Asafoetida is a plant that you can grow at home. It’s easy to do and will make your garden look great!
You can grow asafoetida in any season, but it prefers the spring or fall months. If you are planting asafoetida for the first time, start with one plant per pot. Make sure that there is plenty of room between plants so they have enough space to grow big and strong. Watering should be done every day during dry weather periods, especially if it hasn’t rained recently. When harvesting asafoetida, cut off the leaves about an inch above the ground level using sharp scissors or shears. To store asafoetida over winter months, place them in paper bags inside plastic containers with lids on top of each other so they don’t touch each other directly when stacked up together inside your pantry or cupboard shelves.
Asafoetida (Ferula assa-foetida)
When is the best time of the Year to Plant Asafoetida
The best time of year to plant asafoetida is during spring or fall. If you are planting asafoetida for the first time, then start with one per pot. Make sure there is plenty of space between plants so they have enough room to grow big and strong. The best way is to water them every day during dry weather periods, or if it hasn’t rained recently.
It is important to make sure they get enough water, but not too much. Do not over-water the plants because it will cause root rot and lead to plant death. You can add some fertilizer on top of the soil or around the base of the plant every month during the spring and summer seasons
Make sure you don’t use fertilizer if the plant has already flowered because it could cause damage.
The asafoetida plant is a perennial and prefers dry to moist soil. It can be cultivated both outdoors and indoors, usually, it only reaches about 1 foot in height. The asafoetida plant takes three years to mature and will produce seeds after the first year of growth and so has to be planted one or two years in advance.
Where in the Garden Should You Plant Asafoetida
If you want to plant asafoetida in your garden, then the best place is in the back of the garden in a sunny spot. You can also plant them in pots on a windowsill. They are beautiful plants that have sweet-smelling lacy leaves. Keep the pot covered with a lid as it does tend to attract aphids and is very susceptible to them. If you have a greenhouse or a cold frame, then you can plant them outside in the garden.
Watering Asafoetida
The asafoetida plant is not picky about soil quality, but it prefers the spring or fall months. Make sure you water them every day during dry weather periods or if it hasn’t rained recently. The best way to water them is by using a watering can. Make sure that there is plenty of room between plants so they have enough space to grow big and strong.
How to Harvest Asafoetida
Asafoetida can be harvested by cutting off the leaves above ground level with sharp scissors or shears. The bulb itself should not be harvested until after it has gone dormant for the fall/winter, usually around November. The bulb will send up a flower stalk the following spring which can be cut off to allow more sun onto the leaves. Once this activity stops, harvest time is at hand; only wait until you are sure that all danger of frost has passed and the soil has dried out a bit. The leaves and flowers should be removed, leaving only about an inch of stem attached to the bulb which can then be cut close to the ground with shears, again taking care not to disturb the underground bulb or its future offspring.
Different Ways to Store Asafoetida
Asafoetida can be stored by placing it in paper bags with lids or in plastic containers. They can also be stored by wrapping them in newspaper and placing them in boxes. Make sure that you place the asafoetida away from direct light and heat sources. Refrigerating asafoetida will extend its shelf life, but its potency will diminish after three months. When taking the roots out of storage, make sure that they will be used within three days.
Can Asafoetida be Stored in the Freezer?
Asafoetida can be stored in the freezer. Place it inside airtight containers or freezer bags. It should stay fresh for several months if kept frozen.
Other things of interest about Asafoetida
- Asafoetida is a plant that also goes by the names ‘devil’s dung’
- Asafoetida is often called Hing in Indian Cuisine
- The name comes from the Persian word ‘asâf o whenâd’ which means, ‘causing apprehension when smelled’. This name comes from the unique smell that is emitted once the roots are cut or crushed.
- The name comes from the unique smell that is emitted once the roots are cut or crushed.
- Asafoetida has been used in culinary traditions for thousands of years throughout Asia, Europe, and India.
Conclusion: now you have a better idea of how to grow Asafoetida you can go ahead and grow it yourself.