How to Grow Saunf at Home (Fennel) and Soya From Kitchen Seeds
Open your masala box. If the fennel (Saunf) and dill (Soya) seeds inside are raw and whole, they’re live seeds, and that’s really all there is to how to grow saunf at home. Sow them in a deep pot in October or November, give them winter sun, and you’ll be cutting feathery leaves within weeks. Both are cool season herbs, both hate being transplanted, and one of them is far quicker than the other.
Quick facts
- Pot size: at least 12 inches wide and deep (15 to 20 litres); deeper is better for saunf
- Sun: 5 to 6 hours of winter sun
- Sowing months (plains): mid October to November; soya can go on until January
- Soya leaves: ready in about 5 to 6 weeks
- Saunf: leaves from about 8 weeks, seed after roughly 5 to 6 months
- Golden rule: sow where it will grow, and never use roasted seed
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Can you grow fennel and dill from kitchen seeds?
Yes, if the seed is raw. What we call a saunf or soya “seed” is the plant’s dried fruit with a living seed inside, and whole spices are simply dried, so many of them will sprout.
The masala box check: raw sprouts, roasted never will
Roasted saunf (bhuni saunf), the sweet coated kind served after meals, and anything from a mukhwas mix are dead seed. Heat finished them. Use only raw, unroasted, whole seed from the spice jar: greenish for saunf, flat and tan for soya. Not sure about its age? Fold 10 seeds into a damp tissue, slip it into a loosely closed box and keep it at room temperature. If at least 5 show a tiny white root within two weeks, sow from that jar. If only 1 or 2 do, buy a fresh packet.
When should you sow saunf and soya?
Autumn. On the plains of Punjab, Sindh and North India, sow both from mid October through November, once days have cooled. They grow through winter, and rising heat in March and April pushes them to flower and set seed, which is perfect timing if seed is what you’re after.
Soya is quick, so it can be sown in small batches every three weeks until January for a steady supply of leaves. Saunf needs the whole season; sow it once, early. In Karachi and along the coast, wait until November. In the hills, where winters freeze, sow in March or April instead.
How to sow saunf and soya in pots, step by step
Both plants send down a long, carrot like taproot, and both sulk badly if that root is disturbed. So there’s no seedling tray and no moving them later.
- Choose depth: pick a pot at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep and wide, with drainage holes. A heavy clay pot is good for saunf, which grows tall and can blow over.
- Fill: use a loose, well drained mix to 1 inch below the rim (see the potting mix guide for ratios) and water it well.
- Sow shallow: scatter seed thinly and cover with about 1 cm (under half an inch) of fine soil. Deep sowing is a common reason nothing appears.
- Keep damp: mist or water gently so the surface never dries out. Shoots show in 7 to 14 days, sometimes three weeks in cold weather.
- Thin soya: leave plants 3 to 4 inches apart if you want leaves, so six to eight plants per pot.
- Thin saunf: leave only 2 or 3 plants per 12 inch pot. They become big. Eat the thinnings; they taste of mild aniseed.
How do you care for saunf and soya plants?
Sun first. Both want 5 to 6 hours of direct winter sun, and in shade they grow thin, floppy and pale. A south facing spot is ideal from November to February.
Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, which in midwinter may be only twice a week. Soggy soil rots the taproot, so drainage matters more than frequency, and the season by season detail is in our watering guide for pots. One light feed of compost about a month after sprouting is plenty. Rich feeding makes lush leaves with weaker aroma.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No seedlings after 3 weeks | Roasted or old seed, or sown too deep | Run the tissue test; resow shallow |
| Tall, floppy, pale plants | Too little sun, or crowding | Move to full sun; thin; stake |
| Flowering very early | Heat, dry soil or root disturbance | Sow in autumn, water evenly, never transplant |
| Yellowing from the base, soft stem | Waterlogged soil | Clear drainage holes; water less |
| Green insects clustered on flower heads | Aphids | Rinse off with a firm jet of plain water |
How do you harvest the leaves and the seeds?
Leaves
Soya is ready when plants are about 6 to 8 inches tall, usually five to six weeks after sowing. Snip outer fronds with scissors and leave the centre to grow, taking no more than a third at a time. Cooking ideas are in our soya leaves guide and the saunf after meals guide.
Saunf leaves can be trimmed lightly from about eight weeks for garnish, salads and chutney. Go easy if you want seed later.
Seeds
Both herbs flower in flat yellow umbrellas (botanists call them umbels). Once the flowers fade, green seeds form and slowly turn tan. Wait until most seeds on a head have changed colour but before they start to drop, then cut the whole head with a few inches of stalk.
Put the heads upside down in a paper bag and hang it somewhere airy and shaded for one to two weeks. The seeds fall into the bag as they dry. Rub off the rest, pick out bits of stalk, and store the seed in an airtight jar only when it’s hard and fully dry; any dampness or musty smell means mould, and that batch goes in the bin. A few pots won’t refill the family saunf jar for the year, so think of the harvest as a fresh, fragrant bonus.
Did you know? Fennel, dill, coriander, cumin, ajwain and carrot all belong to one plant family, which is why their flower heads look like the same little umbrella.
Should you keep saunf and soya apart?
For leaves, it makes no difference; grow them side by side. For seed you plan to save and sow next year, the old gardener’s advice is to keep the two pots well apart, at opposite ends of the roof if you can.
Here’s an honest reading of that advice. Saunf and soya are cousins from different branches of the family, so a true cross between them is doubtful, even though the warning is repeated everywhere. The practical trouble is real, however. Both shed seed freely, seedlings of the two look almost identical when young, and insects carry pollen between different strains of the same herb. Separate pots and labelled jars keep your saved seed honest.
Myth: saunf grown from kitchen seed gives the fat white fennel bulb
It doesn’t. The swollen bulb sold in big supermarkets comes from a special variety called Florence fennel. Spice saunf is the tall herb type, grown for leaf and seed, and it never fattens at the base no matter how you feed it.
Eat only what you sowed yourself. Several wild plants of this family have the same feathery leaves and umbrella flowers, and a few are poisonous, so never pick a “wild saunf” from a roadside or hillside. People allergic to celery, carrot or coriander can react to fennel and dill too; if your lips or mouth itch or swell, stop eating it. A tall saunf pot is top heavy: keep it off railings and ledges. Don’t use insect sprays on herbs you eat, and empty pot saucers so mosquitoes can’t breed in them.
Saunf and soya in pots: questions people ask
Can I grow fennel from kitchen seeds?
Yes, as long as they’re raw, whole and fairly fresh. Roasted, salted or sugar coated saunf will not sprout. Test 10 seeds in a damp tissue first if you’re unsure how old the jar is.
How to grow dill at home?
Sow raw soya seed 1 cm deep in a pot at least 12 inches deep from October to January, keep it moist, and thin plants to 3 to 4 inches apart. Give it 5 to 6 hours of sun and start cutting leaves at 6 to 8 inches tall.
How long does fennel take to grow?
Saunf sprouts in 1 to 3 weeks and gives leaves from about 8 weeks. Seed takes far longer, roughly 5 to 6 months from an autumn sowing, ripening around April on the plains.
What is the right saunf plant care in a pot?
Full winter sun, a deep pot, and watering only when the top inch is dry. Thin to 2 or 3 plants, add a little compost once, and stake the tall flower stalks in spring.
How is soya saag grown for a big harvest?
Sow thickly in a wide tub and pull whole young plants at 8 to 10 inches, about six weeks after sowing. Resow straight away. Repeat sowings every three weeks give a steady supply through winter.
Why did my soya flower so quickly?
Heat, dry soil or a disturbed root sets it off. Soya is short lived by nature and flowers within a couple of months even in good conditions. Sow little and often instead of relying on one batch.
Can saunf and soya grow in summer?
Not well on the plains. Seeds may sprout, but plants race to flower in the heat and give few leaves. Stick to autumn and winter sowing, or spring in the hills.
Will saunf grow back next year?
Sometimes. Fennel can live for more than one season where summers are mild, but in pots on the hot plains it usually dies after seeding. Dropped seed often sprouts by itself the following autumn.
For more beginner pots, see our balcony herb garden guide, and browse Zero-Waste Kitchen for ways to grow and waste less.