Intercropping in a Young Red Sandalwood Plantation
In the wide-spaced early years, the ground between trees can be used, carefully. What works, and what to watch.
Published 2026-01-24, Updated 2026-06-15, By Shree Editorial Desk
Quick answerBecause red sandalwood is planted at wide spacing to allow decades of growth, the ground between young trees is largely open in the early years, and can sometimes support intercrops. Done carefully, intercropping can improve soil, provide interim ground cover, and make use of the land while the trees mature. Done carelessly, it competes with young trees for water and nutrients and can introduce pest pressure. This article explains the honest trade-offs; whether any intercropping happens on a given plantation is a management decision, not a promise of extra income.
Why there’s room at all
Managed spacing (around 100 trees per acre) leaves substantial open ground in the first years before the canopy closes. That space is what makes early intercropping physically possible.
Potential benefits
Ground cover that reduces erosion on red-soil sites.
Soil improvement from suitable legume crops.
Productive use of land during the long establishment period.
The real cautions
Intercrops compete with young red sandalwood for water and nutrients, the very things the trees need most in years 1 to 3, and can attract pests. Any intercropping must protect the primary crop first; the trees are the investment, not the intercrop.
Set expectations honestly
Intercropping, where practised, is a soil and land-use decision, not a guaranteed income stream, treat any claim of significant intercrop returns with caution. See our methodology and maintenance pages for how the primary crop is prioritised.
SH
Shree Editorial Desk
Shree Properties & Projects, editorial
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