How to grow Okra from seed? Step 1: Break up the top 6 to 12 inches of soil in a well-drained garden bed that receives full sunlight. Use a hoe or power tiller. Spread either a 1-inch-deep layer of manure-based compost or 1 pound of a granular fertiliser that is balanced, such as 10-10-10, on every 50 square feet of soil surface. Till the compost or fertiliser into the loosened soil, and rake the soil surface to make it smooth. Step 2: Soak okra seeds in a bowl of warm water overnight before the day you want to plant them. Soaking helps soften the seed coats so the seeds germinate more readily after they are planted Step 3：Sow the okra seeds 1 inch deep in the soil. Space the seeds 2 inches apart in rows set 3 feet apart. Mist the soil gently with water so its top 6 inches is moist, and avoid washing the seeds out of the soil. Water the soil as needed to maintain moderate moisture in its top 6 inches until the seeds germinate, or sprout. Step 4：Thin the seedlings by removing some of them after they produce their second set of leaves. The remaining seedlings should stand about 18 inches apart within each row. Step 5：Water the okra plants' soil deeply every seven to 10 days, soaking it to a 6- to 8-inch depth. Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of straw mulch over the garden bed, but arrange the mulch so it doesn't rest against the plant stems. Mulch helps conserve soil moisture Step 6: Sprinkle 1/8 pound of 21-0-0 fertilizer over every 50 square feet of okra bed when the okra plants begin to produce pods. Apply the fertiliser in a band down each row, about 6 inches from the bases of the plants. Water the fertilised soil. Step 7: Pull weeds that grow between the plants and in the rows before they become established. Mulch helps minimise weeds, but some weeds may invade the bed. Okra competes poorly with other plants.
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