Cumin cultivation

What is cumin?

Cumin is a perennial plant in the umbrella family also called Anise, and everyone knows that it is a fragrant, irreplaceable spice. Both young greens and its roots are added both to salads and to main dishes. Growing caraway seeds in the open field presupposes the observance of some rules, which we will talk about in more detail.

In addition, cumin goes well with meat (especially beef and lamb). It is even used in alcoholic beverage production.

Cumin is part of the curry spice. And it also grows in forests and meadows. In general, there are more than 25 different types of caraway, but the main ones are: green, black and ordinary.

For spices, a two-year-old common caraway is grown, it sometimes grows in height 1-1.5m, its stems are very tough, umbrellas with seeds are similar to dill. Seeds are elongated, they are used as a seasoning in a ground form. So its seeds are also medicinal.

Its essential oil is an antiseptic, and it is also used for aromatizing drugs. Cumin is used for constipation, to improve the digestive system. Cumin is actively used in folk medicine, and sometimes in veterinary medicine. And cold-pressed black cumin oil is even used for weight loss.

Growing cumin from seeds in the open field

Caraway seeds are grown from seeds; they can even be bought at the pharmacy. The germination of caraway seeds lasts up to three years. But the seeds germinate very slowly because they contain a lot of essential oil. Initially, the seeds need to be soaked in water for a day, then hold them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for up to half an hour, and rinse with water - this will disinfect the seeds. After all this, the seeds can be sown into the soil, into grooves a couple of centimeters deep, and the row spacing should be at least 30 apart.

When growing caraway seeds, the distance between seeds in one groove should be at least five cm. If you sow caraway seeds for the winter, then it must be insulated with peat. Caraway begins to sprout in two weeks. It must be thinned out so that there is a distance of at least 20 cm between the plants. Water the cumin should be moderate, the ground should always be slightly damp, but there should not be an excess of moisture.

There should not be a single weed in the garden bed, otherwise it will drown out young caraway plants. It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil for oxygen to enter it. In the first year of growth, caraway seeds need feeding. You can harvest the crop even when the lower leaves begin to dry out, but the seeds ripen unevenly, and they are harvested when the umbrellas with seeds begin to turn brown. The stems need to be cut 5-7 cm from the ground with a pruner or knife.

You need to cut it either early in the morning or late in the evening to keep it cool. Because if you cut the stems in the heat, then all the essential oils will quickly evaporate. When grown from seeds in open ground, caraway easily tolerates frosts, and if in winter it is not more than -25 degrees, then you do not need to cover it, but if the temperature is lower, then it must be insulated a little to protect it from freezing.

You need to plant cumin in a well-lit place, then it will grow well and quickly, but in the shade it will grow very slowly, and most likely it will not bloom in the second year. Caraway does not like stagnant moisture very much, therefore, it should be planted in a high bed, the main thing is to regularly water and loosen moderately.