Sweet cicely

Sweet cicely: plant 60 cm (24 in) apart in the row and 70 cm (28 in) between rows, 1 plant per 4 squares. Good neighbours: Lettuce, Romaine lettuce.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	60 cm (24 in)
Between rows	70 cm (28 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 4 squares
Sun	Part sun, 4–6 hours a day
Root depth	25 cm (10 in)
Height when grown	90 cm (35 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed, by dividing a clump
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	5
Sowing depth	1 cm (0.4 in)
Soil temperature	from 13 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	30–90 days
Light while germinating	Needs darkness, cover well
Before sowing	Chill moist for a few weeks
When to sow	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 13 °C

Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, stays moist, 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; at planting
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 10–16 weeks
Typical yield	0.3–0.8 kg per plant
Botanical family	Apiaceae
Watch out for	Slugs and snails, aphids
First crop after	2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

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

Sow outdoors	Sep–Oct
Harvest	May–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 Apiaceae 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.