How to Grow Cardamom
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a perennial tropical plant that needs very specific conditions in order to grow. Cardamom seeds are ground to make a spice for flavoring various dishes. To grow cardamom plants, you must provide consistent warm temperatures and humidity. The ideal place to grow cardamom is in a climate-controlled greenhouse, but you can also grow it in a warm, humid bathroom. Cardamom is extremely cold-tender and cannot tolerate any fluctuations in its environment, making successful growing quite challenging. Cardamom is usually grown from cuttings of parent plants, because the seed pods that are harvested commercially are picked before they mature and won’t germinate.
Plant your cardamom in a 10- to 15-inch planter pot that has drainage holes in the bottom. Plant the cardamom in a rich, all-purpose potting mix.
- Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a perennial tropical plant that needs very specific conditions in order to grow.
- The ideal place to grow cardamom is in a climate-controlled greenhouse, but you can also grow it in a warm, humid bathroom.
Place your cardamom plant in a shady spot away from direct sunlight. Maintain steady air temperatures around the plant of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, but no cooler than 72 degrees.
Water the cardamom plant each day lightly with warm distilled water or rainwater to keep the potting mix moist at all times. Mist the plant daily with the warm water to keep the humidity high.
Feed your cardamom plant once every two weeks during the growing season with a high-nitrogen, low-potassium houseplant fertilizer. Apply the liquid fertilizer according to the instructions on the label when watering.
Tip
Instead of misting the cardamom plant daily, you can also place a drainage saucer filled with water and pebbles beneath the planter pot to maintain high humidity. Ensure that the pot is sitting on top of the pebbles and not in the water.
Warning
Avoid temperature or humidity fluctuations. The cardamom plant will quickly turn brown and even die if it’s exposed to slight, sudden temperature changes.
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Tips
- Instead of misting the cardamom plant daily, you can also place a drainage saucer filled with water and pebbles beneath the planter pot to maintain high humidity. Ensure that the pot is sitting on top of the pebbles and not in the water.
Warnings
- Avoid temperature or humidity fluctuations. The cardamom plant will quickly turn brown and even die if it's exposed to slight, sudden temperature changes.
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Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals.
