Green cardamom is a popular spice used in Indian and other Asian cuisines or in combination with black cardamom. Cardamom belongs to the ginger family. It is also known as Elettaria cardamomum or true cardamom. It is grown in tropical areas where the seed pods are dried, and the seeds are used as a spice. The plant is originally from India but grows well in Tanzania and other tropical areas, reaching over two meters. Growing the plants in the drier subtropics with cooler winters, such as Lusaka, can be challenging. Here are a few tips to help your cardamom plant flower and produce seeds.
- The plant grows quite well in full to partial shade conditions. Full sun exposure may burn the leaves and cause the soil to dry out. They may not be productive if they do grow.
- Water regularly to keep the soil moist. Plants will not flower or drop their flowers when the ground is dry.
- Grow in a sheltered location away from frost and cold winds. They prefer temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius. The leaves may dry out in winter but grow new shoots in summer. Others may choose to grow the plants indoors to keep ideal growing conditions.
- The plants must be thinned out to prevent them from getting root-bound, especially when potted. Poorly nourished, knotted roots will prevent fruiting.
- Add manure or compost three to four times yearly to keep the soil well-drained and rich in organic matter.
- Cardamom plants take some years to produce flowers, so seed-grown plants may take longer to produce seed pods. Our plants are vegetatively propagated from plants that are over five years old. So they will start flowering earlier.
If plants are not productive despite all these interventions, You may be growing false cardamom ginger, also known as Alpinia mutica. Share your experiences growing cardamom in Zambia or other subtropical regions.