Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) – Herb garden

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a little yearly herb which grows up to 30-50 cm in tallness. Its leaves are interchange, compound, filiform portion, with sheeting bases. The blooms are little white, found in compound umbels or umbrella-like groups. The blossoms have both male and female structures together and a mediocre ovary that forms into an extremely trademark organic product called a cremocarp. Natural products are greenish, turns dark when ready, decreasing towards both finishes, secured with papillose hairs. In spite of the fact that these grain-like natural products are known as the seeds, the genuine seeds are inside them and turn out just amid germination through crumbling of the organic product divider.

Cumin seeds look like caraway seeds, being elliptical fit as a fiddle, longitudinally furrowed and yellow-cocoa in shading, as different individuals from the Umbelliferae family, for example, caraway, parsley and dill.

The normal substance constituents of cumin are Cuminaldehyde, cymene and terpenoids. It contains 2-4% of unstable oil called cumin oil.

It is Spice Cum Herb, which is one of most common spice used in the Indian kitchens. When we cook something (Mostly in Indian kitchen) we used to give Jeera/Cumin (Cuminum cyminum). Actually it is used as a spice and adds the taste and aroma. It has additional properties like helps in digestion. In Ayurveda, all food substances considered as a medicine because they supports the body so as in cumin.

Scientific Name: Cuminum cyminum

Common Name: Jeera
Sanskrit – Jiraka
English – Cuminum seeds
Hindi – Safed jeera, jeera
Kannada – Jeerige
Malayalam – Jorekam
Telugu – Jeelakari
Bengali – Jeera
Marathi – Jire
Gujarathi – Jeeru
Tamil – Cheerakam

How To Maintain Cumin (Cuminum cyminum):

Planting: 

Cumin plants should be spaced between 4 and 8 inches (20 and 30 cm) apart in the row, while rows should be spaced 18 inches apart.

Propagation:

From seed. Direct sow outdoors well after last frost when soil has warmed. Or start seeds in propagation starter cubes or plugs indoors between four and six weeks before planting outdoors after soil has warmed.

Sun & Lighting :

Cumin grown outdoors prefers full sun. Cumin will grow indoors satisfactorily under high output T5 fluorescent plant lights, compact fluorescent, and especially well under high intensity discharge (metal halide or high pressure sodium) plant growing lights.
Keep high output and compact fluorescents approximately one foot above the plants, and HID lights between 2 and 4 feet above the plants, depending on wattage.
Have an oscillating fan gently stir seedlings for at least 2 hours per day to stimulate a more compact, and sturdier plant habit.

Watering:

Water regularly, being careful not to overwater. Allow soil to go almost dry between watering, then soak thoroughly.

Pests and Diseases:

Cumin plants can be susceptible to aphids. They may also be susceptible to wilt, blight, powdery mildew, and root rot if kept too wet.

Note:

Cumin plants are known to attract beneficial insects. Plants are not frost hardy.

Uses of  Cumin (Cuminum cyminum):

• It is very good for eyes.
• It is very useful in the treatment of fever (Jirna Jawar or Chronic Fever)
• It gives Stamina and strength.
• It also promotes lactation in mothers.
• It is also good for heart and prevents heart related diseases.
• It is very much useful in diarrhea, bloating, flatulence.
• It is helpful in diabetes also.
• It plays a good role in improving immunological strength.
• It stimulates the taste buds and promotes salivary secretion.
• It is a very good natural antioxidant.
• It is useful in the treatment of respiratory diseases like tuberculosis.
• It reduces the cholesterol level and helps in weight loss.