Botanical illustration of Sesame
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🌱 Sesame

Sesamum indicum
oilseeds annual
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
low to moderate
🗺️ Zones
[7,8,9,10,11]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.5
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, sandy loam
📏 Spacing
6-8 inches
📐 Height
2-4 ft
⏱️ Maturity
90-120 days

🤝 Companions (5)

🤝 Bean
Beans fix nitrogen for sesame
🤝 Cowpea
Both heat-loving crops for hot climates
🤝 Millet
Both drought-tolerant; different root depths
🤝 Okra
Heat-loving summer companions
🤝 Pigeon Pea
Traditional intercrop in Indian agriculture; pigeon pea fixes nitrogen for sesame

⚠️ Keep Apart (1)

⚠️ none — but heavy rain during ripening causes seed loss from shattering pods

📝 Growing Notes

Open sesame — the ripe seed pods literally burst open with an audible pop when touched, scattering seeds. One of humanity's oldest cultivated oil crops. Beautiful tubular white-pink flowers. Highly drought-tolerant — grown in semi-arid regions worldwide.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Johnny's Selected Seeds Botanical Interests True Leaf Market Burpee Territorial Seed Company

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