Okra is a perennial plant native to dry, tropical regions, and is prized for its beautiful blooms and delicious fruit. However, while this plant is wonderful for home gardens and dinner tables, not all plants will want to be its neighbor.
When you’re mapping out your garden, it’s important to take companion planting into consideration—the right selection can help your okra thrive, while the wrong one can cause it to wither, and lower your chances of delicious meals down the line. Here, we spoke to experts to learn which plants you should avoid pairing with okra—and why.
- Ward Dilmore, head landscape designer and founder of luxury estate landscape design company, Petrus Landscape
- Tammy Sons, master gardener and founder of TN Nursery, a leading tree and
plant nursery - Lauren Craig, permaculture designer at Humble Hive Consulting
Cucumbers
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Cucumbers and okra are not good garden bedfellows. “They can have unruly growth, and they’ll compete for sun and parts of the garden,” says Ward Dilmore, head landscape designer and founder of Petrus Landscape. Cucumbers can also spread powdery mildew to other plants, he adds, which is far from ideal.
Squash
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There are several reasons not to pair squash with okra. First, like cucumbers, squash is a wild-growing vegetable that competes for garden space, according to Dilmore. They can also attract pests, like squash bugs, which may attack your okra plants.”
Squash also produces large crawling leaves that may shade out okra, affecting its ability to photosynthesize.
Fennel
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You won’t want to pair fennel with many other plants. “It can inhibit their growth by releasing a certain chemical into the soil around it from its roots,” says Dilmore. Thus, this plant isn’t the best for mixed garden beds. Keep fennel away from okra—or any other plants that you’re hoping to grow to their fullest potential.
Brassicas
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This hardy winter plant family doesn’t like to share. “Brassicas—like cauliflower, broccoli, and mustard greens—are nutrient hogs in the soil,” says Dilmore. And since okra is also a heavy feeder plant—meaning it requires a lot of nutrients in the soil—you don’t want to plant it alongside brassicas.
Peppers
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Peppers are typically perfect for a home garden and may even perform well next to okra. However, since they have pest problems, like nematodes, Tammy Sons, master gardener and founder of TN Nursery, recommends skipping this plant pairing.
Tomatoes
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Like peppers, tomatoes share garden pests with okra. “When grown next to okra, shared pests, like nematodes, might be more compelled to increase their infestations,” says Sons. So, to be on the safe side, avoid bringing these two plants into close proximity.
Sweet Potatoes
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Despite their name, these plants aren’t such a sweet mix with okra. “The same nematodes feed on the roots of these crops, so planting them near one another can inspire an infestation,” says Lauren Craig, permaculture designer at Humble Hive Consulting.
Eggplant
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Like many other plants on this list, eggplant shares some of the same garden pests as okra. “This prevents okra from effectively absorbing nutrients and producing food for you,” says Craig.
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