Cuminum cyminum
Cumin
Common names: Roman cumin
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 10 cm, rows 25 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Aug–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 5 °C
- Water need
- Low
Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Cumin, botanically Cuminum cyminum, is the spice of Oriental, Indian and Mexican cuisine. As a plant it is a delicate, annual member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), 20 to 40 cm tall, with very fine, thread-like leaves. In July and August small white to pink flowers open in umbels. It originates from the eastern Mediterranean region and the Near East and thrives in warmth and sun. An honest assessment: it needs about four months of warmth until the seeds ripen. In our climate, seeds therefore only mature in warm summers, while in cool or wet years the harvest is small or fails entirely. It most likely succeeds in a sunny south-facing spot or in a tub on a warm balcony. The seeds taste warm, earthy and slightly bitter. They season falafel, hummus, curries, lentils and chili, and taste quite different from the caraway used for bread and cabbage.
Care instructions
Give cumin the warmest, sunniest place you have: a south-facing bed in front of a house wall, or a tub on the balcony. Pre-cultivate the plants in individual pots from early April and plant them out after the Ice Saints, in mid-May (calendar week 20), with 10 cm between plants in rows 25 cm apart. Water only during prolonged drought, preferably in the morning, because wet leaves and dense planting encourage fungal infection. No fertilizer is needed. Harvest when the umbels are brown and the fruits are yellowish-brown, ideally in September. Cut the stems, dry them upside down in a paper bag to finish drying, and rub out the seeds. Briefly toast them in a dry pan before grinding, which makes their aroma stronger. If the summer stays cool and wet, the seeds often do not fully ripen. This is due to the weather, not to the gardener.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestAug–Sep
FloweringJul–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 15 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, sandy, loamy
Cumin needs loose, warm and well-drained soil, ideally sandy loam that warms up quickly in spring. The pH can range from neutral to slightly chalky. Heavy, cold or wet soil holds the plants back and encourages fungal diseases. On such soils you are better off using a container with free-draining herb compost. Loosen the soil thoroughly before planting, because the thin taproot only penetrates loose soil.
Feeding
Light feeder
Cumin needs no fertiliser. Too much food makes the plants soft and ripening later, and ripening is precisely the bottleneck in Central Europe. In normal garden soil and in fresh herb compost in a container, it finds enough.
Overwintering
Cumin is an annual and turns brown with the first cool autumn weather; overwintering is not worthwhile. If the umbels are not yet dry by the end of September, cut the stems before the first frost and hang them upside down in a paper bag in a warm, airy place so nothing is lost. You get your own seed from ripe umbels and store it dry and dark.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate cumin only from seed. Because the plants need around four months of warmth to ripen, you start them indoors: from early April, sow 3 to 4 seeds per individual pot, cover them thinly with soil and place them bright on the windowsill at 20 to 25 °C. They germinate after one to two weeks. Do not prick out; the fine roots do not like it, so it is better to snip off surplus seedlings. After the Ice Saints in mid-May (week 20), plant the pots with their root balls in the bed or container. Direct sowing from mid-May in a very warm spot is possible, but risky in Central Europe.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
Umbellifers and alliums confuse each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
For example GarlicOnionLeekChivesWild daffodilRocambole and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
daisy family (Asteraceae)
Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.
For example Head lettuceFrench marigoldCalendulaSunflowerButterhead lettuceCommon coneflower and 73 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
legume family (Fabaceae)
Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.
For example PeaBush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled pea and 36 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Cumin yourself
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