Fenugreek

Fenugreek: plant 10 cm (3.9 in) apart in the row and 30 cm (12 in) between rows, 9 per square. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	10 cm (3.9 in)
Between rows	30 cm (12 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	9 per square
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	15 cm (6 in)
Height when grown	50 cm (20 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	30
Sowing depth	1.5 cm (0.6 in)
Soil temperature	from 13 °C, best 20–27 °C
Days to emerge	4–8 days
Light while germinating	Needs darkness, cover well
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 13 °C

Pricking out	sown where it grows
Takes transplanting	Badly, sow where it grows
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	5 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Days to first harvest	35–50 days, from sowing
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 4–8 weeks
Sow again every	14 days
Typical yield	0.2–0.6 kg per plant
Botanical family	Fabaceae
Watch out for	Aphids, root rot in wet soil

Open the free planner, drop Fenugreek onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Sow outdoors	Apr–Jul
Harvest	Jun–Sep

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Fabaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.