Amla, also known as Indian gooseberry, is a treasured winter fruit. With its nutritional content and a wide range of health benefits, amla has its well-deserved respect in Ayurveda. Whether you need digestive relief or boost immunity and prepare for the chilly winter season, eating amla has proved to be of great value.
Given the immense benefits, just imagine how great it would be to have the healthiest produce of amla in your home garden. And the best is you can plant amla in a small garden or even in a large pot. So, what are you waiting for? Gather your tools and amla seeds, and get gardening. Just follow these tips to ensure the healthiest produce of amla.
Prepare Soil
Before you sow the seeds of amla, preparing the soil for healthy growth is one of the most important steps. First, ensure that the soil is well-drained and loamy. Next, check the pH of the soil and adjust it between 6.5 to 8.0 for proper growth. Finally, add organic matter and manure to make it nutrient-rich, which will boost the roots to expand and the tree to grow taller.
Picking The Spot
Once you have checked all the ticks for the best soil for amla, you can then choose a spot for the seeds. Since amla prefers sunlight, ensure that your spot gets about six hours of sunlight. If you are planting the tree in a pot, ensure that it has a drainage hole and then place it in a sunny spot. It is also better if you place it in an open space for the plant to get fresh air.
Water Regularly
While amla trees are draught-tolerant, in their initial growing stages, you need to consistently water the plant. Deep watering once every week to keep the soil moist would work well for amla. At the same time, you should ensure that waterlogging does not happen, which can harm the roots of the tree. Specifically for winters, you can water the tree in 10-12 days after checking the moistness of the soil.
Proper Fertilising
For every vegetable or fruit-bearing plant, fertilisation is a non-negotiable. As for amla tree, you should use organic fertilisers like compost or manure that can provide the plant with essential nutrients. A well-balanced NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium) fertiliser works well to bear healthy amlas.
Maintenance Tips
When the amla starts getting taller, maintenance techniques like pruning and adding natural pesticides become necessary. Pruning removes the dead leaves or diseased branches from the tree, encouraging healthy growth of the amla. Simultaneously, for pest control, you can add neem oil or organic soaps to avoid pests and insects that can feed on trees or fruit.