Okra is also known as ladies finger and Bhindi (in India). The edible part of the plan is the pointed seed pods. The flower of an okra plant resembles hibiscus and can be used as an ornamental plant.
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| Pods in the plant |
Okra is a warm weather crop. A full sunny spot is ideal for the plant. If you are from the cooler region wait till the weather warms up before planting okra. Cold weather can really kill your plant.
While growing okra from the seeds, the first thing you will notice is that the seeds are much bigger than some of the other vegetables and it is easy to handle. Before planting the seed soak them in warm water. You can either sow them directly in the garden soil or you can choose to first grow the seedling indoor and then transplant them into the garden. If you are planning for the second option, use some seedling tray available in the market and use coir or peat moss as the growing medium. Mix a generous amount of compost along with the soil before planting.
The plant can resist drought and heat very well. But inch deep water weekly is ideal for best pod production.
Okra plants generally get large and it also spread its branches. So you need to do some thinning once the plans reach a height of 6”. It is recommended to leave at least 18” to 24” gap between two okra plants. In case the plant don’t get enough space to grow, the production of the pods will greatly suffer.
If you have used compost you don’t need to add any more fertilizer. Okra plants grow very quickly especially once the pods starts coming. The pods can grow with in 3 to 4 days. It appears first on the bases of the plant and goes upwards. A standard sized plant can grow up to 6 to 8 feet.
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| Freshly harvested Okra |
Okra plants have spines. It is not wise to harvest the pods bare hand. They can be scratchy and irritating. Use gloves while harvesting the pods. The best time to harvest is when the pods are 2”-4”. At this time they the tender and tasty. Though sometimes larger sized pods are also tender and can be used as food. The best way to check its tenderness is by snapping off the end tip of the pod. It will not snap in case the pods have become fibrous. Keep picking the pods and there will be a new one in its place.
Like many other vegetables, okra is also best when eaten fresh. You can also store them in refrigerator for a week. Check out vegetable storing tips in this article.
