I saw that many people were having trouble finding the solution to questions like:
- How to grow a ladyfinger plant in the pot?
- Can ladyfinger be grown in pots?
- How to grow lady fingers at home?
- When to Grow Lady Finger in India?
Why worry, when Gardentroubles is here to help you.
Lady finger (Bhindi) can be grown easily in pots and is one of the easiest vegetables to grow at home in pots.
So today, I will tell you exactly how to grow lady fingers in pots from seeds even if you don’t know anything about it.
But, I don’t want you to end up growing it in a season that doesn’t suit its nature.
So first let’s first see:
Ladyfinger Growing Season in India?
(Feb – March, Late July-Early Aug)
Lady’s finger grows best in sunlight, so summer is the best time to grow it but apart from that any season that doesn’t involve frost is good.
Avoid growing it during monsoons and foggy weather.
How to Grow Ladyfinger Plant in Pot – Step by Step
In order to grow the ladyfinger plant (bhindi) in a pot, we need to get a few things.
- Lady Finger Seeds
- Pot or Grow Bag (At least 14 inches deep)
- Potting Soil
- Compost
From where to get the ladyfinger seeds?
Okay so this is something important to be aware of:
Usually, we tend to use the seeds from already available vegetables at our home for growing. (like in the case of growing tomatoes and chilly)
But you cannot do that with ladyfinger.
Because the seeds used to grow ladyfinger are taken from mature ladyfinger that is let to grow beyond their harvest period and its seeds are allowed to dry and then taken out.
So, never use the seeds of ladyfinger available at home, they won’t grow. You can get the seeds from any nearby nursery or online store.
Choosing the Right Container for Growing LadyFinger Plant
You can grow ladyfinger in pots or grow bags or any other recycled bucket or tub. (You can see the grow bag dimensions.)
But make sure that the container you choose is at least 14-inch-deep as its plant gets bigger and roots go deep.
You should grow only one plant if the size of the container is small.
Spacing between each seed should be around 5 inches, if they are sown closer then they will start to fight for nutrition and grow unhealthy.
Potting Soil:
Lady Finger needs good nutritious soil to grow.
So, an ideal potting soil or growing medium for ladyfinger will be:
40% Garden Soil
25% coco peat
35% compost (Vermicompost or cow dung)
You can also add a handful of neem cake to avoid fungus and pathogens to attack the soil.
Growing LadyFinger Plant in Pot – From Beginning
Now you have all the things required to grow it.
Let’s take a look at the whole process from the beginning.
Sowing of Seeds
Lady Finger seeds are sown directly in the container (pot or grow bags).
You should avoid growing it in a different seedling tray and then transplant it to the main pot because Lady finger plants are not good at handling the shock from transplantation.
If the pot is not wide enough, sow only one seed per pot.
If you can provide a gap of 5 inches between them you can sow 2 seeds in one pot.
So, you know the math now. A 5-inch gap is a must between each seed. Otherwise, they will start to fight for nutrition and probably all of them will grow either unhealthy or weak or never grow at all.
Sow the seed 0.5-inch-deep inside the soil and then cover it with a thin layer of coco peat and water it gently and place the container in a sunny spot where it receives at least 4-5 hours of sunlight.
Germination Time of Lady Finger Seeds
It takes around 6-7 days for the seeds to germinate and you can expect to harvest them after 50-60 days.
How Often to Water
Lady finger plant loves moist soil, so you will need to water them regularly and never keep them under watered.
If the sun is harsh then water might dry up every single day, so you will need to water them once every day.
The general rule of Gardening at home is to check the soil by touching it if it’s dry or not.
If the soil seems moist, you don’t need to water it.
But if the soil is dry, water it enough to keep it moist.
Morning time is the best to water it because then the plant can use it effectively the whole day.
Feed It With Compost
Lady Finger plant requires a lot of nutrition to grow healthy.
So, you will need to provide it with organic fertilizer every 20 days.
You can either feed it with vermicompost or cow dung.
The flowering of Lady Finger
After a few days of following this routine finally, the flowering of Lady Finger starts to happen. Its flowers themselves are very beautiful to be grown for the sole purpose only.
Harvesting of Lady Finger – Lady finger growing time
It can be harvested after 50-60 days of sowing. You can harvest them easily by plucking with your hands only.
Don’t let them stay for a long time because they might mature and then it is not safe for eating.
How to check if ladyfinger is not too mature?
Before plucking it, check if the tip is easily broken or not.
Tips To Grow Healthy Lady Finger Plant
Pinching your plant will force it to turn into a full-fledged plant.
Pinching triggers the plant to grow new stems and get bigger. This is a very healthy process used in gardening to keep the plants healthy and big.
And lady finger plant is one of those that need it from time to time.
Pest Control
Lady Finger remains under the radar of mealy bugs and other pests that can ruin all your hard work.
So, make sure you are always ready with your neem oil to protect your plants.
One important thing you should be aware of neem oil and its use is that never spray your plants in broad daylight otherwise they will get burnt in no time.
Always spray neem oil in the evening after sunset. So that it can attack the pest the whole night and wear off till the sun comes out again.
Conclusion
So this was pretty much it.
Just follow this guide step by step and enjoy a healthy homegrown lady finger.
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