Amla & Amla Berry Germination ,Growing ,Care, Use and its Surprising Health Benefits.

Embelica Officinalis, known as Amla or Indian Gooseberry or Nelli is an important fruit with high medicinal value. The fruits have the richest source of vitamin-C and are considered to be a good liver tonic.


POSITION:

Plant Amla tree in a location that is less windy and sunny. The well-draining and sloppy position are good for its growth.
SOIL:

Well-drained, loamy to light heavy soil that is deep and rich in organic matter is required for growing amla tree. A pH level can be between slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. The waterlogged and clay-rich soil is detrimental and must be avoided, same is the case with too sandy soils.

CLIMATE:
It is a tropical plant. The annual rainfall of 630-800 mm is ideal for its growth. The young plant up to the age of 3 years should be protected from hot wind during May-June and from frost during winter months. The mature plants can tolerate freezing temperature as well as a high temperature up to 46OC.
WATERING:

Regular and abundant watering is essential at the young age. Once the tree gets established it doesn’t require regular and frequent watering. However, you can water the plant during the period of active growth or in a drought like conditions in summer. Watering 2-3 times in a month in summer is sufficient for a mature tree. In any case, water stagnation must be avoided.
TEMPERATURE:

Amla tree is tough and resistant to exploits of climate. It bears mild snowfall during winter months in the forest of Western Himalayas and tolerates extreme heat and dry atmosphere in tropical India. It is sensitive to prolonged freezing temperatures and grows best when it is not exposed to frost.




GROWING

1. Spread amla berries in sunlight to dry until they are shrivelled if you don't begin with amla seeds. Peel off the pulp to uncover the berries' hexagonal stones. Locate the small seeds inside the stones, and pry them out, cutting the stones if necessary.

2. Drop the amla seeds into a container of water. Discard all seeds that don't sink into the water. Let the seeds soak in the water for 12 hours.

3. Fill seedling pots with a potting soil containing equal portions of sand, compost, and garden loam. Plant one amla seed in each pot, placing each seed at a depth three times its diameter in the potting soil. Moisten the potting soil, and cover the pots with plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap as needed to moisten the soil, ensuring it stays damp. Germination should occur in two weeks to one month. Continue to grow the seedlings in pots for eight to 10 months, until they reach 10 to 12 inches in height.

4. Choose a planting location with deep, rich, well-drained loam and full sun exposure. Although amla does best in deep, rich soil, it grows in almost any ground that isn't extremely alkaline or soggy. Dig planting holes 30 feet apart, and mix a few shovelfuls of composted manure into the soil of each hole. Plant the seedlings at the same soil depth in the holes that they were in their pots. Place composted manure on top of the soil around the seedlings, keeping it several inches from their trunks. Water the planting sites.

5. Snip back the tips of your saplings when the trees reach 3 feet tall. Doing so forces them to branch out. Allow a few of the strongest branches evenly spaced around the trunk to remain, but remove all weak growth.

6. Give each tree about 5 ounces of granular, fruit tree fertilizer twice during the first year, scratching the fertilizer into the ground around each tree's trunk and watering that ground afterwards. Double the amount of fertilizer the second year, and gradually increase it so each tree receives about 3 pounds of the fertilizer per application when it is 10 years old. After the trees begin to produce fruits, schedule the feedings so that one feeding occurs just after the blossoms fall and the other feeding occurs four months afterwards.

7. Water the trees at least once every two weeks during summer. Expect the trees to flower during summer and to produce fruits during winter to early spring.


8. Pick the fruits after they turn from green to greenish yellow or greenish white, but check the seeds inside one berry before picking all of the berries. Seeds that turned from white to black indicate the fruit is ripe.