Arecanut is a tropical evergreen tree that grows in India and other Asian countries. It has been cultivated for many centuries as a cash crop. The leaves of the areca tree are used to make betel quid, which is chewed along with betel nuts as an intoxicating stimulant.
The following guide will help you learn how to cultivate arecanut trees in your own backyard:
Soil and Climate
1) You need to identify the right place for planting your arecanut trees. Make sure the soil is rich, fertile, and well-drained. Choose a sunny spot with access to water and wind protection from strong winds or storms if possible. Arecanut Grows in a wide range of temperature ranging from minimum of 40C to a maximum of 400C. Altitude upto 1000 m above Msl. Rainfall — 750–4500 mm.
2) You need to prepare the ground by breaking up rocks, removing weeds and digging up any large roots that may interfere with planting or growth of the seedlings later on. Use manure or compost if available.
See also:Difference between agronomy and horticulture
Planting and Spacing
3) Planting seeds can be done in many different ways. Some people like to do it by hand, while others will use a trowel for this task. Either way, you need to remove the seeds from their packaging and place them in a prepared hole with the flat side down (that’s so that they don’t sprout up into wild weed growth). Try not to leave too large of a “hole” at the bottom of your planting hole so that your seedling has just enough soil to get started. For raising seedlings seed nuts from pre-marked and pre-potent mother palms of outstanding performance are selected and sown at a spacing of 5–6 cm apart in sand beds under partial shade with their stalk end pointing upwards.
Plant Care
4) After you’ve planted your seeds, don’t forget to thin them out a little bit so that they can grow successfully. You can use a trowel or a weeding tool to do this task by simply snipping off the smaller seedlings that are growing around the plants you already placed in your ground.
