I was planning on planting Nutmeg and Black Pepper in my coconut orchid as intercrop. Can you guys pl. suggest some places (preferably near Bangalore/Mysore region for easy transportation) to buy good quality high yielding material?
I would suggest either from Vayanadu or from Kasergode both are close to Mysore , may get nutmeg and pepper. We are having nutmeg cultivation and used to had pepper. Nutmeg must be bud one for better., healthy and early crop. Grow wild nutmug (katujathi) and get it budded a skilled person at your farm it self. it will save cost and you can sure the quality. else you can source from a trusted nursery. however I recomend, collect and grow katti jadhi (wild nutmug) at your farm and then you visist nut meg farms near by and then collect teh graft from the most fruit full tree and then get it graftd to the wild kattujathi,
Reg pepper, better to collect from nearby farm or if you visit kerala, collect Panniyoor variety from Kerala agri university. same can be get from Vayanadu too from farmers orachid free of cost. I am in contact with a farmer in Vayanadu and can get his help .
However, pls note that for nut meg need good water and care. once you use cocount for pepper. it would be little difficult to climb cocount for plucking. so just take care on that aspects.
Can you pl. share what variety of Nutmeg have you planted and what is the yield per tree?
Spoke to a friend of mine from Chikamagalur. Looks like I can source pepper from there. Need to confirm the variety. I too was thinking of Panniyur. I need to streamline few more things at the farm before I go ahead with planting.
Meanwhile can you pl. msg me the details of the farmer from Wayanad?
Reg. nutmeg, I saw a feature abt a farmer (Joyce Mathew) from Iddukki. But the distance seems to be an issue. That’s why I was considering a closer place.
In our farm earlier cultivation was with direct seed germination by collecting seed from good yield trees in neighbor hood. However it took longer time for crop and yield not so goo. We used to do chemical fertilization and hence it was prone to dieceses and since last 3yrs we converted to organic and hence steady increase in yield and less disceses
Those trees planted during last 10 yrs was bud one and it was stated to give yeild 4th year onwards and yield is good one.
Nut meg is a like a recurring deposit for entire life. it gives stedy income and even in our older age without any help or labour we can collect seeds by own, it is like our dedicated/sincere son whom can depend always.
Concerns are, recently due its advantage of less labour incentive, several people changed to nut meg. so production may increase and may also fight with imports from Sri Lanka and other countries. There is no option of direct marketing to end consumer.
Being less labor incentive, and a steady income generator still nut meg is preferred crop as inter crop in coconut orchids.
I would suggest , make an integrated farming with diary. convert your coconuts to copra or oil so the cakes can be used in diary farm. coconut farm also used for green fodder and thus at almost minimum cost a diary farm can be worked out.
Last week I visited the Dairy Farm in Hesaragetta and procured the planting materials of Napier and Guinea grass. They have been already planted in the farm as intercrop among coconut trees as you suggested.
Dairy is next in the list. I am looking around for cows in Hassan/Mysore region. Will be shortly adding few of them to the farm.
Talking to people like you have increased my confidence level further.
You can also try this new veriety(25 year new). It is called bunch pepper. The veriety is developed by Sri.T.T Thomas of Tekkal,Idukki Dist. He has named it as “Pepper Tekkan” after his family name. His contact no is 09961463035 (After 7PM before 9PM)
The advantage of this veriety is: Harvesting is easy as the pepper grows as bunch see below image. The yeild is also comparably more than other veriety.This is not proven in Karnataka Yet.
I had read abt this somtime back in some magazine. Not sure if this variety has been widely accepted.
My idea is to allow it to grow as creeper on existing coconut and arecanut trees (space saver).
This variety of bush pepper will have to cultivated as intercrop in between the trees (rather that on the trees). But as you rightly said, harvesting is lot easier.
Since you are from Hassan, just curious what are the crops that you cultivate in your farm?
Just wondering what is the diff. between bunch pepper and bush pepper in terms of characteristics, cultivation practice and yield?
I have never heard of bunch pepper earlier. Will do some research anyways…
Bush pepper is nothing but the tip of the pepper vine(I mean the extreme tip of the wine, on the tree). Cut the head of the wine say 1 or 2 feet and plant in a pot. Once in a pot you water regularly or else it will perish. This will fruit through the year because of regular water supply. You need to pour water on the wine(replicating rain drops) when it flowers. Pepper pollination only happens through rain drops, and not through bees, birds or insects. So you have to replicate rains. Yield is not so great. It can be used for home consumption/places where pepper cannot be grown or cannot be harvested from huge trees.
Hello Mr.Mathew: I joined this community today. I found your interesting conversation on nutmeg. I am looking for Kattujathikka (Wild Nutmeg) for planting and budding thereafter.
Where can I get this in bulk in Kerala? Can you share any contact details. I am from Kottayam, Kerala so that they can supply or I can go and get Kattu jathikka seeds.
Also, how do we plant this Kattu Jathikka. Do we need to dry the Kattujaathikka before planting. Please advise me.
Thanks in advance.
Anil
Hello Mr.Mathew: I joined this community today. I found your interesting conversation on nutmeg. I am looking for Kattujathikka (Wild Nutmeg) for planting and budding thereafter.
Where can I get this in bulk in Kerala? Can you share any contact details. I am from Kottayam, Kerala so that they can supply or I can go and get Kattu jathikka seeds.
Also, how do we plant this Kattu Jathikka. Do we need to dry the Kattujaathikka before planting. Please advise me.
Thanks in advance.
Anil
Sorry to revive old thread, but I have some questions on nutmeg, especially harvest part. Will be great if someone can answer.
I stay in Bangalore and my farm is in Sakleshpur. I dont have anyone staying in the farm and I visit once in 2 weeks.
Nutmeg yields year round, so is it feasible to harvest once in 2 weeks? Will it fall off and rot away if not plucked. I can manage plucking once in a week in peak season.
Processing and drying can be done on fire wood heater? Electricity is not reliable at the place of farm, so this is another concern in rainy season.
Hello everyone,
I got this blog when I was searching for Nutmeg grafted plants near by.
Could some one please share the nursery details or contact details, Around Waynad also works for me which is nearby Mysore.