To begin with, it is necessary to point out that cultivating your curry leaf plant (Bergera koenigii, formerly Murraya koenigii) will not reward you with the ability to produce curry powder. Like all plants, curry leaves are green, not the orange or yellow hue associated with curry powders.
Most blended spices are made from a robust mix of bold and delicate spices. The traditional yellow curry powder gets its color from its turmeric content. Curry leaves, contrary to popular belief and eventual realization, do not taste like curry powder, and they are not an ingredient in curry powder.
Yet, these leaves do find use in India, Thailand, and other South East Asian countries, where they form a part of the flavoring of many curried dishes. Unlike the curry powder, which tends to take center stage any time it is incorporated into a dish, curry leaves are reserved, gentle, and aromatic, accenting the fragrance and taste rather than overpowering it.
The aroma and taste of curry leaves is best when they are freshly picked. You may add fresh leaves to soups, sauces, and stews. Use it as you would bay leaves. Toss some fresh leaves into the cauldron, and let them permeate the soul of the meal. Just like with bay leaves, you remove them before serving in order to enjoy the distinct taste without the dense, bitter chewable.
Varieties of Curry Leaf Plant
Curry leaves is called sweet neem or kadi patta in India. While it is often cultivated in the form of a small to medium bush, it is botanically classified as a shrub-like tree instead of a small plant. This plant is known commonly as the curry leaf tree however, there is only one main species. It does have three distinct varieties, each with their own advantages and disadvantages: regular, dwarf, and gamthi.
Standard curry leaf trees grow rapidly and can reach a height of 6 to 15 feet and a width of 4 to 12 feet. It is the full size variety of curry leaves which shoppers are most familiar with, as it is the most widely grown out of the three cultivars. Nevertheless, if you are short on space and do not envision using a large quantity of curry leaves, you can consider attempting to grow the gamthi variety.
The dwarf form of the curry plant (Helichrysum angustifolium ‘Nana’ ‘Dwarf’) reaches a maximum height of 10-12 inches. This variety, dwarf curry, serves well as a houseplant or patio plant that can come indoors during winter.
In comparison to the regular variety, dwarf curry does grow smaller in size; however, when grown in garden beds, he does tend to spread out rather than grow upright. Therefore, in order to keep your dwarf curry contained to a certain area, you may need to provide some borders.
Of all three dwarf varieties, the shrub is unique for having the broadest leaves. Though he is slightly more subtle, the foliage of the dwarf plant is lighter when compared to the tree’s leaves. The dwarf curry leaves, while issuing the same delightful aroma synonymous with the tree, also carry a bitter taste.
As such, the dwarf variety is not often cultivated for culinary purposes, but rather used as an ornamental ground cover. From late summer to early autumn, the dwarf variety does produce lovely white flowers.
The gamthi curry plant is smaller than the dwarf variety, reaching a height of only six to eight inches. It also does not spread as quickly as the dwarf variety; in fact, it does not tend to grow quickly at all.
Although the gamthi variety lacks in growth, it compensates with extraordinary range of fragrant and flavorful leaves. While not as popular in cooking as the regular tree variety, gamthi requires fewer leaves to deliver the same flavor and aroma, making him more efficient. Like all gamthi curry plants, he requires full sun exposure, light summer fertilization, and well-draining soil.
Growing Conditions for Curry Leaf Plant
The curry leaf plant can be cultivated at home indoors in all USDA zones. Outdoor cultivation is only advisable in non-freezing climates as all three varieties of the herb are frost tender. Dwarf and gamthi are hardier in zones 8-11, while the full size trees thrive in 9-12.
Fortunately, for those who live outside the few zones mentioned, growing your curry in containers allows you to put them outside during warm weather and indoors during winters or before frost.
While selecting the location for your curry leaf plants, ensure it has full exposure to sunlight and warm conditions along with very well-draining soil. Other than that, it is not a picky plant to provide for.
Curry leaf plants do not need a lot of water and are semi-drought tolerant. The plants do not require high quality soil, nor are they dependent on a specific pH to survive. If planted in a windy area, some staking may be needed.
How to Plant Curry Leaf Plant
A curry leaf plant can be grown from cuttings or seeds, although the latter is not the easiest to tackle. To propagate from cuttings, simply take a leaf or set of leaves with a petiole, or stem with a small section attached. If you are able to harvest from a curry tree or shrub, take a stem that is three inches long and carries multiple leaves.
Eliminate the leaves from the lower inch of the cutting and place the stem into a soilless potting mix, burying only the inch of stem. Mist the cutting thoroughly right after planting and maintain warm and humid conditions for the first three weeks. It is much easier to grow curry plants from cuttings instead of seeds.
The seed of a curry leaf plant is essentially the pit of its fruit. This can be cleaned or peeled, or the fruit can be directly sown into the soil without all that work. Always aim to get fresh seeds for better rates of success.
To plant seeds of the curry plant, use a standard potting soil mix and maintain moisture levels that are damp but not excessively wet. Watering needs to be consistent along with a minimum temperature of 68°F for seed germination. You may need to improve the soil’s drainage to avoid overwatering. Since the success rate of seed germination is low, temper your expectations initially.
Care of Curry Leaf Plant
After reaching maturity, the curry leaf plant requires less attention. However, younger plants take around two years to fully mature. During hot weather, keep younger curry plants out of direct sunlight. Ensure pots and beds are well-drained, as overly wet conditions are detrimental to the curry leaf plant.
To encourage more branching and more leaves to grow, pinch the tips of the branches of young plants. In spring, prune curry plants back and frequently harvest leaves to maximize production. As flowers are seen developing on the branches, remove them immediately to maintain focus on leaf growth of the plant.
Carefully move your mature curry leaf plants to new large containers as soon as you notice roots trying to break through the drainage holes, ensuring you do not disturb the root systems too much. After 10 years, your plant should have reached the size necessitating a 30 gallon container.
Provide your curry plants with a diluted seaweed fertilizer on a weekly basis throughout the year, except for the gamthi variety which only needs fertilization weekly in summer. During the winter dormancy period, ensure your curry plants are kept warm, indoors, in colder climates.
Garden Pests and Diseases of Curry Leaf Plant
Typically, curry plants and garden pests are left undisturbed by diseases and infestations. The strong scent emitted by the plants helps greatly to ward off plant diseases and garden pests, though some adverse weather conditions may invoke some difficulties.
Using neem oil and horticultural oil as sprays on your curry plants will help with pest and disease control. If you observe signs of power, spots, bites, or any other form of infestation, use a saltwater shower twice a month in place of regular watering.