Planting time

The crop is planted with onset of monsoon in May -June 

Planting materials

The plant is seed propagated.Seeds are formed usually during Feb-april.Seeds are collected when they are ripe and fall down.They are sown after soaking in water for 12 hrs on the prepared bed .Seeds germinate with in 20 days.The seeds are then planted in polybogs.2 month old seedlings from the polybags are used for transplanting .Airlayering in ashoka is found successful.Coir pith composte is the best root media.June -july is the ideal time for air layering 

planting method

Square shaped pits of 60cm depth are taken at 3 m spacing and filled with topsoil ,sand and dried cowdung .2 month old seedlings are then transplanted 

Fertilizer application

• FYM at the rate of 2 kg/tree/year is applied twice: first in May–June while filling the pits and again in October–November at the time of second weeding.
• Chemical fertilizers are not applied.

weed control

• First weeding is done one month after planting second weeding in the month of october-november and the third weeding is done in December.

Harvesting

Asoka can be cut after 20 years for collection of bark,medicinally usefull part.It is cut at aheight of 15 cm from soil level.If irrigation and fertilizers are given the stump will produce new shoots and it can be harvested again after 5 years .Alternatively,the bark can be collected without cutting down the tree.The bark is peeled off first ,vertically from one side of the main trunk.The excised area is renewed with fresh bark in 1-2years .Then the bark on the other side can be peeled off.The process can be countinued over years.