Filtered light
Tall shade trees break up the sun so the leaves never scorch and the pods ripen slowly.
LocationPuttady, Idukki district, Kerala — on the Kumily–Munnar road
VarietyNjallani, the high-yielding green cardamom bred in Idukki
CultivationShade-grown under native forest trees
FarmingOrganic manure and sustainable field practices
ST Ragava Plantation
Why Idukki grows the best green cardamom
Idukki is India's largest cardamom-growing district, and Puttady sits right in the middle of it. The hills here catch the monsoon from both sides, so the air stays moist for most of the year and the soil never dries out completely.
Cardamom flowers low on the plant, almost at ground level, on long shoots that creep out from the base. The pods that follow need steady moisture and filtered light to swell evenly — too much sun and they stay small, too little rain and they split. The forest canopy above our plants keeps both in balance.
Growing Conditions
What a cardamom plant needs
Cardamom is fussy. These are the four things we watch most closely across the plantation.
Steady humidity
Moist forest air around the clumps keeps flowering regular and the pods plump.
Rich, loose soil
Leaf litter and organic manure keep the soil dark, crumbly and full of life.
Good drainage
The roots want water, but never standing water — sloping fields let the excess run off.
A Year on the Plantation
The cardamom calendar
Cardamom is not harvested in one go. Pods ripen a few at a time, so the same plants are picked again and again through the season.
Pre-monsoon
Clearing undergrowth, trimming old shoots and feeding the soil with organic manure.
Monsoon
Rain brings the plants into flower; new shoots spread out from the base.
Harvest begins
Harvest usually starts in June to July, depending on the summer weather. As the first pods ripen, they are harvested.
Peak picking
Pickers walk the fields every few weeks, taking only the ripe capsules.
Rest
The last rounds finish; the plants and soil recover before the cycle begins again.
How We Farm
Looking after the hills that feed us
A cardamom plantation is only as healthy as the forest around it. We farm in a way that keeps that forest standing.
- Undergrowth cleared by hand, not burned
- Soil enriched with organic manure
- Native shade trees kept over the plants
- Only ripe pods picked, round after round
Know the Plant
The parts of a cardamom plant
Cardamom belongs to the ginger family. What looks like a tall leafy stem is really a clump of shoots growing from an underground root.
Rhizome
The underground stem that stores food and sends up new shoots each year.
Leafy shoots
Tall stems of long, narrow leaves that can grow taller than a person.
Panicles
Flowering shoots that creep along the ground from the base of the clump.
Capsules
The pods that form after flowering — the part we pick, dry and sell.
Our Variety
Why we grow Njallani
Njallani is a green cardamom variety selected by a farmer in Idukki and now grown across the district. It has become popular with growers for good reasons.
Bold pods
It tends to produce large capsules, which means a higher share of the bigger, more valuable grades.
Deep green colour
Well-dried Njallani pods hold a rich green that buyers look for.
Suited to Idukki
Selected in these very hills, it is at home in the local soil, shade and rainfall.
The Region
Growing inside a global biodiversity hotspot
The Western Ghats run down India's west coast and are home to an extraordinary range of plants and animals. Cardamom grows wild in these forests — it is a native plant here, not an import.
UNESCO World Heritage range
Native home of cardamom
Two monsoon seasons
Plant Health
Keeping the plants strong
Healthy plants give better pods. Most of our effort goes into prevention rather than cure.
Prevention
- Regular walks through every block to spot problems early
- Old and dry shoots removed to let air move
- Balanced shade so plants are neither scorched nor waterlogged
Soil care
- Organic manure worked into the soil
- Leaf litter left as a natural mulch
- Undergrowth cleared by hand around the clumps
Questions
About the plantation
Curious about how cardamom is grown? Start here.
How long before a new plant gives pods?
A newly planted cardamom clump usually starts bearing in its second or third year and then keeps producing for many years with good care.
Why is cardamom picked so many times?
Pods on the same plant ripen at different times. Picking only the ripe ones, round after round, gives better colour and size than stripping the plant at once.
Why does cardamom need shade?
It is a forest plant. Direct sun dries the leaves and the soil; filtered light under trees keeps the plant cool and moist.
Where exactly is the plantation?
ST Ragava Plantation, Puttady, Keralam 685551.
Visiting Idukki?
Buyers are welcome to see the plantation and processing unit. Call ahead and we will arrange it.