Nutmeg

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 1,410 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 2,270 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,750 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 31 °C / 25 °C
• Jul 31 °C / 26 °C
• Aug 32 °C / 26 °C
• Sep 32 °C / 25 °C
• Oct 31 °C / 23 °C
• Nov 28 °C / 18 °C
• Dec 25 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 24 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 28 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 32 °C / 19 °C
• Apr 33 °C / 22 °C
• May 32 °C / 24 °C
• Jun 31 °C / 25 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Nutmeg: 8 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: sulphur.

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

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.