Growing your own herb garden can be a rewarding experience. Having fresh herbs available is a way to guarantee your dinner will be full of flavor and healthy every night. If you are thinking about expanding your herb garden you may be wondering how to grow fenugreek.
Fenugreek is an annual plant that has become very popular in the gardens of herb lovers across the world. Fenugreek is a herb that is native to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, and western Asia. These seeds are widely known and used for its medicinal purposes, spice, cosmetics, and cooking. It has been in use for thousands of years both by the Chinese and the Europeans for treatment for skin ailments and many other health diseases. It also has become a household spice and they are commonly found also in some soaps and shampoos. First time gardeners who are wondering how to grow fenugreek are rarely disappointed with their results. It’s so easy to grow, which makes it the perfect beginner’s plant.
As mentioned above, fenugreek is an annual plant. This means that it only grows for one season and won’t return the following year (unless you plant more seeds). Fenugreek is one of the easiest herbs to grow, so it won’t be too much work to plant more every year.
If you are ready to expand your herb garden and want to know how to grow fenugreek, then you have come to the right place. I am going to go over some tips that will help you not only grow the most luscious fenugreek plants in your neighborhood but also making it sure that we make it a fruitful and healthy plant. This includes fenugreek growth stages, sprouting fenugreek seeds, fenugreek companion plants, and other must know tips.
What To Know About Planting Fenugreek Seeds
A lot of seeds can be planted in pods indoors prior to planting. When it comes to growing fenugreek seeds that extra step isn’t necessary. Plant your seeds exactly where you plan on growing them because most fenugreek plants don’t survive to transplant.
Before you can get any grow any of these seeds, you need to procure them first. It’s most likely that you will need to purchase these seeds yourself. These seeds are commonly found in Indian grocery stores or an herb shop since they are also widely used for Indian curries and for other medicinal practices.
Tip: If you want to speed up the germination process you should soak your seeds overnight before planting them.
Where Should You Plant Fenugreek
First time planters who are learning how to grow fenugreek are always wondering where the best spot is to plant their seeds. You can plant them either indoors or outside.
If you want to plant them inside you can begin this anytime. It is important for your plant that you get a container that drains wells. Other than that your fenugreek plant is not very picky. It has shallow roots so as long as your container is a minimum of 6 inches you will be able to grow a nice fenugreek plant. Just make sure you put it in a nice sunny spot.
Fenugreek plants are not comfortable with transplanting. So find a spot where it will grow to maturity without it any interruption of transplanting them, but if you really need to transplant them, try using a biodegradable pot that you can plant to the ground later on.
When it comes to growing outdoors, your soon to be fenugreek needs a nice sunny spot to call home. It can handle a few hours of shade in the afternoon though. Make sure you wait until the last frost has passed because fenugreek plants can’t survive in the cold temperatures.
What Kind Of Soil You Will Need
As long as the soil that these seeds are planted in is well-draining this plant will do just fine. Make sure you water you plant enough to keep the soil damp, but don’t over-do it! Fenugreek seeds love moist soil, for that goal in mind and if you are planning to plant it in your garden, you have to tilt the soil, to make sure that the water can easily drain away better. At least breakdown 25cm of soil and add some organic material or manure to help the soil fertilize better.
Did you know that fenugreek plants have a high nitrogen level? This means that they can improve the quality of poor soil that they are planted in. If you have old soil in your garden, plant a bunch of fenugreek seeds. Your soil will be ready to grow healthy plants again the following summer.
The ideal soil for the planting of fenugreek plants should have a pH of 6.4, but anything between 6.0 to 7.0 pH is generally satisfactory also, so test the solid first before planting any seeds. Checking and attaining the ideal soil pH will ensure that your fenugreek plant will attain its maximum productivity. Fenugreek plants also thrive in warm soil, so the best time to plant the fenugreek seeds is some time around spring to early autumn.
Make sure that your soil is weeded out before you start planting the fenugreek seeds. Weeding your soil while the fenugreek seeds are already planted will disturb the fenugreek roots also.
Who Are The Fenugreek Companion Plants
Every plant grows to the best of their ability when they are planted beside one of their companion plants. A fenugreek plant can grow just fine on it’s own, but there are other plants that rely on their nitrogen to thrive.
What plants want a bit of fenugreek’s help to reach their full potential?
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Brassicas
- Lavender
- Sage
- Basil
- Chives
Now that we know who the fenugreek companion plants are, it’s time to learn which one to stay away from. The plant you will want to avoid playing near fenugreek are alliums since they don’t require very much nitrogen. Other than that, you can plant this herb beside any plant!
What Do You Need To Know About Fenugreek Growth Stages?
Growing fenugreek is so easy even a kindergarten student can do it! There are still important things to know about fenugreek growth stages though.
- Consider soaking the fenugreek seeds overnight before planting to further increase its germination rate. Place the fenugreek seeds in a bowl or cup and fill it with water and drain it in the morning. The water’s temperature should be room temperature.
- To be able to start the germination process, you will have to water the seeds. When watering the fenugreek plant make sure that the plants are evenly watered, and make sure to remove the excess water quickly. Make sure that the soil is evenly moist.
- It is important that you give your fenugreek plants 8-18 inches spacing so they can reach full growth.
- Cover the fenugreek seeds with soil. The ideal depth should be at 5cm or 1/4th inch.
- Fenugreek seeds begin to sprout really quickly and are usually seen within 3-5 days!
- Can you believe the plants are ready to harvest in only 2-3 weeks? You’ll be eating tastier food in no time!
- Fenugreek plants grow up to 2 feet tall. They grow 3 green leaves that look very similar to clovers. Mature plants get little white flowers buds as well to make your garden look even prettier.
- When you harvest leaves of your fenugreek plant during the growing season, new ones return within a few days.
What About Sprouting Fenugreek Seeds?
If you like eating sprouts, it’s very easy to start sprouting fenugreek seeds. Soak your fenugreek seeds to get those sprouts started. They are actually very healthy! What are some of the health benefits of fenugreek sprouts?
- Relieves acid
- Lowers blood sugar
- Helps digestion
- Lower cholesterol
A lot of people toss a few fenugreek seeds in their salad to get the most of these benefits.
What Pests Do You Need To Be Cautious Of?
You will need to keep a watch put for white mildew and charcoal rot when you grow fenugreek. If you make an effort to avoid over watering your plants then these diseases should not be an issue for you.
The only pest that will cause you problems for your plants are aphids. Aphids are little sap-sucking insects that like the taste of fenugreek. Use pesticides to keep these nasty guys away from your crops.
Final Thoughts
If you are thinking about starting your very first garden then this is one plant you are destined to find success with. Now that you have learned how to grow fenugreek, you can have your own supply in under a month. Make sure your plant gets plenty of sun and a healthy dose of water. Don’t be shy on planting a few extra seeds to liven up old soil for next year too!
What is your favorite dish to make with fenugreek? Let us know in the comments below.
