Ashoka (Mast Tree): How to Grow Monoon longifolium in Jaipur

When: July–August (monsoon) is best, as rain helps the roots settle before the dry season. February–March is second-best if you can water regularly. October planting can work, but the young plant then needs regular watering, mulch, a frost cover and a tree guard through its first winter and summer. Avoid late April to June (heat) and December–January (frost).

Practical steps:

1. Choose a nursery sapling, 1–2 years old and 1.0–1.5 m tall, hardened in full sun. Seed germinates poorly (about 20%) and stays viable for only about three months.
2. Dig a pit about 60 × 60 × 60 cm. Refill it with the dug soil mixed with 5–10 kg of well-rotted farmyard manure. Add neem cake where termites are common.
3. Plant at the same depth as in the nursery bag, with the root collar at ground level. Avoid waterlogged or hard-pan spots.
4. Spacing: 3–5 m apart in a row for the column form (for a screen or avenue); 6–8 m apart for the spreading form.
5. Protect it with a tree guard against goats and cattle, and build a basin to hold water.