When it comes to spices, the headlines are always filled with news related to new cases of adulteration and food poisoning. With so many guidelines about checking the purity of the spices, isn’t it better to add a corner of spices plants in your kitchen garden? Not only will you not have to rush to the grocery store every time but also you would get the purest variant at home.
One of the medicinal herbs that you can start is cloves. Known for their rich aroma and intense flavour, cloves are highly versatile and can be used in various types of cuisines. Apart from the regular dishes, cloves also have an added advantage by having medicinal properties that can help alleviate the symptoms of cough or cold. So, why don’t you start planting cloves in your home garden with these handy tips?
Climate And Location
Clove trees require humid weather, lots of rainfall, and ideally, a temperature ranging between 20 to 30 degrees Celcius. For tropical countries like India, cloves are the perfect spices to grow outdoors, but if you live in a colder country, you can still plant cloves indoors at a controlled temperature.
Seeds Or Cuttings?
While planting cloves an important factor you must consider is if you would use seeds or cuttings. Since seeds take a longer period to mature, growing cloves from plant cutting is a more common practice. However, if you are choosing seeds, ensure that they are of high quality and free from any unpleasant odour. If you are opting for cuttings, take it from a healthy and mature clove tree and plant it after removing the leaves from the lower part of the plant.
Watering And Fertilising
Since cloves love rainfall, during non-monsoon weather, ensure that you are watering the plant regularly. But also check the level of the water in the soil or pot to avoid overwatering as it can damage the roots. Also, ensure that you fertilise the cloves plant after every two or three months to get a healthy harvest.
Pruning And Pest Control
Just the way choosing the right seeds and preparing the soil is important, regular maintenance of your plant is important to get a healthy harvest. Apart from watering and fertilising, ensure that you are pruning the plants, and removing dead or diseased branches to aid a healthy growth. Also, use organic pest control methods like neem oil to get rid of any infections.
Harvesting
Finally, the most rewarding part of gardening comes – harvesting. When you spot the flower buds getting a deep red colour, you’ll know that the cloves are ready to be harvested. Add you need to do is cut the flower buds from the plant, let the cloves dry, and store them in an airtight container till you want to use them.