Clove

Water

Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.

Needs about 1,740 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 290 mm it can use in a normal year, and 250 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 40 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 36 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 34 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 35 °C / 24 °C
• Oct 34 °C / 19 °C
• Nov 29 °C / 12 °C
• Dec 23 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 20 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 30 °C / 15 °C
• Apr 38 °C / 21 °C
• May 42 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 40 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)

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

Days in June get hotter than it likes. Young plants need shade and water then.

Soil

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

Not in the score: nitrogen, copper and boron.

• 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 phosphorus.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

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.

Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.