This ultimate guide on how to grow curry leaf will help you to grow and care for curry leaf plant. Get to know best practices to make curry leaf plant bushier.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii) or curry leaf tree is a very popular tree whose leaves add taste to the Indian curry foods. It is a tropical to sub-tropical tree.
Curry leaves family is Rutaceae and it is native to India. Its leaves are used in many dishes in the Indian subcontinent. Often used in curries. The leaves are generally called by the name curry leaves.
The curry leaf tree is also known as Karuveppilai, Karapincha, Sweet neem, Kadi Patta, Khadi limdo, curry vepillai etc.
The curry leaf plant grows well in full to partial sunlight in a balcony or home garden where you get direct light for a few hours. The best time for growing the plant is from February to May.
Scientific name of curry leaf: Murraya koenigii
How To Grow Curry Leaf?
Propagation
The curry leaf plant can be grown from seed germination or from stem cutting.
Through seed germination :
1. Collect ripen blackberries fruits from the curry leaf plant.
2. Now squeeze out the seeds from ripening fruits.
3. Moist the seeds for two days in a cotton.
4. Now place your seeds in germination tray or container with potting mix like 40% loamy soil + 40% coco peat + 10% sand + 10% dry cow dung.
5. Cover seeds 1 inch with potting mix.
6. Now place your tray or container in a warm place.
7. The seeds will germinate in 10 to 14 days.
8. After proper development of seedlings transplant your plant in a 6-inch diameter garden container with a good drainage system. Here use potting mix like 60% loamy soil + 20 % coco peat + 10% sand + 10% dry cow dung.
Through stem cutting :
1. Collect stem cuttings, each about 5 to 8 inches long with 4-5 leaves from curry leaf plant.
2. Take such shoots that are not too flexible or too stiff. 6- 8 mm diameter shoots are better for propagation.
3. Now wash your cuttings with mild broad-spectrum fungicide thoroughly.
4. Prepare a potting mix of 60% loamy soil + 20% coco peat + 10% sand + 10% dry cow dung.
5. Pour the potting mix in a 6-inch diameter garden container.
6. Garden containers should be with a good drainage system with at least 3 holes.
7. Now make a 2-inch hole in the center of potting mix.
8. Now place the cut end into the hole and fill the soil around the cut branch and cover it properly.
9. Now water your container lightly.
10. Cover the pot with a polythene bag and keep it under shade. Maintain the soil moisture in the pot daily.
11. The cutting will start giving out new shoots in about 10 to 15 days.
12. Continue to keep the pot in the shade until the plant looks firmer and stronger.
Curry Leaf Plant Care
1. Place your well-developed seedlings in a sunny place where it can receive direct sunlight at least 3 hours or more.
2. During summer place your container semi-shade location.
3. Water as per the need of plants. Do not do overwatering. Water when the potting mix will be going to dry. Reduce watering during winter.
4. Feed your plant with ½ teaspoon bone meal or 1 teaspoon dry cow dung in every month with half teaspoon dried mustard cake powder. Do not over-fertilize your plant.
5. Prune your plants if needed. Pinching up shoot tips increases lateral growth and will give you more leaves.
6. Change your pot as per growth.
7. It is a pest-free plant.
8. If leaves are turning into yellow use Epsom salt sol. ( ½ teaspoon dilute in 1-liter water).
Importance of curry leaves:-
1. Curry leaves are used widely in several food preparations as well as herbal remedies.
2. Curry leaves contain iron, calcium, vitamin c, and phosphorus.
3. Curry leaves are used in ayurvedic medicine.
4. Curry leaves are highly regarded for their efficiency in treating intestinal problems such as diarrhea, piles, and dysentery.
5. Research shows that consuming curry leaves may benefit heart health in several ways. Curry leaf extract may help reduce high cholesterol and tri- glyceraldehydes level.
6. Curry leaves have powerful anticancer, antibacterial, anti-diabetic properties.
7. It is beneficial for sugar control.
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