This hardy perennial grows up to 20 cm in size in the year of sowing. This variety looks a lot like carrots with a long tap root and it fearther-like foliage. The foliage and the roots are entirely edible. In the second year after sowing, the plant grows up to 60 cm in size. It flowers in the second year with white umbrella-like flowers. These flowers provide the carawayseeds. The foliage can be used in salads or added like a herb to soups and stews. The roots of this plant can be cooked like carrots or parsnips.
Outdoor sowing: middle of may - september
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germination temp. : 18 - 22 °C
Sowing depth: 1 - 1½ cm
Plant distance: 15 - 20 cm
Sowing space inbetween rows: 40 cm
Plant position: sunny/well drained/well manured soil
Harvest period foliage: july
Harvest period seeds: in the second year after sowing from july - august
Caraway is always sown outdoors. You can start with sowing from the middle of may, when there's no longer any danger of nightfrost, till the end of september. Caraway needs a sunny plot with well drained and well manured soil. Sow about 1 - 1½ cm deep in rows about 40 cm apart. Cover the seeds with well manured soil and keep the seeds moist during germination. Germination can take up to 3 weeks. Patience is very important when sowing caraway. Keep the soil moist and weedfree during germination.
Thin the seedlings, when they're about 10 cm in size, to 15 - 20 cm apart. The foliage can be harvested in July. The caraway plants that are sown in the Spring flower in the preceding year from May till June. You can then harvest the seeds in July till August. Cut the umbrella-shaped flowers off and hang them upside down above a seed collecting tray. Because this plant produces it's seeds in the second year after sowing, this plant is usually sown together with some annual crop like beans or peas. In the year of sowing caraway resembles carrots a lot with it's fine fearther-like foliage and long tap root. This foliage and the roots are edible too.
