On my last visit to my native in Odisha I had the chance to visit a nearby village, Chandanpur. A very small village but very famous for it’s betel leaf or what is popularly known as Pan. The village is famous for it’s tasty betel leafs and even sends them outside the state of Odisha.
The betel leaf (Piper betle) plant is an evergreen and perennial vine and has a reputation to be very a sensitive plant. I had the opportunity to visit on of the plantations and take some photographs and get some details from the owner. So, here you go….
The enclosure that you see is where the betel leaf plant is grown. The enclosure is typically made of bamboo and covered from all sides by mats made out of coconut leafs. If you are just starting to wonder why are they growing on a small mountain like structure, hold on. I’ll explain.
Here is the entry to the enclosure. A typical enclosure is of 1500-2000 sft in size. Inside the enclosure there are rows of thin bamboo sticks meant to support the betel plant vine.
Each stick will support a single vine and as the plant grows it will be meticulously entwined on the bamboo stick. It takes roughly a year for the plant to grow and start yielding. However a plant can keep yielding for many years, roughly 20-25 years. amazing, isn’t it ??
The mountain like structure you saw in one of the pics above is formed because of top soil addition which is added every year. The enclosure is first made at ground level , however with passing time/years, top soil/ash is added to the roots of the plant almost covering the base resulting in a mound or this mountain like structure.
Amazing! First time I saw how the plant is grown in farms.
I would like to ahve one plant at home. Hope to get one in the near future.
respected madam
i wanted to know following few information if you can help me.
1. is pan growers are from particular cast (name the cast of the growers)
2. few address of cultivators
3. if there is some organization of pan growers plese send name and address
thanking you
vinod kumar
sir
we are from kolkata.we are mainly farmer of pan.we want to supply our product (bangala pan)other state.if any body can any source for us, we have to success our planetions. if any order of regular please mail me at atashi.ar.embroidery@gmail.com
Raja,
Very nice blog you have! It’s fascinating to read about someone attempting organic gardening in the city. I’d love to try more gardening myself, but suffer from a lack of balcony space.
I’ve left a comment to your questions on my blog…click on over to read when you have a chance.
Best,
Morgan
Hi, thank you for sharing about the plantations. I’ve read a couple of your posts and meaning to enjoy your earlier posts too. Your blog is wonderful!
my com
I want to share more information from my daily life. Betel leaf is very useful to cure various diseases. Betel plant is a plant that is shaped like a heart and has a line in the middle leaf and betel leaf is famous for its properties that can cure various illnesses, from nose bleeds (bleeding from the nose) until the diarrhea and sore teeth. Take one sheet of betel leaf and then roll out while in the press for its oil and then use to clog the nose or nose bleeds.
Hi raja… interesting write & snaps about Betel leaf growing. Hope you are well, since ithere are no updates since Jan. Regards, Arjun
Hey, thats cool! Organic farming fascinates me. Good to know that you try your hand at it. In the current scenario where pesticides pollute and harm the environment, organic farming is the only saving grace. Any it is quite a profitable business as well!
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7741396/5_gardening_blogs_you_should_read.html?cat=32