Star of David
What's special about Star of David
Israeli heirloom with fat ribbed pods that form a 6-point star in cross-section. Rich flavor; grows 6–8 ft.
Growing this variety
Star of David follows the same growing basics as Okra. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Okra family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Soak seed 12–24 hrs before sowing to soften the hard coat. Sow in warm soil — cold-shocked okra sulks all summer. Pick pods every 1–2 days at 2–4 in long; older pods turn fibrous and shut down production. Wear long sleeves — many varieties have prickly spines.
Pre-sow treatment
Soak seed 12–24 hrs in warm water before sowing.
Grower's tip
The hotter the summer, the better the crop. In cool climates, choose fast-maturing types like Clemson Spineless.
Soil preferences
Deep, rich, well-drained loam.
6.0–6.8
2–3 in of compost worked into the bed each spring; side-dress heavy feeders (tomato, squash, brassica) monthly with balanced organic fertilizer.
Watering
1–2 in per week — steady is more important than heavy.
Drip or soaker at the base. Mulch 2–3 in to hold moisture and suppress weeds.
Overwatered: yellowing lower leaves, cracked fruit, blossom-end rot from calcium disruption. Underwatered: wilting mid-day, bitter or misshapen fruit, blossom drop.
Prefers top-watering — Trees are always top-watered — deep slow soak at the drip line, never at the trunk. Bottom-watering only makes sense for nursery seedlings.
Temperature tolerance
70–85°F (21–29°C) for warm-season; 60–75°F (15–24°C) for cool-season
55–65°F (13–18°C)
Warm-season crops (tomato, pepper, squash, cucumber, bean) are frost-tender. Cool-season (brassica, pea, spinach, radish) tolerate light frost, some (kale, spinach) sweeten after one.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
5+ gal (19 L) for tomato/pepper/eggplant; 3 gal for compact bush varieties; 8+ in deep for greens
Look for 'patio', 'bush', or 'compact' varieties. Water containers daily in heat — they dry out fast.
Succession planting
Bush beans, salad greens, radishes, carrots: sow every 2–3 weeks. Long-season crops (tomato, pepper): one sowing per season.
Detailed harvesting
Pick fruiting crops young and often — over-mature fruit signals the plant to stop producing. Cut, don't yank, with pruners to protect the stem.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Cure winter squash and onions in a warm airy spot 2 weeks, then store cool. Freeze most vegetables blanched. Ferment or can surplus.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh eating, cooking, preserving. Save the biggest and best specimens as seed stock, not for the table.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Depends on species — tomato/pepper/bean/pea are self-pollinating; squash/cucumber/melon/brassica cross via insects.
Self-pollinators need little isolation (10 ft). Cross-pollinators need 1/4 mile, hand-pollination, or blossom bags.
Let one healthy plant fully ripen fruit or dry pods; ferment wet-seed fruits (tomato, cucumber, melon) 3 days to strip pulp before drying.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for okra in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Star of David Okra notes
Star of David Okra seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow okra from what you already have
Most annual vegetables give seed from fully ripe fruit — well past eating stage. Biennials (carrot, beet, onion) need a second year in the ground before they flower.
- 1Let one healthy plant go entirely — no picking, no deadheading — until fruit is over-ripe or seed pods are dry.
- 2Scoop seeds from wet fruits and ferment 3 days to strip pulp; harvest dry pods over a bag.
- 3Rinse or winnow, then dry 1–2 weeks on a plate.
- 4Store cool, dark, and dry in a labeled envelope.
Storage: 3–5 years dry for most vegetable seed.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Okra varieties
Clemson Spineless
56 daysAAS-winning spineless heirloom — 5 ft plants, ridged dark-green 6 in pods. The Southern classic and most-planted okra.
Red Burgundy
60 daysAAS winner with burgundy stems, red pods, and yellow blooms. Ornamental as well as edible; pods turn green when cooked.
Emerald
58 daysSmooth round-podded heirloom — spineless, tender even at larger sizes, and slightly less mucilaginous.