When to plant Okra in Egypt
These figures also cover North Sinai and Rafah, where the engine returns the same answer.
Okra (derere, idelele, lady's finger, gumbo) is a tall, hairy, hot-weather vegetable grown for its tender green pods — the slippery, 'drawing' relish that thickens the pot.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 22 Mar 2027 – 21 May 2027 opens in 25 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 13.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 6 May 2027 to 25 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 45–65 days after planting |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Egypt is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 21 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Egypt
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For okra in Egypt, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2026 season in Egypt
| Rain in a typical year | About 158 mm in a typical farming district |
|---|---|
| Across its districts | From about 1 mm in the driest of 365 districts to about 183 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 158 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 81% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 10 mm |
|---|---|
| 18% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season |
last updated 19 September 2026 · from all 365 areas within it
What okra needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.7 |
| Spacing | 53 cm between rows, 38 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow okra in Egypt
| Planting material | About 55,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 67 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 74 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
These are the nutrients a okra crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Okra with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Egypt as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Or check your field firstOkra in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will okra grow well in Egypt?
Egypt rates as favourable for okra.
When should I plant okra in Egypt?
Typically 22 Mar 2027 to 21 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Egypt, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.