Shambalileh, or fenugreek, was one of the most sought-after herbs I grew last year. Friends and family who missed flavors from Iran, and others who appreciate fresh fenugreek were constantly asking me for it. Shambalileh was also the trickiest plant I grew, and here’s what I learned.

First off, if you are planting in a greenhouse, plant shambalileh seeds deeper than you think you need to. It’s almost like the seeds climb a bit out of the soil as they are germinating. I’m not convinced, however, that this plant needs to be started in a greenhouse. You can try growing it directly in the soil as well. It might also be a good contender for winter growing if you have a mild winter.

I sowed the first round of shambalileh in my greenhouse on April 16th, then transplanted them at the farm a month later. To my surprise, they started bolting just three weeks later! What I didn’t realize at the time was that I should just have harvested the plants anyways, cutting them down almost to the ground. Harvesting this way, the plants lasted for much longer. They will however, eventually catch up to you and grow their long seed pods, which will affect the texture of the herb.

Harvesting the seeds from this plant has was relatively challenging. Whereas the other sabzi seeds came off easily when stepped on, the seed pods on these plants held onto the seeds. I had to put the plants through a dehydrator to get the pods brittle enough to break and release the seeds.