How to Grow Sheesham Tree in India

North Indian rosewood offers the finest timber wood known for its durability! If you wonder How to Grow Sheesham Tree, you’re at the right place!

What is Sheesham?

North Indian Rosewood is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to the foothills of Himalaya in the Indian subcontinent. It is a large tree with a crooked trunk when grown in the open, but they can be trained to become straight. It can grow up to a height of 80-100 feet and has a diameter of around 2-6 feet. The tree is quite hardy and also produces small but fragrant pink-white flowers.

Common Names: Shisham, Indian rosewood, Sitral, Sissu, Tali, Biradi, Tahli

Botanical Name: Dalbergia sissoo

Sheesham Tree Cultivation in India

Sheesham trees are commercially cultivated widely in India for their wood. It is the second most important timber tree in the country. The young leaves and branches of these shady trees are also used as fodder for the livestock. India is the largest producer of Sheesham trees in the world. They are mainly grown in the north Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Their commercial cultivation is fruitful and earns loads of returns. The Heartwood sells for the prices a lot higher than the cost of sapwood.

How to Grow Sheesham Tree?

Sheesham trees are suitable for landscaping. They can be planted as a shade tree for tea plantation and also are a part of many household gardens and lawns. These are easy to grow and quite hardy plants, requiring only a little care and attention. Here are all the requirements and steps that you need to follow to plant this tree in your gardens.

Propagation

You can propagate these plants from both seeds and saplings. Although it is more appropriate and advisable to buy a healthy plant from a nearby nursery for better plant growth. But you can also grow them from seeds and suckers that are readily available. If you are growing a nursery bought plant, then look no further and directly plant it into the location you desire. So is the case when growing them from seeds. You can directly sow the seeds on your farm or garden. Soaking the seeds in water before you sow them will ensure better results.

Location

Plant them in a location where they get enough space and sunlight. When you plant the seedlings, they require partial sunlight. However, the bigger plants or trees can survive in full sun.

Temperature

As these plants are native to India, they do well in tropical and subtropical regions. They can survive the temperatures ranging from 4-49°C. The best time to grow these plants is in the months of spring or early summer.

Soil

They can survive in almost any kind of well-draining soil. Alluvial soil, mixed with gravel or sandy loam that drains excess water but stays moist, is ideal for growing Sheesham trees. They can also grow in slightly saline soil.

Irrigation

You need to deeply water these plants regularly as the plants require a lot of moisture to grow dense foliage. During their growth period, water them thoroughly until the topsoil goes dry. However, overwatering or flooding the tree continuously will lead to the formation of superficial roots in them.

Sheesham Tree Care

Fertilizer

You can always fertilize these plants for better growth, and routine fertilization will also keep the soil quality in check. For the regular fertilization, using citrus fertilizer for these plants is a great choice. Fertilizing them once every 3-4 months, during their growth period, is enough. Sheesham trees are prone to yellowing leaves as they can not absorb enough iron. You can easily treat this by using iron chelate and magnesium sulfate fertilizers.

Pests and Diseases

Be careful about termites and fungal infections. These infections are quite easy to treat with the help of soap water or neem oil solution.

Pruning

These trees will require regular pruning if you wish to maintain garden landscapes. Also, they may develop a lot of suckers or basal shoots that you need to remove, as they can start growing and can make mowing your garden difficult.