planning elaichi in Idukki, confused how much shade tree cover to keep over the plants
How much shade does cardamom need and what happens with too much or too little?
MMathew Joseph11mo ago · 373 views
6 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓10mo ago
Cardamom is a shade loving understorey crop and needs filtered light, roughly medium overhead shade, not deep dark canopy and not open sun. Too much dense shade gives lush leaves but few panicles and poor capsule set, while too little shade scorches leaves, stresses plants and lowers yield in dry spells. The aim is dappled light reaching the floor through trees like jack, dadap and natural forest species, with shade regulated by pruning before and during the dry season. Adjust shade by season, slightly more in summer and open it up in heavy monsoon. Soil moisture and mulch matter as much as shade. Get the right shade level and shade tree choice for your elevation from the Spices Board or your KVK.
VVarghese10mo ago
When my canopy got too thick the plants looked green and healthy but gave hardly any capsules. After thinning the shade trees the panicles improved the next year. Balance is everything with elaichi.
KKuruvila10mo ago
I keep slightly more shade in the dry summer months so the leaves do not scorch, then open it up a bit when the monsoon is heavy and damp. Adjusting by season worked better than fixing one shade level all year.
BBaby Thomas10mo ago
Do not forget mulch and soil moisture, they matter as much as the shade. On my drier patch good mulching saved the plants in summer even with the same canopy. Shade alone is not the whole answer.
TThomas Mathai9mo ago
Pick the right shade trees, not just any tree. Jack and dadap gave me good dappled light and dropped leaf litter that fed the soil, while one heavy dense tree I left cast a dark patch where the plants sulked. The kind of shade tree changes the light quality a lot.
JJose Kuttan9mo ago
On my higher elevation patch the plants took a bit more sun than the books say, so do not just copy a number, watch your own plants. Scorched pale leaves mean open too much, dark green and no panicles mean too dense. The Spices Board man helped me read my own field.