Growing in Canberra

Best time to plant okra in Canberra

Abelmoschus esculentus

Also called lady's fingers

Sow okra in Canberra in Dec.

Okra, sometimes called lady's fingers, belongs to the mallow family and comes from West Africa, with cotton and hibiscus among its relatives. Its edible seed pods are usually green, though some cultivars have red pods, and each one has a five-sided cross-section when cut.

When to sow in Canberra

Canberra, ACT is in the cool zone. The zone also plants in Oct to Nov, but Canberra's frost dates make those months risky for a frost-tender crop.

Matches local guides.

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Frost in Canberra

Frost usually arrives in Canberra around early April and finishes by early November. In about 1 year in 10 it comes as early as mid March or as late as late November, so frost-tender crops are planned around those dates.

From its Bureau of Meteorology station, 1991 to 2020, counting a night at 2°C or lower as a frost. Frost hollows and hillsides can shift these dates by weeks, so ask the growers at your garden too.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly or raise seedlings
Sowing depth
2.5cm
Plant spacing
30cm
Row spacing
60cm
Height
100cm
Germination
About 14 days
Time to harvest
55 days from sowing
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Full sun
Life cycle
perennial, grown as an annual in cool climates

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Okra elsewhere

Okra across Australia