How to Grow Caraway From Seed

Caraway is a biennial, so it grows leaves and roots the first year and flowers and sets seed the second. Sow it outdoors in early spring once the soil can be worked, or in late summer for a crop that overwinters and blooms the following year. It grows a taproot and dislikes being moved, so direct-sow it right where it will grow rather than starting it indoors. In colder zones a spring sowing is the safest bet, since young plants need to be established before winter.

Pick a sunny spot with loose, well-drained soil. Sow the seeds about a half inch deep and keep the surface evenly moist, since caraway can be slow and uneven to germinate, often taking 1 to 3 weeks. Thin the seedlings to about 8 to 12 inches apart once they are a few inches tall so each plant has room. In its first year caraway forms a low rosette of feathery, carrot-like leaves; in its second year it sends up flower stalks topped with flat white umbels that ripen into the aromatic seeds.

Caraway is easygoing once established. Give it about an inch of water a week and let the soil surface dry slightly between waterings. It is not a heavy feeder, so skip rich fertilizer, which pushes soft, floppy growth. Working a little life into the soil at planting is the one thing that pays off, helping the deep taproot find water and nutrients so plants stand sturdy. Mulch lightly to keep weeds down and protect first-year crowns over winter in colder zones. In hot regions like the South, give it a little afternoon shade and treat the fall sowing as the reliable one, since long stretches of heat can stress spring-sown plants.

Caraway earns its keep among vegetables and herbs. Its lacy flowers draw in ladybugs, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps that help keep aphids and cabbage pests in check, so it is a friendly neighbor in a mixed bed. These three grow happily near caraway and you can add any of them in one click:

You can snip a few young caraway leaves in the first year to use like parsley, but the prize is the seed, which comes in the second summer. Watch the flat seed umbels and cut the whole stalks once the seeds turn brown but before they shatter and drop. Hang the stalks upside down inside paper bags in a dry, airy place for a week or two, then rub the dry seeds free and store them in a sealed jar. The young taproots can also be dug and cooked like a small parsnip.

Caraway seeds are the classic flavor in rye and soda breads, seeded crackers, sauerkraut, coleslaw, and roasted cabbage or carrots. Toast them lightly to bring out their warm, faintly citrus and anise note before adding to a dish. The fresh first-year leaves can be chopped into soups and salads like parsley, and the roots are edible cooked. Left to flower, caraway feeds bees and beneficial insects, so letting a plant or two bloom is a gift to the whole garden.

• Slow or patchy germination: caraway seed is naturally slow. Keep the surface consistently moist and be patient, since sprouting can take up to three weeks.
• No seeds the first year: this is normal. Caraway is a biennial and only flowers and sets seed in its second year, so let it overwinter.
• Seeds shattering before harvest: ripe umbels drop their seed fast. Cut the stalks as soon as the seeds brown and finish drying them in paper bags.
• Aphids on new growth: a strong spray of water usually clears them, and the beneficial insects caraway attracts handle the rest.