Poplar Plantation Guide

The best window for planting poplar ETPs (Entire Transplants) is 15 January to 15 February, while the plant is fully dormant and leafless.

• Main planting season: 15 January – 15 February. Finish planting before the end of February.
• Late planting means leaves start flushing and survival rates drop sharply.
• Nursery cuttings are also planted in January–February.
• Before planting, soak the roots in water for 24 hours, then dip in a fungicide/insecticide solution.

Poplar performs best on deep, fertile, well-drained sandy-loam soil with an assured moisture supply.

• Ideal pH 6.0 – 8.0; avoid waterlogged, hard-pan, stony or highly alkaline land.
• A water table between 1 and 3 metres is ideal — poplar needs steady moisture.
• Give one deep summer ploughing, then 2–3 harrowings and level the field.
• Dig pits of about 1 ft × 1 ft × 3 ft (90 cm deep) along marked lines, or use a tractor auger.
• Fill each pit with 5–10 kg well-rotted farmyard manure, 100 g DAP and chlorpyriphos dust for termite control.
• Plant to the same depth the sapling stood at in the nursery, firm the soil well and irrigate immediately.

Spacing depends on whether you want a block plantation or space for intercropping.

• Block plantation: 5 m × 4 m or 5 m × 5 m — about 400–500 plants per hectare.
• For intercropping: 8 m × 2.5 m or 10 m × 2 m (about 500 plants/ha) so crops get enough sunlight.
• Boundary/bund planting: single row at 2–3 m spacing.
• Align rows north–south so the understorey crop receives maximum light.

Poplar is a water-loving tree; the first two years of irrigation matter most.

• Irrigate immediately after planting; then every 3–5 days for the first month.
• Year 1: every 7–10 days in summer, 15–20 days in winter.
• Year 2 onwards: every 12–15 days in summer, 20–30 days in winter.
• After year 3 the irrigation given to the intercrop is usually sufficient.
• Never allow standing water — 2–3 days of waterlogging damages the roots.

Balanced nutrition builds girth faster, and girth is what decides the timber price. Doses are per plant.

• Basal (at planting): 5–10 kg rotted FYM + 100 g DAP per pit.
• Year 1: 100–150 g urea, 100 g DAP, 50 g MOP — split into two doses (March–April and July).
• Years 2–3: 200–300 g urea, 150 g DAP, 100 g MOP per plant per year.
• Year 4 onwards: 300–500 g urea in two splits (pre-monsoon and during monsoon).
• Always apply 30–45 cm away from the trunk, mix into lightly hoed soil, then irrigate.
• For zinc deficiency (small, yellowing leaves) spray 0.5% zinc sulphate.

Poplar sheds its leaves in winter, so rabi crops do very well — this is what keeps annual farm income steady.

• Years 1–3: wheat, mustard, potato, sugarcane, turmeric, berseem, moong and fodder crops give near-normal yields.
• Years 4–6: as shade increases, shift to turmeric, ginger, berseem, oats and other shade-tolerant crops.
• Avoid paddy where the field stays waterlogged for long periods.
• Fertilizer and water given to the intercrop also improve tree growth.
• Leave a 1 m strip along the tree line undisturbed to protect surface roots.

• Weeding: keep the basin weed-free for the first two years with 3–4 hoeings per year.
• Pruning: prune lower branches every December–January — up to one-third of tree height in year 1, increasing gradually, to produce straight knot-free timber.
• Cut flush with the trunk using a clean sharp saw and apply Bordeaux paste on large cuts.
• Termites: treat pits with chlorpyriphos at planting and drench the root zone later if needed.
• Leaf spot / rust: spray copper oxychloride or mancozeb.
• Stem borer: inject chlorpyriphos solution into the hole and plug it with moist clay.
• Fence against grazing animals and stake young plants in the first year to keep them straight.

Early identification and timely control keep small problems from becoming major losses.

• Termites: mix chlorpyriphos dust into the pit before planting; later drench the root zone with 0.05% chlorpyriphos if needed.
• Stem borer: inject insecticide solution into the hole and seal with moist clay; remove severely affected plants.
• Leaf spot / rust: spray 0.2–0.3% copper oxychloride or mancozeb.
• Collar rot / root rot: avoid waterlogging; treat with a fungicide such as carbendazim.
• Defoliating insects: use neem-based sprays or approved bio-pesticides.
• Regular inspection: check plants every 15–20 days and remove diseased leaves and branches promptly.

• Poplar is ready for harvest in 5–7 years; 6 years is typical in North India.
• By then trees reach 20–25 m in height and 90–120 cm girth at breast height.
• Average 0.25–0.40 cubic metres of wood per tree; roughly 150–250 m³ per hectare.
• Best harvesting window is December–February after leaf fall, when moisture content is lowest.
• Fell 15–20 cm above ground level; coppice regrowth is generally not kept — fresh planting gives better returns.
• Timber sells to plywood, matchwood, packing-case and paper industries — thicker logs fetch better rates.