Wondering how to save okra seed? Saving okra seed is as simple as benign neglect and is super easy, even for beginner gardeners. If you’ve ever grown okra before, you know that the pods grow quick and even when picking nearly everyday they can get large before you know it. While those pods will be too woody to eat, they are perfect candidates for seed saving.
Why save seeds?
Saving seeds is a super economical way to propagate the next season’s garden and allows you to save your seed money for fun new varieties rather than re-buying the same exact seeds year after year. Collecting your own seed also allows you to begin adapting a particular variety to your exact environmental and soil conditions ensuring your garden becomes more and more bountiful each year.
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Hybrid vs. open-pollinated
Before going to the effort to seed save, make sure your plants are open-pollinated or heirloom varieties. This will ensure that your next planting is “true to seed,” which means the seed you planted will grow into the same plant you had the year before.
Avoid saving seed from a hybrid plant. Hybrids are a cross of two different parent varieties and seed saved from them will not reproduce the exact same plant the following year. If you do save and replant a hybrid seed, don’t expect the same exact plant, leaf, or fruit next year.
How to save okra seed
Supplies
- Okra pod left to dry on the plant
- Hand pruners
- Large bowl
- Seed packet or other storage container
Instructions
- Leave a few of your overgrown woody okra pods on the plant and allow them to dry until they are brown and crispy. Give the pod a shake and if you hear the seeds rattle inside, it’s ready to harvest for seed!
- Cut the pod of the plant with some hand pruners.
- Over a large bowl, rip open the woody okra pod (use the pruners if you need some help getting it started). Collect the seeds in the bowl and transfer to your seed packet.
Seed storage tips
As with all seeds, you’ll need to keep your okra seed in a cool, dry location to prevent deterioration or premature sprouting. We like using these self-sealing packets to organize our seed storage. Okra seeds can remain viable for 1-3 years in good storage conditions. Don’t forget to label your seed packets!
Want to learn more about saving your own seeds? Check out our other posts for tips and tricks to collect seeds and economically grow your garden year after year.
