Saturday, March 21, 2009

Grow Ladies Finger Okra without soil using simplified hydroponics

Grow Ladies Finger Okra without soil using simplified hydroponics by Pritham 'metal farmer' D'Souza

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) popularly known as bhendi kai in kannada or bhendi in hindi is an annual vegetable crop. one of the most nutrient rich vegetables, the high iodine content in the fruit is used to control goitre, while leaves are used as anti inflamatory & dysentery. the dry seed contains excellent amount of edible oils & proteins, and it is extensively used in cosmetic industries & soap industries. the crushed seed is given to cattle to increase milk production


the above photo taken on feb 25, 2009 shows okra plants grown together with cowpea. germination was observed in 4 days time. in the field, the seed takes a lot of time to germinate as seeds show high degree of dormancy and generally takes up to 7 days to germinate.


a clear photo of okra seedling


the above 2 pics show me slowly lifting the plant ready to transplant in tomato boxes i converted as grow beds. one has to be careful not to damage the roots as they can snap easily. light watering must be done first, and the substrate loosened. then the plant has to be scooped up with the substrate around it intact.

a close up of the roots, well defined & good network

immediately after transplanting, nutrient water must be added till it starts to drain out
the transplanting pics were taken on march 1, 2009

the above photo shows great shoot and leaf development. notice at the growing inter nodes of the plants, flower buds have started to develop
photo was taken on march 13, 2009 just 12 days after transplanting.

the above photo was clicked at night, hence the slight drooping of leaves in the absence of light.

here bhendi is successfully grown without soil.

all photos and data by pritham dsouza. to view photos in original size, click on photo to enlarge

4 comments:

  1. Dear Pretham D'Souza,

    Why black colour plastic sheet ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pritham 'MetalFarmer' D'SouzaAugust 5, 2009 at 4:03 AM

    thanks for visiting my blog... the black color sheet is used as if absorbs sunlight the best & at night reflects it the best... the main purpose is to keep the substrates moist, not too damp, but adequately moist, and black color plastic sheet is the best n also scientifically proven. in the field it also acts as a great mulch...
    thanks n cheers

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good day Preetham,

    I am amazed at those pictures. I would like to try it in my house too. Will you be able to explain step by atep how to go about the entire cultivation process? I am very much interested in gardening.

    ReplyDelete
  4. m very much interested ,could u explain me step by step hw to set up hydroponic system my mail id is vikasjain1050@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete