Planting Cumin
Cumin is a warm season herb in the Apiaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Cumin is started indoors 4–6 weeks before your last spring frost date, giving seedlings a head start before they move outside.
Sow Cumin directly into the garden 1–2 weeks after your last frost, once the soil has warmed.
Cumin can be grown by direct sowing and starting indoors. Starting indoors gives the longest, most controlled season, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Cumin room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 4 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 12 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 3 |
| Planting depth | 0.25 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Cumin reaches maturity in 100–120 days from transplant.
Cumin is ready to harvest after about 110 days. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.
Conditions and Care
As a warm-season herb, Cumin needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is frost tender, so wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting out and harvest before the first fall frost.
Cumin needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.25 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Cumin belongs to the Apiaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Cumin is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Growing Notes
Needs a long hot season to set seed.