Chamomile is a great herb for every gardener from beginner to expert. If you grow chamomile from seed you can get a large harvest for teas and other uses without having to buy plants.
I think the chamomile plant always looks nice in my garden, but I really love the look of chamomile when it starts to bloom in the early summer.
Chamomile flowers look like tiny daisies, and let me tell you, they smell amazing! Chamomile plants also attract pollinators and beneficial insects making them a great companion plant!
I used to buy chamomile plants, but I wanted to grow more plants so I could dry the flowers. The way to solve this problem was to grow chamomile plants from seed. Here is how I did that.
Starting Chamomile from seed
I started my chamomile seeds indoors about one month before my last frost date. The seeds are tiny so starting them indoors is a great method.
If you need chamomile seeds you can find some here. This seed company is family owned and I love their products.
I sowed the seeds in my homemade soil mix recipe. I sowed the seeds thick on the surface of the soil and misted them until they germinated.
I grew these chamomile plants under a grow light. If you want healthy plants I do recommend using a grow light and placing it within 6 inches of the plants.
You really don't need to worry about spacing when sowing chamomile. The plants will grow bushy and you will get more blooms if you grow them close together.
Here is what the chamomile seedlings looked like when they first sprouted.
When to plant chamomile in the ground
Chamomile can survive a light frost so you can plant chamomile out right before your last frost date. My plants thrived in the cooler temperatures of early spring.
I simply pulled my plants out of their pots and planted them right next to each other. I kept the soil moist and I never fertilized these plants.
If you are expecting a freeze right after planting you will want to cover them. The plants can handle a frost but a freeze may be too much for them.
How to grow chamomile
I have found the chamomile plant to be very easy to grow and not fussy. I planted my chamomile in the ground and never fertilized it.
Chamomile actually grows like a weed in some areas of the world! The biggest thing is making sure your chamomile gets enough sunlight.
Chamomile needs full sun in order for it to produce flowers.
When does chamomile flower
Chamomile takes around two to three months before they will produce flowers. In my climate that means that chamomile starts to flower around mid-June.
If you aren't getting flowers on your chamomile plants here are ways to encourage flowering.
How To Get Chamomile To Flower
Chamomile is mainly grown for its flowers, so here is how you can encourage your plants to flower.
Sunlight
If your chamomile is not getting enough sunlight it will not flower. Make sure your plants are getting at least 8 hours of sunlight a day.
Don't fertilize
Chamomile actually thrives in poor soil so you don't need to fertilize it. If you give chamomile too much fertilizer it may make leaves and not flowers.
How To Harvest Chamomile Flowers
Chamomile flowers have many uses in the kitchen. I like to harvest my flowers and dry them for making teas.
When your chamomile plants start to flower you can begin harvesting the flowers. I like to slip the flowers in-between my fingers and lightly pull up.
The flowers should pop off the plant and you can put them right into a basket. You can also use pruners to snip the flowers from the plant.
I like to pull any remaining stems off the flowers because they can have a bitter taste to them.
How To Dry Chamomile Flowers
Once I have my flowers harvested I dry them for later use. I lay all the flowers out in my dehydrator so that none of them are overlapping.
I then set my dehydrator on its lowest setting which is around 950F. I run the dehydrator for 24 hours before storing the dried chamomile.
I like to store my dry chamomile flowers in a mason jar with a tight lid. I then keep harvesting and drying until I have enough flowers to make something.
What To Make With Chamomile Flowers
Now you may be wondering what you can do with all those chamomile flowers. You can make more than just tea, here are some things you can make with chamomile flowers.
Chamomile Infused oil
Chamomile is great for your skin! If you infuse oil with chamomile blossoms you get a great product that you can use on your skin. You can learn how to infuse oil with chamomile here.
Chamomile Bath Salts
Another great use for fresh chamomile flowers is making your own bath salts. Here is a recipe for making chamomile infused bath salts.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is a great tea to have right before bedtime. You can make your own homemade chamomile tea blends with herbs from your garden. Peppermint, lemon verbena, and lavender would all complement chamomile well!
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