Companion Plants For Okra | (10 Best & worst Plants)

Are you finding companion plants for okra? 

Companion planting is an organic method to prevent pests and diseases from your crop. Some companions also increase flavor and give a better harvest. 

However, there is not much data about companion plants’ benefits. But, this method is recommended by many experienced gardeners.

In this post, I list all the best companion plants for okra that you can grow for better results.

Plant these companion plants and prevent your crop from the danger of blights and other problems. We’ll see all types of plants that you should plant with okra. There are some plants that you should avoid planting along with okra.

Let’s see them one by one:

Best Companion Plants for Okra

Here is the list of companion plants to grow with okra:

• Cucumbers 
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Melons
• Basil
• Radish
• Lettuce
• Peas
• Nasturtium
• Marigold

Vegetable Companion Plants For Okra

Below are some vegetables that you can grow along with okra. These veggies are suitable to grow with okra. Growing vegetables with okra will give you two vegetables in a season. And your garden space will be fully optimized. Plus these veggies help each other for better and more. 

Cucumbers 

As climbing vine plants in the Cucurbitaceae family, cucumber (Cucumis sativus) produces edible, mostly cylindrical fruits known as cucumbers (Cucumis).

Cucumbers and okra both need the same condition to grow. So, they do well side by side. Do not plant them close. Plant cucumber at least six inches apart from okra as cucumbers also need full sun to get a rip. Know what are the best and worst companion plants for cucumbers.

Peppers

Peppers plants are useful to prevent cabbage wear that is destructive to okra. Plant peppers next to okra if you suffer from cabbage worn. Know the best and worst companion plants for peppers.

Seeds should be started around six to eight weeks before you want to put the pepper plants in the garden. During the months of late April and early May in Santa Clara County, when the soil has been warmed and the daily temperatures are consistently over 75 degrees Fahrenheit, peppers do their best. When the temperature drops below the range of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the blooms and fruits are unable to develop or are deformed.

Tomatoes

You can plant okra with tomatoes. Tomatoes and okra have the same growing requirement. Tomatoes act as a trap plant and keep pests far away from okra.

Harvesting tomatoes may take anywhere from 60 days to over 100 days, depending on the cultivar. Most gardeners prefer to use tiny “starter plants” or transplants rather than seeds because of their extensive growth season needs and late spring planting date.

Melons

Melon is one of the various Cucurbitaceae plants that provide delicious, fleshy fruits that may be eaten. Both the plant and the fruit of the melon may be referred to as “melon”. Specifically, a “pepo” is what a melon is botanically speaking.

Melons can be a good companion to grow along with okra. Just like cucumbers, melons also need ample sun and water. Make sure that okra does not shade melons. For this plant, melon is on the east side, so plants get benefit from the morning sun or plant west for the afternoon sun.

Basil

Mint is a family of herbs that includes basil. It enhances the taste of food and contains elements that may be beneficial to health. Ocimum basilicum (Sweet basil) is a common ingredient in Mediterranean and Italian cuisines. In addition to pesto, it may be used to flavor salads, pasta, and pizza meals.

Planting basil near okra is beneficial to repel pests. Basil’s strong fragrance deters many varieties of pests like stink bugs, flea beetles, aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. As the okra grows taller in height by six feet, it gives shade to tender perennials, especially in the hot summer season. if you’re interested in growing herbs, read out 10 perennial herbs that you can grow easily indoors.

Radish

Brassicaceae is a vegetable family which includes radishes. It is an edible root vegetable that has been cultivated since prehistoric times in Asia. Radishes are widely cultivated and eaten as a crisp salad vegetable with a strong taste all over the globe.

Plant radishes throughout your okra row, it helps to break soil so that the okra plant’s roots get deeper in the soil. Due to deep roots, okra plants grow taller and give shade to radishes. Plant radish and okra four to five inches apart for good air circulation.

Lettuce

Asteraceae, the family which includes lettuce, is an annual family of plants. It is usually cultivated for its leaves, although it may also be used for its seeds and stems. In addition to salads, lettuce may be found in soups, wraps, and sandwiches and it can even be grilled.

Planting lettuce and okra side by side will benefit both. Plant lettuce at the base of the okra to weed out, where okra provides shade to lettuce.

Related Post: 10 Easiest Vegetables To Grow In The Garden

Peas

Peas are seed-pod fruit that has spherical in shape. Green or yellow peas might be found in each pod. Peapods are classified as fruits by botanists since they have seeds and emerge from a flower’s ovary.

Growing peas in the same bed of okra will help to fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant okra in the same soil where peas were planted, after the completion of its season. This will give okra extra nitrogen in the soil that yields a better harvest. Learn how to grow sweet pea, from our growing and caring guide.

Flower Companion Plants For Okra

Okra companion with a flowering plant is a good idea. Flowering plants deter many from attracting beneficial insects and pollinators that will visit okra flowers. To make a garden beautiful here are the 20 best flower plants that you can grow easily.

Garlic, Chives, and Onion

A member of the allium family, they have edible blooms and are perennial. In addition, they’re a great companion plant that deters pests from your garden. Garden chives are easy to cultivate.

Plant these cold-tolerant perennials alliums during early spring to mid-spring. This will lead to an early summer harvest.

These herbs may quickly take over your garden if you don’t keep an eye on them while planting them (the flowers spread the seeds in the ground). However, if this plant spreads to other areas of your garden, it is simple to remove and relocate.

These pest-repelling alliums make excellent garden companions. Plant them with carrots, celery, okra, and lettuce as well as peas and tomatoes.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums should be planted in pots or as ground cover near vegetable gardens. These beautiful plants look beautiful with their peculiar greens and brilliant blossoms. Using them as a trap crop to keep aphids and other plant pests far from the more important crops is a common practice.

Beans, broccoli, okra, cabbage, melon, kale, cucumber, pumpkin, and radish are all friends of the nasturtium.
However, nasturtiums aren’t only a magnet for pests. Pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies love them, and their lovely scent makes them a terrific option for cut-flower arrangements, too.

There are certain regions where nasturtiums may be grown as perennials, but they are usually planted as annuals in the rest of the country.

Nasturtium is a great companion plant for okra. It deters aphids and many different beetles that can destroy your crop.

Marigold

The marigold is hands-down the most cheerful and easiest-to-grow annual on the market. Annual gold, brass, and copper squanderers, these blooms fill our gardens in the summer and fall with a dazzling array of metals.

The popularity of the flower is likely due in part to its propensity to bloom continuously throughout the summer. To keep the flowers blooming, take care to remove the deadheads.

You can plant Marigolds with okra as a companion plant. The flower acts like a bait that attracts pests to feed them instead of primary crops like okra. Once the pests attract the marigold, snatch it out from the ground and destroy It. If you want to learn how to grow a marigold check our article.

Bad Companion Plants For Okra

Most gardeners think having more nematodes in the soil is beneficial for gardening. But, meta nodes are detrimental to okra because these tiny insects like to feed on the roots of okra plants.

However, nematodes in the soil help to grow certain vine plants like sweet potatoes and squash. You should skip at least one year before planting okra in the same garden bed where nightshade vegetables have been grown except Melons and Cucumbers.

Other than this okra does not have any bad companions. Plant one of the recommended plants in this post. It will help to grow okra plants.

Essential Oil To Apply On Okra

Sometimes companion plants aren’t quite enough to support okra. Maybe you are growing in a small garden or even a container garden. Or maybe some best companions don’t grow well in the area. 

Whatever the reason you can replace companion plants with some oil that will help in the garden.

Here are some essential oils to grow more okra plants.

Rosemary oil

Rosemary is a great companion but also a perennial herb that is not suitable for a vegetable garden. This essential oil is used to repel pests like aphids and flea beetles.

Basil oil

Just like the basil plant, basil essential oil is also a great companion to okra. Apply this to the okra plant to prevent pests like aphids and many worms that might munch on your plant.

Peppermint oil

Mint is a repel pest, unfortunately, mint is self-seeds and can take over the garden. Use peppermint oil instead of your okra to prevent pests like aphids.

Tea tree oil  

Tea tree oil is a great anti-fungal. Use it to prevent diseases such as powdery mildew from okra. Learn how to get rid of powdery mildew

Why plant okra as a companion?

Okra’s thick stems provide a windbreak for more delicate plants, like peppers, which benefit from the extra protection. While okra may compete with shallow-rooted lettuce for nutrients, the okra plants help shield lettuces from the warm summer sun by giving some shade.

This makes it an ideal partner for lettuces. Okra flourishes in hot climates, so you can grow okra as a shade plant for greens that perform best in partial light. (like kale and herbs including parsley, cilantro, chives, and tarragon).

Planting some early cool-weather crops, like peas, is also a smart option. You won’t have to worry about the larger okra plants overwhelming the smaller pea plants since your peas would be ready to harvest before they become too big. Cut the pea plants after the final harvest to provide room for the okra to grow when the weather warms up.

FAQ

Did I Miss Anything?

Now I’d like to hear from you: which companion plant from today’s post are you going to try first? Or maybe, I didn’t mention your favorite plant. Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

Before going if you want to grow beautiful flowers in your garden? Then click on these articles also.

Madhuresh

Hey! I’m Madhuresh, a passionate content creator, and a Plant lover. I created Shiny Plant to explore and learn about new plants. The purpose is to provide simple and effective Gardening Tips. Hope you’ll find this informative.