Bel (Bael) Tree: How to Plant and Care for It in Jaipur

When: The best time is July–August, so the slow-growing sapling has the whole monsoon to root before winter. Without irrigation, plant in June just after the first monsoon rain. February–March works only if you can water regularly.

What to plant: Choose a budded or grafted sapling. Grafted trees fruit in 3–4 years, while seedlings take 7–8 years. A thornless variety like Goma Yashi can only be guaranteed through grafting.

Steps:

1. Dig a pit 1 m × 1 m × 1 m about two months before planting. In sodic soil, let the rain flush the open pit two or three times.
2. Mix the top half of the dug soil with 3–4 baskets of well-rotted farmyard manure (FYM) and 1 kg neem cake or 500 g bone-meal. Fill the pit to 6–10 cm above ground level.
3. In sodic soil, add 5–8 kg gypsum and 20 kg sand, and plant 20–25 days after filling.
4. Plant at the same level as in the nursery bag, keeping the graft joint above the soil. Stake the young plant.
5. Water immediately, then weekly until the plant is established.

Spacing: 8 m × 8 m is standard. Compact varieties can go closer: NB-5 at 6 m × 6 m, NB-9 at 8 m × 6 m.