Does okra come back every year?
Written by
Benjamin Miller
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.How to grow okra as a possible perennial starts with understanding its limits. Even though it is technically an annual, I've been able to keep plants alive for three years in Zone 10a by pruning them back as stumps of around 12 inches high after harvest. Thick mulch along with a row cover can help to fend off those rare nights when the temperature dips below 40°F.
Annual Characteristics
- Dies at first frost (32°F or below)
- Completes life cycle in 110-150 days
- Requires replanting each spring in most regions
Perennial Possibilities
- Survives winters above 45°F (USDA zones 9b-11)
- Prune to 12 inches, cover with frost blanket
- Apply 6-inch straw mulch around base
Pruning technique determines survival likelihood. I use loppers that have been sterilized to cut back stems 12 inches high after the last harvest. In my Florida garden, sixty percent of plants regrow in this manner to some degree. Do not prune below leaf nodes, unless you want new shoots to emerge from these leaf node points in the spring.
The preparation of the soil also aids overwintering. If you can anticipate the first frost, mix the 3 inches of compost into the beds beforehand! I, as a Texas gardener, also added vermicompost or worm castings for insulation. Drained soil prevents root rot from wet winters. Growing in raised beds offers an additional survival rate of 25% to doubling rates. This is especially true in marginally cold zones.
Microclimates present opportunities you didn't expect. My south-facing stone wall in Zone 8b is home to okra that survives mild winters. The wall has a thermal mass that radiates heat at night. I will wrap the plants in burlap when we have cold snaps. I have had the same four plants come back for three years now using this method.
Read the full article: How to Grow Okra: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
