Arjun Tree (Terminalia arjuna): How to Plant and Care for It in Jaipur

When to plant

• Best: July to August. Monsoon rain helps the sapling settle and gives it a full season before summer.
• Second choice: February to March, only if you can water it reliably through April to June. This avoids the sapling's first winter frost.
• Avoid October to January (frost risk) and April to June (heat).

Sapling, pit and spacing

• Use a nursery sapling raised from seed, about 1 to 1.5 years old and 60 to 120 cm tall, with one sturdy stem.
• Dig a pit about 60 × 60 × 60 cm. Refill with topsoil, 5 to 10 kg of well-rotted farmyard manure and some neem cake against termites.
• Plant at the same depth as in the nursery bag. Make a basin 1 to 1.2 m wide, with no standing water at the stem.
• Space trees 8 to 10 m apart, at least 8 m from buildings and walls.
• Fit a tree guard, because cattle and goats eat the leaves.

First-year watering in Jaipur

Practical guidelines; adjust to rain and soil moisture.

Season	How often	Amount
July to September	Only if there is no rain for 7 to 10 days	15 to 20 L
October to February	Every 7 to 10 days	About 20 L
March to April	Every 5 to 7 days	20 to 25 L
May to June	Every 3 to 4 days, early morning	25 to 30 L

Drip irrigation works well. Deep waterings in May and June are worth continuing for about the first five years.