1. Best Sowing Time:

Monsoon.

2. Soil Temprature:

Optimal soil temperature: 10-40°C (40-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-15 days.

3. Steps for Seed Sowing Method:

• Take a container of your choice with drainage holes at the bottom.

• Fill the container with proper potting layers & selected growing medium.

• Sow 2 seeds at the centre of a pot.

• On raised beds, plant 2 seeds per spot in a spacing of 2 x 2 ft.

• Push the seeds a little in the soil medium with your fingers & completely cover them with surrounding soil.

• Water the sown seed bed immediately by a light shower with a watering can.

4. Growth Steps of Lady Finger (Bhindi) Plants

• Sprouting Stage: Seeds will germinate within first 6-8 days or so & tiny sprouts will be visible. .

• Cotyledons: The first 2 leaves will emerge in the second week of germination. These are false leaves called as cotyledons.

• First leaves: First leaves will emerge above cotyledons at the end of the second week.

• Seedling stage: Second week onwards, seedlings will start growing into a small plant. .Thinning:After the second week, keep only single and healthy seedling at one spot, cut off the weak, small & lagging seedlings with a pair of scissors.

• 5. How to Take Care For Lady Finger (Bhindi) Plants

  • Sunlight: ladyfinger plants require full sunlight. Therefore your raised bed should be made at a bright sunny spot. Keep the container under open sunlight.

  • Watering: Water your potted Okra plant every day in summer & every alternate day in winter. Water at the soil near the plant. Use a watering can to make sure that the plants get water in the form of a shower & not by a single flow.

  • Manuring: As mentioned earlier, add good quality organic manure in the soil with 2:1 ratio before sowing seeds. Organic fertilizer can be well rotten cow dung manure, farmyard manure, compost or vermicompost.

  • Top Dressing: When your Okra plant is more than 45 days old, Provide 1 tablespoon of 15:15:15 (NPK) fertilizer per plant or mix handful of Vermicompost in the soil around each plant.

  • Plant care: Always look for the early signs of any insect/fungal/ any other infections. Spray appropriate medicines as soon as any symptoms of such diseases are spotted.

  • Harvesting: Okra plant will start flowering at the beginning of the 2nd month; raw Okra pods can be harvested within 40-50 days from the sowing of seeds & harvesting season can continue for next 3 months.