Grow spices for more cash

Most farmers in the country engaged in growing spice plants are concentrating in species such as ginger, garlic with a few growing turmeric, black pepper and lemon grass among others on small scale for home use.

However, it is important if farmers took note of engaging in growing major spice plant species on commercial basis since the demand is huge.

The climate in Uganda favours growing of these plants with two rain seasons and if farmers adopt the best agronomy practices, they will always have bumper harvest 

Experts recommend farmers here to grow the following plant species namely turmeric, black pepper, ginger, clove, cinnamon, rosemary, lemon grass, garlic, ginger and jatropher among others. 

Turmeric
According to Mohammed Fakir a spice farmer, turmeric grows as an underground tuber. “The plant does not produce seeds for propagation either, which means farmers use the roots for planting,” says Mohammed. 

Farmers can buy fresh turmeric roots from a local nursery for planting. When you locate a good source, purchase a few as they usually don’t all sprout.

Turmeric is said to do best in moist, well-drained soil, but it is also known to thrive in drier, clay based soils. 

Climate and planting 
“Planting should be done at the onset of the rains and it can also be grown indoors in small scale. The easiest way to encourage it to sprout is to place the root under two inches of loose soil,” says Mohammed. 

According to Mohammed, the pleated leaves will eventually grow to four feet tall in ideal conditions, which are followed by green and white cones of flowers that tend to emerge between the leaves.

“Once a stem has stopped flowering, farmers should cut it to encourage new growth,” he says.

Harvesting and storing
Turmeric is not harvested throughout the season as it is done with leafy herbs. Instead a farmer will have to maintain the plants for about eight to 10 months before it’s time to harvest. 

“When you start to notice that the leaves are yellowing and beginning to dry out, it’s time to dig it up,” he advises.  

Clove tree
It is native to the Spice Islands of Indonesia but is also grown in India, Jamaica, the West Indies, Brazil, Zanzibar and other tropical areas. 

This pyramidal evergreen clove tree, grows up to 15 to 30 feet tall, has smooth grey bark and has egg shaped 5 inches long leaves with small bell shaped white flowers which grow in terminal clusters. 

All parts of the clove tree are highly aromatic. It is usually ready for use when it has grown for about three years.

Propagation, planting and harvesting 
Cloves originate from Asia and people use it in soups, stews, sauces and rice dishes and in tea.

Cloves require a humid, warm tropical climate. It grows well in rich loamy soils 

They use it in traditional medicine. The oil can be used for maintaining oral health to eliminate bacteria in the mouth.

It needs good drainage with partial shade and a cooler climate with well distributed rainfall which is ideal for flowering.

Cloves are usually propagated by seeds or by cuttings. Fruits for seed collection are allowed to ripe on the tree and drop down naturally.

The seeds of the clove can be sown in a loose soil sand mixture prepared with well-rotted organic matter, on raised beds. 

Seeds are sown at two be three centimetres spacing. The seed beds have to be protected from direct sunlight. The seeds will germinate about 10 to 15 days and can be transplanted in polythene bags containing soil or sown directly.

The seedlings are ready for transplanting in the field when they are 18-24 months old. 

The pits for planting the seedlings are partially filled with compost, green leaf or cattle manure and covered with top soil.   They can be intercropped with plants such as coconut, banana, jackfruit and mango trees.

Under good soil and management condition, flowering begins in about five to seven years. The buds are hand-picked when the heads develop a pink caste.

Cloves have a very warm, pungent, sweet aroma, with a slightly severe quality. Oil of clove is prized for its antiseptic qualities and is often used in toothpaste.  

Three essential oils are available from this spice: clove bud oil, clove stem oil and clove leaf oil. Each has different chemical composition and flavour. Clove bud oil, is the most expensive and the best quality product among the oils.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is well known for its culinary uses, yet it is hardly ever grown in ordinary home settings. 

It grows well in a farm setting for as long as the soil is kept slightly dry and a potted cinnamon plant can thrive for years without special care. 

You can keep the plants as small as three feet by pruning regularly, or you can repot them over time into a 12 to 14 inch pot and allow them to reach up to eight feet tall.

Both the stem and bark are highly aromatic and it is the inner bark that is used as a spice. Even small stems can be scratched to release a rich cinnamon fragrance. It can be used in tea as well as different types of dishes.

Health benefits 
Dr Aboud Jumbe from Tanzania explains that these spice plants are medicinal and people have used them as traditional medicine for a long time.

When consumed either in tea or food it improves sensitivity in body insulin thereby preventing diabetes and they help in repair of damaged tissues in the body.

“They have anti-inflammatory properties therefore if consumed they can help control heart diseases, reduces blood pressure, protect against cancer and they help fight bacterial and fungal infections,” says Dr Jumbe.

Oil extraction from spices 
Beyond the health benefits and aroma, essential oils extracted from these spice plants can also help improve your health and mood. 

They are known to be used by many people throughout the world due to their tremendous benefits. 

Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, a kind of complementary medicine that uses smell to improve people’s health including the skin.

Scientists have gone ahead to extract oil from spice plants including those mentioned above using scientific methods in the laboratory.

They refine the oil to purity and use some directly on the skin while some are further incorporated in beauty products such as bathing soaps, smearing oils as well as food.

Planting 
The seeds of the clove can be sown in a loose soil sand mixture prepared with well-rotted organic matter, on raised beds.