Caraway impresses with its aromatic seeds and their healing power. We show you how to grow it in your own garden.

Caraway is an umbellifer and an insect magnet

In the days of Charlemagne, caraway (Carum carvi) was used as a medicinal plant for digestive problems and as an antispasmodic. It is well known that caraway was used in the preparation of dishes even earlier - it has been proven that the first gourmets seasoned with caraway seeds as early as around 2000 years ago. As a representative of the umbelliferae (Apiaceae), caraway is related to other sizes from the kitchen garden such as dill (Anethum graveolens) or fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). Originally from southern Europe and the Near East, the natural distribution of caraway now extends across Europe, from Siberia to China. We'll show you how you can let the two-year-old umbellifers thrive in your own garden.

Growing caraway - step by step

  • Location: Unlike most Mediterranean herbs, caraway does not thrive in well-drained, well drained soil. Moist, loamy soil in a sunny to semi-shady location is the best habitat for the umbelliferae. The pH value should be relatively high at 6.0 - 7.5. Anyone who cannot offer caraway the best garden soil can use a high-quality compost soil such as our Plantura organic compost soil. Other Apiaceae such as carrots, fennel or dill should be kept at a distance in the neighborhood due to intolerance. Before growing cumin again in the same place, it is advisable to take a five-year break from cultivation. In principle, caraway can of course also be grown in containers - a substrate with the above-mentioned properties is also recommended. When choosing a container, it should also be noted that caraway seeds develop a taproot that is about 15 cm long - so the pot should be deep enough.
  • Propagation: The real caraway is propagated by sowing. It takes about three weeks for the umbelliferae to germinate at average temperatures of 20 °C. Covering with too thick a layer of substrate can prevent the germination of theLight germs obviously more difficult. If you want to sow directly outdoors, this can be done from April. Of course, caraway can also be grown on the windowsill and exposed as a young plant in May. In this case, sowing can begin as early as February. If the biennial plant is allowed to flower off in its place in the second year, it will self-sow on the spot and germinate the following spring. Due to the recommended break in cultivation, however, this is not advisable - so simply remove the umbels in order to harvest the coveted caraway seeds.
Caraway forms flowers and seeds in the second year that can be harvested
  • Combined cultivation: Caraway is a so-called biennial plant. In the year of sowing, it just grows without much benefit. Through the winter, a biennial plant experiences a stimulus and blooms in the second year. After that she dies. Incidentally, caraway blossoms in May and June. Since in the first year the area is blocked by the caraway, so to speak, without being able to harvest anything, various combined cultivation systems with other plant species are common practice in commercial cultivation. These can also be transferred to the home garden. Thus, caraway can also only be sown in July or August after the harvest of a previous crop. Cultivation with so-called cover crops such as maize is also popular. The cover crop overgrows the caraway in the first year, but is also harvested in the year of sowing. In the second year, the caraway can then claim the entire area for itself. As a rule, these combined cultivation systems come at the expense of development and vigour, and thus also to the detriment of the caraway yield.
  • Watering and fertilizing: The balanced water supply of the caraway is very important. Even during short periods of drought, it is essential to water immediately, even when cultivating in beds. The nutrient supply is sufficient if some organic material such as manure or compost is worked into the soil a few weeks before sowing when preparing the seedbed. This can be repeated in early spring of the second year, allowing the biennial to emerge stronger from winter dormancy.
  • Harvest: In addition to the caraway seeds, the leaves of the biennial plant can also be used as a substitute for dill or parsley in the kitchen. The fine leaves can easily be cut until flowering occurs in the second year. If too much foliage is removed,However, this weakens the plant considerably and leads to a lower caraway seed yield. In order to get to the spicy-hot caraway seeds, you have to let the plant flower off in the second year. In July, the inflorescences turn brown - then the time for harvesting has come. The whole plants can simply be cut off, because the caraway would die anyway. At the same time, the underground taproot could be harvested. It has a subtle taste of caraway and can be cooked as a vegetable.
Caraway seeds can easily be dried and stored in the dark for several years
  • Storage: After the harvest, the caraway inflorescences are first dried for a few days. This makes it easier to get to the seeds, which can then be stored in an airtight container without any problems. Thanks to the previous drying, they don't start to mold either.

In order to be able to harvest spicy and hot caraway seeds, watering is particularly important. This article will tell you how to water and harvest cumin correctly.

Category:

Herbs