Gmelina arborea (Tamil :Kumil)

Name of the plant - Gmelina arborea (Tamil : Kumil, Kumul)



‘N’ fixing capacity - NO

Fodder Tree - Good Fodder

Deciduous - NO

Drought tolerance - YES. Without water even up to 7 months

Soil type / pH range - Red soil, Calciferous, Mixed soil. The tree will die if planted in high clay soil and in water logging area after initial establishment.

Tolerance to water logging - No tolerance. Tree wil die.

Seeds - 1200 to 1400 seeds / kg

Germination - 90%

Vegetative propagation - Possible

Spacing for border planting - 2 m x 2 m

For bulk planting - 5 m x 5 m

Maturity - Min 5 years to Max 10 years

Growth : - In normal condition: 12 m Ht to 15 m Ht with a girth of 40 inches and in irrigated conditions max 30 m Ht with a dia of 60 – 70 inches.

Yield - 25 – 30 Sq.m / Hect / Year

Timber Density - 0.42 to 0.64, Hard wood,

Weight - 480 Kgs / sq. m

Uses - For furniture, Paper mills, particle boards, match boxes, match sticks and craft paper.

Ratoon - Good. Ratoon crop attains maturity in 5 Years.

Special features if any - Prone to pest attack. Bulk cropping attracts more pests (Borers) so go for mixed cropping. Continuous pruning is necessary. Performs well even in dry areas but tremendous growth is noticed in irrigated conditions. Can be grown as wind belt. It is one of the fastest growing trees in the world.


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