Okra (Bhindi)

Advice to Okra (Bhindi) Growers

Faisalabad: Okra or ladyfinger (bhindi , بھنڈی ) is very popular vegetable among the farmers due to high returns which give it status of cash crop. This vegetable is very nutritious and even children cannot resist the temptation of eating it.

The department of agriculture of Punjab issues several advisory for okra growers to make the crop yield even better.

• The most popular variety of ladyfinger which can be cultivated successfully is "Subz Pari". This variety gives very good results. 
• The best time to start sowing of okra is from mid of February till end of March.
• This crop required hot and humid weather to grow properly. Fog and cloudy weather and temperature below 20 degree Celsius hinder the growth. 
• Okra can be cultivated in any soil type but fertile land with good drainage is most suitable.
• For better yeild it is recommended to use 10 to 12 kg of seeds per acre

  Tips on growing okra

  By Samuel Sanya  

  
  

  (New Vision Uganda) Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is also known as lady’s fingers or gumbo and is highly valued for its edible green seed pods. 

  
  

  When planting, ensure that the plants are separated from each other by about 15 inches. Okra seeds are relatively large and easy to handle. They also germinate well if the soil is warm enough. 

  
  

  Plant the seeds about half an inch deep. Plant about three seeds at each spot. In most cases, all three germinate and when the plants are about six inches tall, thin them to only one plant every 18 inches. 

  
  

  Okra needs warm weather to grow well. This means that during the rainy season, you may not have much of a crop. Most varieties of okra will start yielding about 60 days after planting. 

  
  

  The flowers are large, pale yellow and fairly ornamental. Each flower blooms for only one day and eventually forms one okra pod. Pick the pods when they are approximately three inches in length. 

  
  

  Picking the pods while wet may darken the skin though the taste is not affected. Typically it grows quickly, so you need to harvest every two days or so. The plants can eventually grow quite tall (five feet or more), but will stop growing as soon as the temperature starts dropping down below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

   

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