Okra is a prolific vegetable in the garden (and highly underrated in the kitchen). Once they start producing pods, you have to check on them every day because they just keep producing and the pods mature quickly. But in order to get the most production, you need rich, well-draining soil with lots of organic matter. But even if you’re blessed with good soil, amending it with a well-balanced fertilizer can make the difference between a decent harvest and a huge, bumper crop.
Below are 12 highly recommended fertilizers for growing okra, including organic and non-organic fertilizers, and some fertilizers specifically formulated for more pod production.
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Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer |
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Scotts All Purpose Flower & Vegetable Continuous Release Plant Food |
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The Andersons 10-10-10 Fertilizer with Micronutrients and 2% Iron |
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8-8-8 Triple Play Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food |
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Dr. Earth Premium Gold Organic All Purpose Fertilizer |
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Down to Earth Organic Vegetable Garden Fertilizer |
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Jobe’s Organics All Purpose Granular Fertilizer |
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Burpee Natural Organic All Purpose Granular Plant Food |
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Lilly Miller Morcrop Tomato & Vegetable Food |
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Lilly Miller Bulb & Bloom Food |
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HollandBasics (Gaia Green) Power Bloom Fertilizer |
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Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bud & Bloom Booster |
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All-Purpose Fertilizers for Okra
Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer
- 10-10-10 NPK
- Continuous Release
A 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer like Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer is the standard recommendation for fertilizing okra as recommended by several agricultural extensions. It has a good balance of nutrients, and a high enough level of each macronutrient (the actual numbers refer to the percentage by weight of each nutrient) that one application of granular fertilizer will slowly release an ample supply of nutrients to your okra plants over several weeks.
Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer also has micronutrients to increase the fertility of poor or marginal soils.
Even if you want to mix-and-match fertilizers to get the optimal NPK ratio to rejuvenate pruned okra in the middle of the season, starting with an all-purpose 10-10-10 (or similar) fertilizer is more than enough to provide enough nutrients to support growth into the summer.
How to apply Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer: Before planting: Apply 1/2 cup (about 4 oz) of fertilizer per 25-foot row of okra [Editor’s Note: This is half the suggested amount, which is recommended for young plants.], spreading evenly over the soil. Water in well. After planting: Follow the previous instructions, but avoid dry fertilizer directly touching your okra plants. If you’ve already fertilized before planting, wait at least a month before applying again. You can reapply once every month.
Alternative All-Purpose Fertilizers
- Scotts All Purpose Flower & Vegetable Continuous Release Plant Food (10-10-10)
- The Andersons 10-10-10 Fertilizer with Micronutrients and 2% Iron
- 8-8-8 Triple Play Tomato & Vegetable Plant Food
All-Purpose Fertilizers for Okra (Organic)
Dr. Earth Premium Gold Organic All Purpose Fertilizer
- 4-4-4 NPK
- Organic, Continuous Release
- Fast Acting (if made into fertilizer tea)
- Contains Beneficial Microbes
Dr. Earth Premium Gold Organic All Purpose Fertilizer is a balanced organic fertilizer ideal for all vegetables, including okra. Dr. Earth has been serving gardeners for over 30 years, becoming a trusted source for organic growers across the country. Like most organic fertilizers, Dr. Earth’s balanced 4-4-4 blend is gentle on your okra while supplying a steady stream of nutrients for up to two months after each application. This fertilizer is loaded with micronutrients and humic acids—humic acids improve soil structure and also serve as a buffer to balance the pH of your soil whether it’s too acidic or too basic.
But what makes this one of the best organic fertilizers for okra is that it also contains beneficial microbes, which build up your soil’s ecosystem and helps break down organic matter, leaving more plant-available nutrients for your okra to take up.
In addition, all Dr. Earth fertilizers can be made into fertilizer tea, giving your okra a quick nutrient boost with all-organic ingredients. Both the liquid and solids of the fertilizer tea can be used around your okra plants.
How to apply Dr. Earth Premium Gold Organic All Purpose Fertilizer: Before planting: Sprinkle 6 cups of Dr. Earth fertilizer per 50-foot row and mix into the top 6-12 inches of soil. For mature okra: Apply 3 cups of fertilizer per 50-foot row and work gently into the top few inches of soil, then water in well. You can reapply Dr. Earth fertilizer every two months throughout the growing season. Fertilizer tea instructions: Mix 1 cup of Dr. Earth fertilizer per gallon of water. Let the mixture sit for 24 hours, then strain out the liquid from the solids. Apply 1 to 2 cups of strained fertilizer tea liquid around mature okra plants. The solids can be used as a nutritious mulch around your okra or other vegetables.
Alternative Organic All-Purpose Fertilizers
- Down to Earth Organic Vegetable Garden Fertilizer (4-4-4)
- Jobe’s Organics All Purpose Granular Fertilizer (4-4-4)
- Burpee Natural Organic All Purpose Granular Plant Food (4-4-4)
Bloom-Formula Fertilizers for Okra
All the fertilizers below have lower levels of nitrogen and higher levels of phosphorus and potassium, which promote more flowering and fruiting (i.e. okra pod production). These can be used throughout the season, but work best after your okra are established in order to push out a lot more pods. They are also ideal after heavy pruning (ratooning) when production slows down mid-summer, in order to promote another flush of okra.
Lilly Miller Morcrop Tomato & Vegetable Food
- 5-10-10 NPK
- Continuous Release
- Best for Promoting Pod Production
When okra pod production begins to slow down later in the summer, one way to boost pod production is by deep pruning (ratooning) and then fertilizing with a low-nitrogen (N), low-phosphorus (P), high-potassium (K) fertilizer. The closest easily available fertilizers are tomato and bloom fertilizers, and Lilly Miller Morcrop Tomato & Vegetable Food is one of the better bang-for-your-buck fertilizers for pod production.
Morcrop Tomato & Vegetable Food is a great all-purpose fertilizer but is especially beneficial for flowering and fruiting because it has much less nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. Since okra pods are biologically fruits, this fertilizer is ideal for okra pod production. It’s especially useful after pruning okra to extend pod production, since nitrogen is less important later in the season if you want more okra pods.
Although better for later season fertilizing, you can still use this early in the season as an all-purpose okra fertilizer.
Morcrop is not fully organic but is made with natural ingredients and boosted with more vital plant minerals. It’s also a granular fertilizer, releasing nutrients slowly into the soil, feeding your okra for at least 6 weeks before needing another application.
How to apply Lilly Miller Morcrop Tomato & Vegetable Food: Before planting your okra: Add 2-3/4 (2.75) cups of fertilizer per 50 sq ft and mix into the top 3 to 6 inches of soil. After planting or after mid-season pruning: Every 6 weeks, you can apply an additional 2/3 cup of fertilizer per 25-foot row of okra, at least 3 inches away from the plants, and mix it into the top layer of soil. Water well after fertilizing.
Alternative Bloom-Formula Fertilizer
Bloom-Formula Fertilizers for Okra (Organic)
The below organic fertilizers are ideal for okra pod production as they have less nitrogen and more potassium and phosphorus. They can be used all season, but are ideal after your okra plants are established in order to promote higher pod production. They are also ideal after heavy pruning (ratooning) when production slows down mid-summer, in order to promote another flush of okra.
HollandBasics (Gaia Green) Power Bloom Fertilizer
- 2-8-4 NPK
- Organic, Continuous Release
- Best for Promoting Pod Production
HollandBasics Power Bloom Fertilizer is a 100% organic fertilizer with the right nutrient ratio to support flowering and okra pod production. This fertilizer is ground into a powder, so soil microbes can break it down and release plant-available nutrients faster than typical organic fertilizers, however it still continuously feeds your okra for over a month.
While you can use this fertilizer all season, the NPK ratio of low nitrogen (2% by weight) and higher phosphorus (8%) and potassium (4%) makes it much better for pod production. Either start applying once the first buds form, or if you choose to heavily prune (ratoon) your okra after production slows down, you can apply Power Bloom right after pruning to encourage more budding and flowering.
How to apply HollandBasics (Gaia Green) Power Bloom Fertilizer: Before planting, apply 4.4 lbs of fertilizer per 108 sq ft of your garden bed, and mix into the top few inches of soil. [Editor’s note: this translates to roughly 7 oz per 1×11′ row of okra, or more conservatively 1/2 oz per square foot.] You can reapply every month.
Alternative Organic Bloom-Formula Fertilizer