Nutmeg

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 1,430 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 2,460 mm it can use in a normal year, and 2,270 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 22–34 °C on average, and survives 12–38 °C.

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

• Jun 32 °C / 25 °C
• Jul 32 °C / 26 °C
• Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
• Sep 32 °C / 25 °C
• Oct 32 °C / 23 °C
• Nov 29 °C / 18 °C
• Dec 26 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 24 °C / 11 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 27 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 30 °C / 18 °C
• Apr 32 °C / 21 °C
• May 32 °C / 23 °C
• Jun 32 °C / 25 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Nutmeg: 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.

Likes pH 6.0–7.0.

Money

Yield: about 3.0 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 6 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price at an earlier harvest (June–August 2025): about ₹25,000 a quintal across India's mandis.

Prices are usually best in May.

Typical costs are about ₹41,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.