Exotic Herb Collection
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Beautiful plants
These instructions are sent with the plant gift
These care instructions are just an example
Looking after your Cardamom Plant
These fascinating plants originate in India and Sri Lanka whilst we know them best in this country for the fragrant pods used to add flavour and colour to curries, the leaves themselves are also really fragrant and add a unique flavour to dishes as a herb in their own right.
Cardamom naturally occur in warm, damp but shaded forests with high humidity so try to ensure they are kept warm and out of direct sunlight in the home. Water regularly when the top of the soil dries, and you might try misting regular in a very dry room to keep the leaves looking fresh, you can alternatively place a bowl of water next to the plant to help add humidity to the environment. Ideally, they prefer to be kept between 18 – 35 degrees Celsius, watered regularly, kept in the shade or filtered light with high humidity. You can place them outside in the shade for the hottest months of the year for some fresh air.
They work well as a house plant and the fragrant leaves release a sweet scent when brushed past. Over time in a warm spot we expect them to produce delicate fronds of flowers which will dry to become the pods we know from cooking. These pods should be picked when green and dried in a warm room or airing cupboard. In the meantime, do experiment with the leaves in cooking, they work well as a wrap for chicken, fish or paneer cheese, or try them in rice pudding like a bay leaf for a sweet fragrant flavour.
In the summer months your plant will benefit from regular feeding, once every couple of weeks with a balanced feed. They are already in quite large pots and should not need repotting again until next summer.
Problem solving
Brown tips to the leaves are quite common in the winter months but extreme browning and crinkling of the new leaves is a sign of either scorch or cold so try to move your plant somewhere warmer out of direct sunlight. Over time the lower leaves will naturally shrivel and can be removed to keep the plant looking fresh.
