Caraway [Carum carvi]

The biennial caraway is a versatile and traditional medicinal and spice plant. It has valuable ingredients with a distinctive, characteristic taste. It has a digestive, antispasmodic and antimicrobial effect. Ideal for direct sowing, pot culture possible, sowing spring-summer, good for mixed culture, harvesting roots, seeds and leaves.

 Description 
Caraway is a biennial medicinal plant with a long tradition that originates from Europe and is one of the oldest spices and medicinal plants that has been known to the Egyptians and Arabs for 5,000 years. Today, the plant is also used as a medicinal plant in modern phytotherapy. The plant forms long, feathery leaves and, in addition to its valuable ingredients, has a distinctive, characteristic taste. The fresh leaves are used, the carrot-like roots as cooked vegetables and the seeds as the typical spice, from which an oil can also be made. Due to its digestive, antispasmodic and antimicrobial effects, caraway is often used as a tea or oil and is also suitable as a mouthwash.

 General information 
Plant family: Apiaceae
Life cycle: Biennial
Days to harvest: 100 days
Plant height approx.: 100 cm
Root type: Deep rooter
Nutrient requirements: Low
Water requirements: Medium
Winter hardiness: Up to -15°C
Location: Sunny until semi shady
Soil: Permeable, slightly loamy, humus

pH value: 6 to 7.5

 Sowing and planting information 
Germination type: Dark germinator
Sowing depth: 2-3 cm
Optimal germination temperature: 15-20 °C
Germination time: 7-30 days
Plant and row spacing: 30x30 cm

Germination ability of seeds: 2-3 years

 Mixed culture 
Optimal mixed culture: Potato
Unfavorable mixed culture: Celery, Parsley, Lovage, Dill, Parsnip, Fennel, Carrot, Chervil

 Sowing by climate zone 
Subtropic climate (Mediterranean) (e. g. B. Portugal, Spain, Italy)
We recommend direct sowing from February to April or in autumn from September to October. The plants are best placed in a sunny to partially shaded location.
Moderate climate (e. g. B. Germany, Switzerland, Poland)
Direct sowing from March to June is recommended. The plants should ideally be placed in a sunny location.

 General recommendations 
Direct sowing is recommended. After germination, thin out the plants to the specified plant spacing.
Caraway ideally prefers a soil that is moist, permeable, moderately nutrient-rich, and contains humus and some clay. It does not tolerate waterlogging.

 Additional tips 
Caraway requires a four-year break in cultivation to counteract an imbalance of nematodes in the soil. In order to quickly obtain a fine, crumbly and permeable soil with good nutrient and water retention capacity, additional incorporation of biochar and primary rock flour is recommended.

 Type of propagation 
Propagation occurs via seeds.

 Plant care 
Regular watering is necessary for stable growth. No fertilization necessary.

 Other names 
Botanical names: Carum carvi
English names: Caraway, Persian cumin, Meridian fennel
German names: Echter Kümmel, Wiesen-Kümmel, Gemeiner Kümmel
Portuguese names: Alcaravia
Spanish names: Semillas de alcaravea
French names: Cumin des Prés, Cumin de Hollande, Anis des Vosges

 Origin 
Country: Germany