How to Grow Caraways UK
On this page
In the UK, caraway goes in the ground early April to late May.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early April, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Caraway (Carum carvi)
3 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Caraways in the UK
When to plant caraways in the UK: in Southern England, sow early April to late May. Find your area in the table below.
Quick Facts
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Caraway, Grown for its Aromatic Seed
Plan your Caraways planting
When to sow and plant Caraways depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
What the research guides add
Caraway is a biennial, so the seed comes in the second year, and NC State adds some useful plant-partner advice.
- An edible biennial in the carrot family that grows 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide and prefers full sun to light shade in moist, well-drained soil; it tolerates a pH range of 4.8 to 7.6. (NC State Extension)
- Plants in full sun are richer in essential oils and so more aromatic. (NC State Extension)
- Established plants have deep roots and do not tolerate root disturbance, but often self-sow freely. (NC State Extension)
- It does not do well growing near fennel or wormwood but is a good companion for most plants, especially shallow-rooted ones. Watch for carrot root fly, aphids and parsley worms. (NC State Extension)
Sources for this section
Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.
Growing Caraway in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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Edible herbaceous BIENNIAL in the Apiaceae. 1-2ft tall, 1ft wide. Full sun to partial shade, 6+ hours preferred for aromatic richness. Moist, well-drained soil, pH 4.8-7.6, tolerating clay, loam and sand. Propagated by seed and often self-sows. Seed harvested in autumn as brown/copper achenes with crescent-shaped seeds. Edible parts: leaves with a parsley-dill flavour, spicy seeds, and first-year roots. Established plants root deeply and dislike disturbance; good for breaking up subsoil on heavy wet land. Avoid planting near fennel or wormwood. Pests: carrot root fly, aphids, parsley worms. Diseases: anthracnose, white mould.
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PFAF entry for Carum carvi. Fetched and parsed directly for the USDA hardiness rating.
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An upright biennial herb with finely divided, aromatic foliage and small white flowers in umbels, producing strongly aromatic fruits (seeds). Native to temperate Europe and Asia, also native to GB/Ireland. Hardiness H7 (below -20°C). Full sun, benefiting from south-, west- or east-facing aspects. Soil: clay, loam; well-drained; acid, alkaline or neutral pH; tolerates heavier soils despite a preference for light, fertile soil. Height/spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 1-2 years. Sow seed directly; transplant seedlings when small to avoid premature bolting, though the plant dislikes transplanting generally. Generally pest-free and disease-free. Leave plants to set seed; suits cottage gardens and flower borders. Aromatic fruits (seeds) are the primary culinary component.
3 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow caraway in the UK?
In Southern England, from early April. In Scotland, wait until early April. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow caraway?
Sow early April to late May.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Last verified 2026-10-25
Plan Caraways by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
More from the same group (herbs & aromatics):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.