Grow Spices at Home: 6 Easy Spices to Plant Yourself

Most of us are familiar with growing our own herb gardens, parsley, chives, cilantro, thyme, and more, but what about spices? Their flavor can really perk up so many foods, and they are good for you because they are full of antioxidants. Believe it or not, it is easy to grow spices. All you need is some land, sunshine, water, and a little patience while your plants go to seed. This 2026 growing season is a fine time to start, so here are 6 favorites to plant, harvest, and stock in your own spice cabinet.

Grow These 6 Favorite Spices and Stock Up Your Spice Cabinet

Each of these spices comes from a plant you can raise at home, in a garden bed or a container, and most of them are harvested the same way: let the plant flower, let it go to seed, then collect and dry the seeds. Ginger and turmeric are the exception, since you harvest their roots rather than their seeds. Here is how each one works.

1. Cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is related to dill, celery, parsley, and carrots. This heat-loving plant needs a growing season of about 3 to 4 months to go to seed, so give it a warm, sunny corner. Regular moisture is key for seed production. Once the pretty white-pink flowers have finished blooming, the plant forms brown seeds, which you harvest by hand in autumn. The seeds can be ground and used in Mexican cooking, curry powder or garam masala mixes, or in Vietnamese or Thai cooking.

2. Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is in the same family as cumin. Many gardeners grow fennel for its bulbous stem, which tastes like anise, or licorice. Allowing the plants to flower and go to seed produces a delicious spice used in Italian sausages (you can make your own with ground pork, salt, and fennel seed), teas, baking, and blended spice rubs for meat and poultry. Many people munch on a few fennel seeds after a large meal to help digestion.

Sow fennel seeds directly in the garden for best results, since the plants will not stand up well to transplanting. A sunny location is ideal. The soil should be well-drained and moderately fertile, and an amendment with compost in the early spring before planting is sufficient. Fennel has a propensity to freely reseed if you do not harvest all of the seeds. The University of Wisconsin Horticulture program keeps a thorough profile of fennel if you want to confirm timing for your own ground.

3. Fenugreek

Another highly scented spice, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-gracecum) is actually a legume, and it is easy to grow in containers or in-ground. A perennial in U.S. Hardiness zones 8 to 11, fenugreek requires compost-amended, well-drained soil. Direct-seed fenugreek once all danger of frost has passed, since young plants cannot tolerate being transplanted. Plants reach approximately two feet tall. The fragrant seedpods are harvested in early autumn and the seeds are removed by hand. The seeds taste a bit like maple and are commonly used in tea, or in curries and pickles.

4. Mustard

Mustard (Brassica spp.) is a staple condiment, and hotdogs and burgers would not be the same without it. But did you ever consider growing it in your garden? This is a plant that cannot take a lot of heat. It will rapidly bolt, which is not good for the quality of the seeds you want to harvest. Plant mustard early in the spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. Compost-amended soil is best, and stick to a regular watering schedule if you receive little rain. Small yellow or white flowers precede seed pods, which appear in late summer or early autumn. Allow the pods to brown on the plant before picking. Scoop the seeds out of the pods and air-dry them for at least two weeks before storing. Mustard seed can be used in pickling spice, or you can make your own mustard with the recipe below.

5. & 6. Ginger & Turmeric

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) are related plants that grow from rhizomes. You can actually plant the rhizomes you find in the grocery store. Look for ones that are plump and have several bumpy nodes on them. If the rhizomes are large, cut them apart so that each chunk has a few nodes on it. Help the sprouting process along by soaking the rhizomes in water for a couple of hours before planting. Ginger and turmeric may be planted in containers or in-ground. Both plants need regular, consistent moisture to thrive. Do not situate them in direct sunlight, since part shade is best.

Ginger and turmeric are very slow growing. It can take 8 to 10 months before the plants may be dug out for harvest. In warm climates (U.S. Hardiness Zone 8 or higher), the plants overwinter in-ground. If you do not harvest all of the rhizomes in late autumn, the plants keep producing rhizomes for successive years. In cooler climates with short growing seasons, it is best to grow the plants indoors to ensure a successful harvest. For long-term storage, the rhizomes may be peeled, chopped, and frozen. Ginger and turmeric are delicious as teas or used in curries and many Asian dishes. Try this recipe for Golden Milk!

Although bringing plants to seed in order to use them as spices takes patience, you can save money by growing your own, and the delicious fresh flavor cannot be beat in the kitchen.

Spice Planting and Harvest at a Glance

Each spice has its own timing, its own soil preference, and its own part of the plant you actually harvest. Here is the quick comparison, side by side.

Gardening by the Moon for Spices

Traditional Gardening by the Moon wisdom splits the work in two. Crops you grow for the part that forms above ground, like the seeds of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and mustard, go in during the light, or waxing, of the Moon. Root crops go in during the dark, or waning, of the Moon. Ginger and turmeric grow from rhizomes below the soil, so they count as root crops.

Plant at the Right Time, Every Time

The Farmers’ Almanac Gardening by the Moon Calendar shows the Best Days to plant seed and root crops, region by region, all year long.

Open the Planting Calendar

Companion Plants for Your Spice Garden

Cumin, fennel, and fenugreek all belong to families that draw pollinators once they flower, so they earn their keep in a mixed bed. Fennel is the one to watch, since it can crowd or stunt nearby vegetables and tends to grow best off on its own. Mustard is in the cabbage family and works well as a quick cover crop between rows. For a fuller pairing chart before you lay out the beds, see our companion planting guide.

Easy Yellow Mustard Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried mustard seeds
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, but adds a nice yellow color)
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel bowl. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 days.

Pour the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth, but a little grainy. If the mustard is too thick, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the thickness you want. It keeps up to 6 months in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

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All-Access unlocks the full-year Gardening by the Moon Calendar, Best Days, the Fishing Calendar, and long-range forecasts for your region. Plan your day, grow your life.

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Be sure you check out our Gardening Calendar to find out which days are best for growing aboveground and root crops. The University of Minnesota Extension also keeps a plain-English guide to growing herbs at home that pairs well with a spice patch.

Growing Spices: Frequently Asked Questions