Teak Mahogany Sandalwood

Also note that these trees are considered tropical varieties and thrive best in warm climates. Harsh winters can easily damage or destroy mahogany trees. Think twice about planting a mahogany tree if your winters reach below temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius).

Mahogany trees can grow in a range of soil types, but they do thrive best in well-drained sandy loam soils.

Avoid heavy clay soils and duplex soils.

Mix organic material into the hole. Add composted cow manure and topsoil to the hole, mixing it into the soil at the bottom and sides of the hole with a shovel or garden fork.

· Note that organic peat moss can be used instead of topsoil, if desired.

· If desired, you can skip the soil amendments altogether. Doing so can make it more difficult for the tree to establish itself, but if you wish to add fertilizer to the area after planting the tree, there shouldn't be a problem.

Additionally, mahogany trees do best in neutral soils. They can survive in strongly acidic soils, too, but avoid planting them in alkaline soils. If you need to use naturally alkaline soil, amend it with sphagnum peat, ammonium nitrate fertilizer, sulfur-coated urea, or agricultural sulfur.

Most mahogany trees are resistant to salt spray, so soils frequently drenched by salt water mist should not present a problem.

Water regularly. Use a garden hose to water the soil around the tree once a week, applying just enough water to create visible moisture on the surface of the soil.

· During rainy seasons, additional waterings may not be needed. On the other hand, during abnormal droughts, you may need to increase your watering schedule from once to twice a week. Regardless of how the weather is, the idea is simply to keep the soil regularly moist.

· Consistent sources of water are especially important while mahogany trees are young and have not yet established themselves. Fully mature trees can tolerate some drought without dying, but dry spells may cause the tree to drop its leaves early for the season.

Since mahogany trees have deep root systems, you should make sure that the soil you plant it in runs deep, too.

Fertilize three times each year. Feed the tree with a dose of fertilizer in the spring, summer, and fall. Use a balanced granular fertilizer for best results.

· The same type of fertilizer used at the time of planting can be used for yearly maintenance. The fertilizer should contain equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

· Follow the dosage instructions provided on the label of the fertilizer used. For best results, mix the fertilizer into the soil around the tree instead of spreading it over the surface of the soil.

To give the tree another boost and help the sapling establish itself, consider applying a balanced fertilizer containing equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

These fertilizers will usually be labeled as 10-10-10, 30-30-30, or something similar.

Apply 0.22 to 0.44 lb (100 to 200 g) of fertilizer per tree.

You should apply the fertilizer in small pockets of soil around the perimeter of the tree. Do not spread it into the planting hole or along the surface of the ground. Surface fertilization can result in weed growth.

Prune young mahogany trees. During the first two to eight years of the tree's life, yearly pruning can help control the height and spread of the tree.

· Check the arrangement and space between limbs. The healthiest mahogany trees will have several evenly spaced major limbs that spread out along one central trunk or central leader. As the tree grows, these limbs will be at least 2 feet (61 cm) apart from one another, if not further.

· Prune away any upright leaders aside from the central trunk. These upward growing branches can make it more difficult for the tree to tolerate strong winds

​· Cut away any branches that grow larger than two-thirds of the diameter of the central trunk. Such limbs can put stress on the tree and shorten its lifespan.

Watch out for pests. There are a few common pests that may present a problem to the health and longevity of your tree. When you spot such pests, apply an appropriate pesticide to the area.

· Some of the biggest problems come from shoot borers, longicorn beetles, powder post beetles, tent caterpillars, tip moths, scale, leaf notchers, leaf miners, Cuban leaf beetles, mahogany webworms, and Sri Lanka weevils.

· Among these insect pests, borers present the greatest threat to the health and longevity of the tree. When borers are present, pesticides should be applied.

· The best way to save a mahogany tree facing nectria infection is to remove the infected wood. You may also apply a fungicide to the tree, but fungicides do not always work on this particular type of infection.

POPLAR PLANTATION

Poplar is one of the fast growing industrial woods which can be grown as a mono crop as well as in association with agricultural crops. Its wood being light, homogenous and odourless is suitable for match splints, plywood, ply board, packing cases, sports goods, artificial limbs, furniture, pulp paper, wood wool, light constructional timber, pencils, furniture etc

​The best time of planting is mid February. Planting distance followed is 80 cm row to row and 60 cm plant to plant. Before planting, hole should be made with the planting rod whose lower end is flattened and sharpened like a screw driver. The cutting should be planted in the hole with thinner end up in such a way that the upper portion is just 2 mm above the ground level. After planting, the soil around the plant to be compacted gently but firmly. Each poplar plant needs approximately 20-25 m2 space for its optimum growth. One year old Entire Trans Plants (ETPs) without any co-leader or branches and with naked root (without any ball of earth) are planted in the field from mid-January to February end in pits of size 50cm X 50cm X 100cm. The spacing to be adopted for block plantation is generally 5m X 4m apart (500 plants per hectare ) and for single line or field boundary plantation plant to plant distance is kept at 3m. The plants may be soaked for about 48 hours in running fresh water before planting. To avoid fungal infection, lower one meter of the poplar transplant should be dipped in 0.15 percent solution of Emissan-6 for about 20 minutes and for termite protection for 10 minutes in 0.25 percent Aldrix solution or alternatively for protection against termites about 400g of deoiled neem cake can be mixed with soil to be refilled in pits. Planting should preferably be done by two men so that one man holds the plant in erect position and the other fills the pit and compacts the earth around it. After planting, the pits should be filled with top soil and FYM in a ratio of 1 : 1 mixed with 10-20g BHC and 50g P2O5. Proper compacting of the soil and immediate irrigation after plantation enhances the chances of survival of the plants. First year casualities should be beaten up with sturdy ETPs not less than 5 m tall in January-February of the following year. After that no beating up should be done as the new plants are not able to catch up with rest of the plants.

IRRIGATION

Regular and timely irrigation is a must for proper growth of poplars. While frequency of irrigation depends upon various factors like amount of rainfall, type of soil, age of trees and climatic conditions some general guidelines can be followed. During the first year of plantation irrigation must be done at weekly intervals except when there are reasonably good rains. This should be done from the time of transplanting till the monsoons begin. From July to September, irrigation must be provided as needed, depending upon the rainfall and intervening dry spells. From October to February when growth activity slows down, two irrigation's per month will be sufficient. During the second year, irrigation may be given at 15 days interval in January-February and at 7-10 days interval from March to onset of monsoons after which the plantation may be irrigated on the lines of first year. From third to eight year a minimum of two irrigation per month during summer and one during winter season are a must. For working of the unit cost, an average of 24 irrigations per annum had been taken.

​ Fertilizer Application

Well decomposed FYM should be applied while preparing the field for inter-cultivation of Rabi and Kharif crops. The general principles to be followed at the time of application of fertilizer are as under :

A basal dose of 2 Kg good FYM, 50 gm super phosphate and 5 gm urea per plant should be mixed.

Nitrogenous fertilizers be applied in split doses. First dose of nitrogen (75 gm urea) should be applied during the first week of June, second dose (150 gm urea) during first week of July and third dose (250 gm urea) during second and third week of August.

Fertilizer should not be placed near the stem of the plants as these can result in girdling of young trees and can even kill them.

Application of fertilizer must be followed by light irrigation.

Deficiency of micro-nutrients such as Zinc, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Copper, Boron and Molybdenum among others as per soil fertility status is of common occurrence. These are also called trace elements as these are needed in very small quantities. Symptoms of micro-nutrient deficiency include intraveinal yellowing of leaves, small and shriveled leaves and poor tree growth.

Inter-cropping

It is desirable to grow field crops as inter crops in block plantations of poplar. All rabi and kharif crops can be grown during the first three years except paddy. However, inter-cultivation of sugarcane be preferred for first two years as it is more profitable. Cultivation of wheat, cabbage, chilly, tomato, barley, coriander, turmeric, ginger, strawberry, oats, berseem, sarson etc. can be taken up from third year and throughout the rotation. In the present model, income from inter cropping has not been considered for working out the financial viability.

Harvesting and Utilization

Though ideally, the plants are ready for harvest in seventh year when they attain a girth of about 90-100 cm, the present trend is to harvest after six years. Marketing is done as standing trees or after felling and cutting into logs. A large quantity of poplar wood is used for making match splints, plywood and block boards. The wood is also good for making paper pulp and being light in weight is ideally suited for making packing cases.

Yield and Returns

In market, the poplar wood is sold on weight basis. The average wood biomass per tree after six years is about 300kg to 400kg and presently the prices vary from Rs. 4 to Rs. 5 per kg though the highest has gone upto Rs. 6/kg. Assuming an average price @ Rs.4/- per kg (under bark volume), the farmer can get Rs. 1600-2000/tree/- over a period of six years. Income from inter-crops will be additional which will vary depending upon the crop cultivated. The returns will depend upon site quality, inputs, intensity of management, actual yield and ruling market prices at the time of harvest.

​We have special expertise in farming cultivation of tissue culture plants and seeds of teak plant,mango plant,amla plant,lemon plant,guava plant,banana plant,poplar plant,bamboo plant,eucalyptus plant,mahogany,plant,sandalwood plant nursery and seeds, supplier,manufacturer agro foresty project.