Clove

Water

Rain falls about 8 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 1,350 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 960 mm it can use in a normal year, and 690 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 20–30 °C on average, and survives 20–35 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 31 °C / 21 °C
• Jul 28 °C / 21 °C
• Aug 28 °C / 21 °C
• Sep 28 °C / 19 °C
• Oct 26 °C / 15 °C
• Nov 22 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 18 °C / 7 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 17 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 20 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 25 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 31 °C / 17 °C
• May 33 °C / 19 °C
• Jun 31 °C / 21 °C

Nights in January can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Clove: 6 out of 10 (okay).

Not in the score: organic carbon.

• Soil here is often too alkaline for it.
• Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
• Most fields here are short of manganese.

Likes pH 4.0–5.6.

Money

Yield: about 2.5 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 7 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

On rain alone it gets about 71% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 71% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.