoors
Zone 6 May 1 – May 8 transplant outdoors
Zone 7 Apr 20 – Apr 27 transplant outdoors
Zone 8 Apr 5 – Apr 12 transplant outdoors
Zone 9 Mar 13 – Mar 20 transplant outdoors
Zone 10 Feb 15 – Feb 22 transplant outdoors
Zone 11 Nearly year-round frost-free
Zone 12 Nearly year-round frost-free
Zone 13 Nearly year-round frost-free

Each zone link above has the complete schedule — indoor seed-starting, direct sowing, and season-fit notes. Zone dates are typical medians; for windows built on your own city's frost dates, use the frost date lookup and planting calendar.