"Curry leaves" can we grow them?

[Flummery]

65C?!!?!? That's Chernobyl temperatures! Hottest I have stood in was in some God forsaken hole in the Emirates near Al Ain - 43C. Nearly melted. Atlanta cooked to 38C...

Soz! for C read F througout!

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for the link axe - very interesting site that!

[veg4681]

I have seen a curry plant in the herb section at the garden centre, it had very small leaves if I remember correctly. Smell was delish!

How much was the GC selling for? I think I may be able to get the leaves from the city market or from few Asian stores we have around Birmingham. I gathered you can propagate from cuttings.

BTW the curry leave is a tree in Asia and the leaves looks similar to bay leaves, not to be confused with silvery curry plant that is for your flower border. It is very strong smelling so goes well with strong smelling meat like mutton, as in Mutton Curry.

[momol]

Yes you can but your cutting has to be fresh one ( not wilted)...

Momol

[shirlthegirl43]

How much was the GC selling for? I think I may be able to get the leaves from the city market or from few Asian stores we have around Birmingham. I gathered you can propagate from cuttings.

BTW the curry leave is a tree in Asia and the leaves looks similar to bay leaves, not to be confused with silvery curry plant that is for your flower border. It is very strong smelling so goes well with strong smelling meat like mutton, as in Mutton Curry.

The one I have seen at the GC was the little silvery one. Most herbs here are about 1.25 a plant - small plants

[momol]

Curry leaves plant

SBP,

Here is my curry leaves plant, still small (22 cm) but it is a 3 years old now,looks pretty ugly now, he loose some leaves during winter and became dormant.
Mind you the quality of the piccie is not so good, I use my mobile camera, DH is on his busines trip, can't borrow his nice camera, my old cam...well I can't find the slot card thingy after moving house....

Enjoy,
Momol

[smallblueplanet]

A good photo momol.

The leaves have a tough sheen about them, kind of like small bay leaves? But I think you're gonna have to lavish lots of t.l.c. on your baby 'curry tree'!

Maybe I'll look for a young plant, I'm not sure I can wait so long to grow a tree from berries!

[momol]

They grow fast in tropic but here very sad and slow ( slower than the slowest snails sadly). If you can get the fresh curry leaves, try to root the stem, it does sometimes work but, has to be fresh supply (not wilted)...

momol

[Vecten]

This is a useful link. It probably answers your question.

Spice Pages: Curry leaves (Murraya/Chalcas koenigii)

[momol]

Thanks Vecten,

It will take years for my mini curry leaves plant to get to the pictures size. It was also attact by red spider mite . Just had some spray on it again and see what happen.

[delnel]

I wish I had joined this site sooner. Feel I missed out on this thread. Anyway, I guess it's never too late to learn. I'm originally from South Africa, and just wanted to say that my mum grows curry leaves in SA, outside were the temp doesn't drop below 10 degrees C (we're on the coast). The leaves are green and the plant does look tree-like. We use it in all curries - usually just 1/2 sprigs with about 8-10 leaves on each. Wouldn't try the curry plant mentioned earlier. I felt very home sick as I read this thread.

[Alice]

I've grown them over the summer from plant bought in the garden centre. I think curry smells great when you're cooking it, but I didn't like it in the garden. I wouldn't grow it again.

[delnel]

Hi Alice
What didn't you like about it? - Was thinking of trying it out myself.

[Alice]

The smell Delnel. They're strongly curry scented - and as I said it's great when you're cooking but I didn't like the smell in the garden.

[smallblueplanet]

Curry plants do smell just like curry powder, but they are not to be use in the kitchen. Whereas leaves from curry trees are used in cooking.