Okra is a plant that thrives in hot weather and can be harvested throughout the summer. Okras are considered companion plants with cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and other vegetables. Plants like chives or mints will help best compliment an okra garden by repelling ants.
Okra is a great plant to have in your garden. It’s easy to grow and it can be used as a vegetable or as a bedding plant. But, you need to make sure that you have the right companion plants with it. These are the bad companion plants for okra.
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Okra is a flowering annual vegetable that grows to be very tall. It thrives in hot climates with abundance of moisture in the soil.
You’re already on your way to growing great okra plants if you have the correct climate and thick, well-draining soil.
But did you know there are natural techniques to improve the growth of your plants? We’ll show you how okra companion plants may help you grow a healthy and plentiful crop in this post.
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What is companion planting, and how does it work?
Companion planting is the practice of grouping plants together that benefit one another. It’s not a new manner of farming, but as the demand for organic food grows, it’s becoming more popular.
It means you won’t have to use pesticides to keep insect pests at bay. Companion planting encourages natural processes that will take care of it for you.
Plants offer various nutrients to the soil, thus it’s also a means of enriching it. Beans, for example, provide nitrogen, which may aid in the growth of other plants.
Plants that grow well together benefit from each other’s growth patterns. Okra, a tall vertical-growing plant, may provide support and safety to others. Low-growing leafy veggies may provide shade for other plants’ roots.
Plants assist one another in this manner. Isn’t it cool?
Companion plants in action
The marigold is one of the most widely used companion plants. Plant marigolds in your vegetable garden to attract insects that consume pests like aphids.
Marigolds will also attract the aphids themselves, ensuring that your valuable veggies are not eaten. Because of this, they are commonly referred to as “sacrificial” plants.
Marigolds, on the other hand, flourish amazingly well even when attacked by pests! They’re a necessary component of every organic food garden.
What about okra plants that go well with it?
So, what kind of plants go well with okra? For your convenience, we’ve provided some tried-and-true planting combinations below.
Remember that what you can grow is limited by the environment in your area. Which plants grow depends on soil type, drainage, and climate.
Okra thrives in hot weather. Experiment with various combinations in your area to determine what works best for you.
What are the finest okra partner plants?
Many okra companion plants like comparable growing conditions as okra – makes logical, right? The first step to successful companion planting is to group species that have similar interests.
Okra is a tall plant that may grow up to 6 feet tall, so leave plenty of room between your okra and its companion plants. Vegetables that thrive in the sun should not be exposed to too much shadow. However, the shadow that okra casts may sometimes be beneficial.
Companion Plants for Okra
Melons
Melons and okra are both sun and water lovers, so they make excellent partners. Make sure your okra doesn’t shadow the melons too much. Melons may be planted on the east side of your okra for early light or the west side for afternoon sun.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are excellent okra companions. They, like okra, want a lot of water and a sunny position. Make sure there’s adequate space between your cucumber and okra plants, since cucumbers need a lot of sunlight to mature.
Peppers
Peppers of many kinds are excellent okra companions. Wind gusts may shatter the most delicate pepper plants, but okra can protect them. Pepper plants, in turn, assist to keep cabbage worms away from okra leaves. This is a win-win situation.
Eggplant
Growing eggplants with okra will assist to nourish the soil. These lovely purple fruits produce potassium, one of the three essential minerals that most plants need to thrive: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Peas
Peas, like beans, contribute to enhance soil quality by fixing nitrogen. This may aid the growth of plants such as okra. These two veggies’ timing is excellent. Your peas will be harvested when the weather warms up, just as the okra begins to develop, so they shouldn’t compete.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers’ brilliant yellow draws pests away from your crops. It’s a good idea to place these lovely sunny plants around your veggies. When grown alongside okra, peppers, and tomatoes, they produce well.
Basil
Aphids, spider mites, flea beetles, and whiteflies are all attracted to okra plants, but this lovely smelling herb repels them. Plant your basil plants six inches apart around the base of your okra so they have room to flourish.
Lettuce
This is a companion planting arrangement in which the plants aid one other in their growth. The lettuce is shaded by the okra. In exchange, lettuce chokes away weeds surrounding the okra’s base. Because lettuces have shallow roots, there is less competition for nutrients.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes, as previously indicated, are wonderful okra companion plants when combined with peppers and lettuces. Sunflowers provide for a lovely display of companion plants. Tomatoes protect okra by warding off stink bugs.
What not to grow with okra as a companion plant
Avoid planting okra in areas where sweet potatoes or squash have previously grown. These plants promote the growth of nematodes in the soil.
Nematodes are tiny critters that may be beneficial in the garden when it comes to pest control. They do, however, attack plants in certain situations. Nematodes are especially fond of okra roots.
Do you want to start growing your own food? Check out the following:
Tomato Plants: 15 Different Types with Pictures
With Pictures of 23 Different Types of Lettuce Varieties
When Is the Best Time to Start Growing Potatoes?
Okra and peppers are both vegetables that can be planted together. They are both members of the same family, so they don’t need to be planted in separate areas. Reference: can okra and peppers be planted together.
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