Question
Hello,
I am new at gardening. We bought a house in Seattle 6 months back and I would like to plant some vegetables in my garden. I am interested in growing okra, my research shows that the plant doesn't do well in this area. I still want to try growing it. Please advise me when(which month) I should plant the seeds, and how should I take care of my plant so that I can harvest Okra through out the summer.

Answer
Nehal:

First I would research the varieties, and try to find one that might be more cold tolerant than the others. I don't know if this is likely though.

I would suggest that you find or create a "micro-climate" for this warm-season plant. A south facing wall is a good place to start. You could even try growing it in a  pot - at least 3 gallon size this way.

Another possibility is to protect it with plastic. Plant in a hoop house, or surround it with a wire cage covered in heavy, clear plastic. Spun polyester fabric can be used to cover the plant when it is young, but only raises the heat by a few degrees.

Start the seeds indoors, 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date. Wait until the ground has warmed up, at least 2 weeks after the last frost, before planting. Looking at one seed catalog I see that okra starts producing in about 60 days (it may be longer in cooler areas), so you should be able to harvest some before the first fall frost.

You're starting out with a tough project for a beginner! Good luck and have fun with it.

Elyse