General Information

  • Category- Herb, drug, Spice
  • Binomial Name- Trachyspermum ammi
  • Common Names-  Ajwain, Jowan, Yamani, Ajwan, Kamun al-mulaki, Bishop’s weed
  • Spread- 12-20 inches
  • Height- 12-20 inches
  • Average Production- NA
  • Days to Maturity- 120-180 days

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Alkaline and well drained
  • Soil Moisture- 20%
  • Soil pH- 6.5-7.5
  • Soil temperature-18 to 32°C
  • Sun Requirements- Full sun/Partial sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Summer or fall (July-August or September-October)

Tips to Grow Ajwain:

Ajwain is generally grown from seeds but it also can be grown by cuttings.

  • Soil should be fertile and well draining. It should be moist but not wet.

From seeds:

  • Arrange good quality of seeds.
  • Directly sow the seeds 1/4 inches deep in the soil or scatter the seeds at the top of the soil.
  • After one or two weeks germination occurs.
  • Once the first true leaves emerge, you can transplant the seedlings.

From cuttings:

  • Arrange good quality of cuttings or tip cuttings.
  • To propagate ajwain from cuttings, take stems that are a few inches long and remove all but the upper two sets of leaves.
  • Add some organic manure in the soil prior planting the cuttings. Bury the stem in soil, with the leaves exposed and water regularly. 
  • Ajwain’s feather-like leaves grow on many branched stems, creating a lovely container plant.
  • After get maturity you can use the leaves or fruit of your plant.
  • Once your Ajwain plant starts to grow fast, you have to cut them on regular basis because they can spread fast.

Chemical Constituents of Ajwain:

  • A volatile oil which contains thymol (30%-40%).
  • After hydro-distillation of the volatile oil of seeds have yielded several compounds- lupeol, linoleic acid, stearic acid, eicosanoic acid etc.

Uses:

  • As a carminative.
  • As a gastro intestinal regulator.
  • As a source of thymol.
  • As a spice.
Spice, Herbs