General Information

  • Category- Fruit, Herb, drug, spice
  • Binomial Name- Elettaria cardamomum
  • Common Names- Green or True cardamom
  • Spread- 24-36 inches
  • Height- 70-120 inches
  • Average Production- 2-3 kg per plant
  • Days to Maturity- 1095-1825 days

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Deep black loam
  • Soil Moisture- 20%
  • Soil pH- 5.5-6.5
  • Sun Requirements- Partial sun
  • Soil temperature-18 to 32°C
  • Best Time to Plant- Summer (Mach-April)

Tips to Grow Cardamom:

  1. Arrange good quality of cardamom seeds.
  2. Soil should be fertile and well draining. It should be moist but not wet.
  3. Sow the seeds 1\8 inch deep and 1 inch apart in the soil. The cardamom should germinate after about 30 to 45 days.
  4. Leave the seedlings in the container until you see at least 2 leaves on the seedlings. It will take around 90 days for the seedlings to become large enough to transplant.
  5. Transplant seedlings in well drained soil and in partial shade. Plant your seedlings 1.5 inches deep in soil and surround the seedling root with dirt.
  6. Spread some organic fertilizer with high phosphorus content around the cardamom plants twice a month during main growing season in summer. We can add aged manure or compost once in a year.
  7. Wait until plants grow to 6-10 feet in height. It may take 3-5 years to harvest the cardamom fruits.
  8. When cardamom seeds begin to dry out a little pull them individually by hand. Cardamom is harvested 5 or 6 times throughout 1 harvest year. Wait 35 to 45 days in between each picking, so more of the cardamom can ripen.

Chemical Constituents of Cardamom:

  • The active constituent of the volatile oil is cineole. Other aromatic compounds present are terpinyl acetate, terpineol, borneol, terpinene, etc.
  • The seeds contain 3 to 6% of volatile oil along with fixed oil, salts of potassium, a coloring principle, nitrogenous mucilage, an acrid resin, starch, ligneous fibre, and ash.

Uses:

  • Cardamom is used as an aromatic, carminative, stimulant, stomachic, expectorant, diaphoretic, digestive, appetizer, and flavouring agent.
  • It is used in the treatment of respiratory disorders like asthma, bronchitis, cough, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, headache, diarrhea, colds.
  • It is uses as a spice in cooking.
Herbs, Spice