Ladies finger

Ladies finger is a very popular vegetable grown in India. Commonly known as Bhindi, it thrives well in summer. The flowers of the plant are extremely beautiful and brighten the garden when in full bloom. One main reason why many farmers prefer growing okra is that the plant needs very little maintenance and when one pod is harvested another one grows in its place. Though summer is the best season to grow ladies finger, it makes a good winter crop too. Seeds can be grown indoors and can be transplanted outside when it is sunny during the day. If the temperature drops below 15degrees during the night, the entire crop can be prone to cold injury. Ladies finger plants grow in bushes so it is very important to space them well. Plant the seeds 15inches to 18inches apart so that they don’t look messy when they grow huge. Ladies finger pods are rich in dietary fibre that controls cholesterol and constipation. New pods contain natural folates that help in conception. Folic acid decreases the risk of neural birth defects in embryos. Okra is also a great source of Vitamin C that improves our body’s immunity levels.