Growing cardamom at home is the way to create tropics on the windowsill
To arrange an oasis of beauty in your home, it is enough to ennoble it with greenery. Growing cardamom at home is an affordable way to achieve your goal. First, let's take a closer look at an exotic plant. And then, let's figure out the secrets of its cultivation.
Interestingly, cardamom is considered a fairly popular spice. In value it is second only to saffron and aromatic vanilla. It is widely used in cooking, medicine and as a fragrant agent.
The main characteristics of the plant
The peculiarity of the plant is fleshy roots and two types of stems. One of them is called false. It rapidly reaches to the top and foliage grows on it. Another escape is considered real. There are no leaf plates on it, but during the flowering period, buds appear, collected in dense brushes.
If you take a closer look at how the cardamom grows, you can see the next leaves located on thin petioles. The length of the plate reaches 60 cm, the width is about 8. If the leaf is slightly kneaded, it exudes a pleasant aroma, for which it is highly appreciated. And when buds appear on the shoot, their colors are simply amazing. One of the snow-white petals has a patterned purple base located in the center of the bud. The rest of the petals are green. This combination causes unprecedented delight among lovers of greenery.
When the flowering period ends, fruits appear in the form of small bolls. Each of them contains many seeds that are used for plant propagation and as a spice in cooking.
When choosing a permanent place for a plant in the house, you should take into account the amount of diffused light. At the same time, the flower does not like direct sunlight. In critical situations, it is necessary to create an artificial shadow over the plant.
Growing cardamom at home using seeds
In order for a unique tropical flowerpot to appear in the house, you need to make very little effort. To begin with, select the soil that best suits the plant. Since the homeland of the flower is tropical forests, it means that the land there is always wet. It is best to grow cardamom at home in an acidic soil rich in humus. If it is not possible to prepare such a soil, you can buy it in the store.
Next, the planting material is examined. If it is in seed pods, it is difficult to determine its quality. Therefore, for growing cardamom at home, take ready-made seeds, preferably large ones. The next step is to make small grooves in the prepared soil, where the planting material is lowered. Then operations are performed:
- the seeds are gently covered with earth, kneading it in the hands;
- watered with a spray bottle;
- covered with polyethylene;
- carried to a warm room.
After completing these points, it is not at all difficult to grow cardamom from seeds at home on a windowsill.
The seeds are planted in the ground to a depth that is twice the width of the seed.
Since under natural conditions the flower grows in the tropical zone, where the temperature reaches 35 ° C and a high level of humidity, the seedlings need to create similar conditions. As soon as they appear above the ground, the containers are taken to a room with a temperature of at least 28 ° C. In addition, they need regular soil moisture.
At first, the plant needs scattered lighting, which you can create for him yourself.
Basic rules for caring for a tropical guest
When the sprouts are a little stronger, they need to be provided with competent care. Otherwise, they will weaken and die. So, let's look at a simple instruction on how to grow cardamom from seeds at home.
Moderate watering
Like other indoor flowers, a tropical guest needs regular soil moisture. To do this, you need to monitor her condition so that she does not dry out. It is best to do this in the evenings, gently spraying moisture over the tender sprouts. However, overflow should be avoided, otherwise the fleshy roots will rot. In the summer, the procedure is done regularly. And in winter, you should be careful, since the plant does not need a lot of moisture.
Room temperature
The plant grows wonderfully at an optimum temperature of about 25 ° C during the summer. In winter, when it is in the so-called hibernation, 15 ° C is enough for it. During this period, all processes of cardamom are suspended, and it practically does not develop.
The plant should not be grown in drafts, as it will constantly hurt and possibly die prematurely.
Timely feeding
While the sprouts are still small, the soil contains enough useful elements, so it does not need to be fertilized. But over time, when the plant takes root, it makes sense to feed. In spring and summer, any fertilizers, which are used for vegetables in the garden. The procedure is repeated every 3 weeks, as a result, the flower glows with greenery throughout the season.
Transplantation is a mandatory procedure
With proper care, cardamom shoots and grows quickly enough. Therefore, every season (once a year), he needs a transplant. For this, gardeners prepare the soil from humus (2 parts), sand (1 part) and sod soil (2 parts). The mixture is placed in a pot, at the bottom of which there is a layer of expanded clay or broken brick. Then a seedling is placed in it, watered and placed in a place where there is a lot of diffused light. A week later, a pretty guest from the tropics will turn green on the window, from whom it is difficult to look away. Why not have a flower like this?
To propagate cardamom by cuttings, you need to cut off its top, put it in water and wait for the roots to appear. After that, the plant is planted in soil.