Description
Greater Cardamom, Badi Elaichi - Plant
Tall, perennial, evergreen plant with rhizomes, about 90-100 cm height;leaves oblong lanceolate, 30-60 cm in length, shoots formed by long sheath-like stalks encircling one another;spikes globose, very dense and shortly peduncled;spikes areglobose, very dense and shortly peduncled;flowers white in colour;Fruit capsules 2.
5 cm long, irregular obcordate, echinate, trilocular, dark red-brown in color, containing severalaromatic seeds in each cell which held together by a pulp.Plant Specifications
| Common Name | genera Elettaria,cardamom, Baara aliach, Mothi Elayachi |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 6.00 to 15.00 feet |
| Flower Colour | parple |
| Bloom Time | April to May |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate to Hard |
Planting and care
Frequent watering 1 week to 2 weeks interval is required during the hot summer months.
Make sure the soil has enough moisture level all the time(at least 45-50%).
Overhead irrigation process/method is best suited to Cardamom plantations.
Badi Elaichi care
Best time for planting cardamom is in monsoons i.e. from June to July. Light drizzles and cloudy days best suited for its planting.
| Sunlight | Full Sun |
| Watering | Medium to wet |
| Soil | well-drained soil |
| Temperature | 15C to 35C |
| Fertilizer | Apply any organic fertilizer |
| Harvest Season | Cardamom starts to bear fruit from the third year after planting. |
Badi Elaichi special feature
Cardamom fruits are called capsules. Inside the fruits there are seeds of the plant, which are actually used as spice.
Cardamom leaves also emit aroma when you rub them, you can also make tea of them.
Badi Elaichi uses
Ornamental Use:
- The plant is used for ornamental purpose
Medicinal Use:
- It has been traditionally used as an appetizer, a digestant as well as an antispasmodic as recommended by Indian Ayurveda
- It stimulates the heart and has also been used as an expectorant
- The seeds are also used as constituents of mouthwashes
Culinary Use:
- Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance
- It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking