Okra/ Bhindi / Vendaikaai
We can Grow Easily okra (Vendaikaai) in Pot/ Growbag. Okra (Vendaikaai) is packed with lots of nutrients and very easy to cook. we can make some south Indian dishes like okra Sambar, Okra Poriyal ( dry gravy ), okra fry, okra gravy, okra chips..etc.
I am growing okra (Vendaikaai) for the past 4+ years. If we grow in season, we can get abandoned harvest. There are so many varieties of okra(Vendaikaai) seeds are available in the market. Choose wisely according to your region and climate conditions.
Soil Preparation :
40 % compost ( Vermicompost, any organic compost )
20 % Garden Soil
30% Cocopeat
10% River sand / Vermiculate / perlite
This soil mixture is ideal potting soil I usually use for most of my vegetable plants.
Sowing :
Sow the seeds two or three weeks before season time. for southern India, I’ve already posted a seasonal chart in another article you can read that from Here : Southern India’s Seasonal Chart
Ideal Grow bag or container for growing okra is 18*18, 15* 15, 12*15 inch. ( Click the highlighted link to see in amazon page )
Soak seeds in water for 4 hours before sowing.
| Grow bag | Plant per Growbag |
| 18*18 | 3 |
| 15*15 | 2 |
| 12*15 | 1 |
Germination:
Seeds usually germinate in 5-7 days. we can also grow okra in a seedling tray in poly-house to overwinter in cold region country.
Sunlight:
Okra grows well in full sunlight. some people may find it difficult in growing okra if there is not enough sunlight.
Some common problem if there is not enough sunlight
- seeds do not germinate properly
- Increase in pest attack
- dull / dying plant
- Not getting expected Harvest
Caring:
- Check for weeds around plant and remove it
- If you find any pest damaging your plant use neem oil with soap oil spary. It will help in most cases
- If not if you find any rotten stems are roots check your drainage holes, and potting soil whether the excess water drain or not.
- If its not drain, it might due to ur potting soil/mix. Its not loose enough to drain excess water Change the potting mix/soil Ideally
Fertilizers:
Add some good quality organic compost, fertilizers like chicken manure in flowering season. Sprinkle some Liquid fertilizers like seaweed, Panchagavya, Fish amino to get Good harvest.
Watering:
Water it according to needs, soil should be moist not too wet.
Harvest :
Always harvest okra in Right time. If you wait long for the vegetable to become bigger, the pods may get harder and it may not ideal to eat. Sometimes we may get Smaller than we see in local grocery stores, that’s Okay..!! we are not in completion with those stores. Our goal is to get Organic, Pest free Vegetable, We got that..!!
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