General Information

  • Category- Fruit, drug, spice
  • Binomial Name- Myristica fragrans
  • Common Names- Jaiphal, Jatisasyya, Jatiphala
  • Spread- 393-450 inches
  • Height- 393-600 inches
  • Average Production- 2000-3000 units per plant per year
  • Days to Maturity- 2190-2555 days

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Sandy loam and red laterite
  • Soil Moisture- 22%
  • Soil pH- 5.5-7.5
  • Sun Requirements- Full sun/Partial sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Early Summer (March-April)

Tips to Grow Nutmeg:

  1. Arrange good quality of nutmeg seeds. Soak the seeds for 24 hour before planting.
  2. Soil should be fertile and well draining. It should be moist but not wet.
  3. Arrange a pot with drainage holes at the bottom and fill it with the soil. Make a 1 inch hole in the soil and place your seed in the hole and cover it with the soil. Water regularly your seed for better germination.
  4. Keep your seed pot in proper sunlight. The germination may commence from about the 30th day and lasts up to 90 days after sowing.
  5. When seedlings reached are of about 90 days, transplant your seedlings. Transplant the seedlings in rainy season is good for the growth of tree.
  6. Add some mulch around the tree, it helps to retain the moisture. We can add some compost for better growth of plant.
  7. Pruning your nutmeg tree regularly can help manage disease and maintain healthy growth. Pruning can also help increase flower, fruit and seed production of nutmeg tree.
  8. The nutmeg tree will begin to bear fruit when it reaches about 7 years of age. The fruit is ready for harvesting 9 months after the tree flowers and it’s ripe. The fruit is roughly similar in size and color as an apricot.

Chemical Constituents of Nutmeg:

  • A fixed oil called ‘nut mug butter’ which is solid at room temperature.
  • A volatile oil which chiefly contains myristicin. Also, the oil contains elemicine, safrol, eugenol and isoeugenol.
  • Considerable amount of protein and starch.

Uses:

  • As a carminative.
  • As a digestive.
  • As a flavouring agent.
  • Also used in diarrhoea associated with cancer.
Fruits, Spice