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Herb growing guide
Ajwain is a rabi (winter) seed spice in India, sown after the monsoon and harvested about four to five months later. Its seed is tiny and slow to emerge, so shallow sowing, steady moisture and the right sowing date decide the crop.
Use fresh seed of a known variety. Ajwain seed is very small and low in vigour: in an ICAR study, seed that germinated over 83% in the laboratory gave only 5-7% emergence in the field. Because of this, sow evenly in lines rather than relying on every seed, and mix the seed with fine sand or soil to spread it thinly.
Not needed. There is no hard seed coat to break.
Not needed. Ajwain is sown into cooling post-monsoon soil and needs no cold treatment.
Optional and of limited value. Soaking (hydropriming) for 40-50 hours shortened germination time in the laboratory, to about 66 hours mean germination time at 50 hours of soaking. In the field, however, final emergence and seedling numbers were not significantly better than unsoaked seed. If you soak, sow promptly into moist soil.
Ajwain germinates best in moderate temperatures; seed is tested at 25 °C (77 °F). Researchers in Gujarat note that high temperatures in October and November can harm germination and establishment, which is why the sowing date matters so much.
Sow very shallowly and cover with only a thin layer of fine soil. With seed this small, deep sowing or a crusted surface is a common cause of failure.
Well-drained loamy or loamy-sand soils. Ajwain is a dryland crop and needs less fertiliser and water than most rabi crops, but the seedbed must be fine and level.
Keep the surface moist until emergence. In field practice this usually means 2-3 light irrigations between sowing and emergence. In pots, mist rather than flood.
Cover lightly; the young crop needs an open, sunny position.
Field emergence takes about 13-15 days in ICAR trials; across varieties evaluated in Karnataka, days to germination ranged from 11 to 18.5.
Not usual. Ajwain is direct-sown in lines; in pots, sow where the plant will grow and thin rather than moving seedlings.
Rows about 45 cm (18 in) apart are standard. In Gujarat trials, 45 x 10 cm (18 x 4 in) gave the highest seed yield; a Karnataka variety trial used a wider 45 x 30 cm (18 x 12 in), which suits home beds where each plant should branch freely. The crop compensates well, so a patchy stand can still yield.
In north Gujarat, sowing on 20 October gave the highest seed yield and returns. In southern Telangana, much earlier sowing, on 1 September, gave the best yield (11.96 q/ha) and yield fell as sowing moved toward October. Ask your local KVK for the date that suits your zone.
Ajwain needs little fertiliser. Gujarat trials applied 20 kg N and 10 kg P per hectare, half the nitrogen at sowing and the rest at 35 days. Too much nitrogen is not needed for a home crop.
Flowering (50%) comes about 86-110 days after sowing and seed matures in about 131-155 days, depending on variety.
About 2.5 kg of seed per hectare sown in lines; for a home bed a pinch of seed per metre of row is enough.
Sow ajwain after the monsoon for your own fragrant carom seeds.
As a rabi crop after the monsoon. Best dates vary by region: 20 October in north Gujarat trials, but 1 September in southern Telangana. Hot weather at sowing harms germination.
The seed is tiny and low in vigour; in an ICAR trial, seed with over 83% lab germination gave under 7% field emergence. Sow shallowly, keep the surface moist, and the crop compensates by branching.
No. Ajwain seeds come from Trachyspermum ammi, a carrot-family herb. The thick, fragrant 'ajwain leaf' or Indian borage is Coleus amboinicus, a mint-family plant.
