Content

• Method 2 of 4: Growing Chamomile in the Garden
• Method 3 of 4: Taking care of your chamomile
• Method 4 of 4: Picking Chamomile Flowers

1 Sow chamomile seeds indoors in late winter. It is best to plant the seeds six weeks before the end of the last frost. In many regions, this time falls on the end of February or the beginning of March. Select a planting time for your local climate.

2 Use a multi-slot seedling tray to plant seeds. This tray can be purchased at a garden supply store. Purchase a tray with a set of small cells that fits multiple seedlings.

3 Pour wet seedling compost into the cells. Purchase a special seed growing mix from your local gardening store or order online. Fill each compartment with about ¾ of this mixture. Pour in enough water to make the mixture wet.

4 Plant the seeds so that they are covered with a thin layer of soil. Transfer the seeds to an empty bowl and manually select the correct seeds. Scoop up some seeds with your fingernail and plant about 6 seeds in each cell. Sprinkle them lightly with soil.

• The seeds should be visible through the thin layer of soil covering them.

5 Spray the tray with water from a spray bottle. Spray the seeds immediately after planting with water from a spray bottle. Inspect the tray daily to keep the soil moist, but not wet. If necessary (about once a day) spray the soil with water.

• If you are worried that the soil will dry out, you can loosely cover the tray with plastic wrap. The wrap will help keep moisture in. Leave holes for proper air circulation and be sure to remove the film as soon as you notice the first signs of seed germination.

6 Vary the temperature to encourage seed germination. It is best to keep the temperature between 18-29 ℃. Place the tray in a sunny spot during the day to warm up the soil a little. Reduce the temperature slightly at night. Thus, you simulate daily temperature fluctuations.

7 Thin the seedlings when they are 5 centimeters tall. Leave one seedling in each cell. To remove excess seedlings, trim them at ground level. Do not pull the shoots along with the roots, as this can damage the roots of the seedling you are leaving.

8 Prepare the sprouts for transplanting within two weeks. This process is called “seedling hardening”. This procedure prepares the seedlings for transplanting into open ground. To get started, move the tray outdoors for a few hours a day and place it in a shady place. Increase this time gradually over the course of two weeks.

• Only take the seedling tray outside when the weather is good. If it gets colder or a strong wind rises, keep the tray indoors to avoid damaging the fragile plants. However, a light breeze is good for the seedlings.
• Over the course of two weeks, gradually accustom the seedlings to sunlight and less and less place them in the shade. When doing this, keep the soil moist.
• Bring the seedling tray indoors at night.

9 Transplant the seedlings outdoors after the last frost has passed. This should happen about six weeks after you sow the seeds. Gently loosen the soil, remove the seedlings from the cells and transplant them into holes, the diameter of which is twice the size of the ball of roots, at a distance of about 20-25 centimeters from each other. Cover the holes with a mixture of soil and slow-release fertilizer.

• Water the plants about an hour before transplanting them outdoors. When replanting the seedlings, spray them with water.
• The pits should be deep enough so that the base of the stem is at ground level.

Method 2 of 4: Growing Chamomile in the Garden

1. 1 Choose a sunny and warm place for your chamomile. Although chamomile can tolerate some shade, it prefers sunlight. Choose a well-lit garden area.
2. 2 Loosen the soil with a rake and level it to prepare for replanting. Remove all stones, clods and weeds. Loosen the soil to at least 30 cm depth. After that, properly level the soil with a rake.
3. 3 If your soil is poor, grow chamomile. Also called German chamomile, this chamomile is slightly more hardy than its congeners. It can grow in slightly clayey or nutrient-poor soil.
   • Chamomile is formally an annual plant, that is, it must be planted every year.However, it leaves behind seeds that will grow back the following year, so you don't need to plant it again! In this it is similar to perennial plants.
4. 4 If you have fertile soil with good drainage, plant Roman chamomile. This chamomile variety requires better soil. Roman chamomile is a perennial plant, meaning it doesn't need to be planted every year.
   • If you want to improve the quality of the soil, mix the soil with a slow-release fertilizer before planting the seeds.
5. 5 Plant seeds in late spring or early summer to avoid frost. Seeds should be planted after all frost has passed. This time depends on which region you live in.
   • In Europe and the USA, you can plant chamomile seeds in the second half of May or June. In warmer regions, you can do this earlier, depending on the weather.
   • In the Southern Hemisphere, such as Australia, the last frost occurs in early August.
6. 6 Scatter the seeds over the surface of the ground. Just scatter the seeds over the soil. Don't worry about the placement of the seeds - you can later thin out the seeds so that you get even rows. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil by hand. This layer needs to be really thin, as the seeds require sunlight to germinate.
   • You should see the seeds after lightly dusting them with earth.
7. 7 Water the soil to keep it moist. Seeds require a lot of water to germinate, so water them immediately after planting. Place a sprayer on your garden hose and water the soil. Keep the soil moist while the seeds are germinating and while the sprouts are small. It is possible that you will have to water the plants every day.
8. 8 Thin the sprouts when they are about 5 centimeters tall. After that, the distance between adjacent plants should be 20-25 centimeters. You can make the plants form even rows. To thin out the sprouts, trim small plants at ground level. Do not pull the seedlings along with the root, as this can damage the roots of the plants you want to leave.
9. 9 Plant pre-germinated chamomile seedlings in the fall or spring. If you don't feel like growing your seeds indoors or outdoors, you can purchase ready-made seedlings from your garden supply store. Dig holes about twice the diameter of the root ball and deep enough so that the base of the lower leaves is at ground level after planting. Stir in a slow-release fertilizer into the soil, apply light pressure and water to keep it moist.
   • While perennials can be planted any time of the year, it is best to do so in early fall or late spring. Annual plants should only be planted during this time of year.
   • The best time to plant chamomile depends on where you live. It is generally best to do this during the transitional seasons when it gets warmer or colder. Don't plant chamomile when it's too hot or cold.

Method 3 of 4: Taking care of your chamomile

1. 1 Water your chamomile often. Water the plants daily until they bloom. This will give them enough water to ripen. However, don't water the chamomile too much - the soil should be moist, but not wet.
   • If it rains frequently in your area, you can water the chamomile less often. However, in hot weather it is necessary to check the soil even if it rains.
2. 2 Reduce watering after the plants are strong. Chamomile is quite unpretentious. When the seedlings grow up, you can water them less often. Wait until the soil is almost dry before watering the plants again. Usually 1-2 weeks pass between waterings.
3. 3 Make sure that weeds do not grow on the site. Weeds shouldn't steal nutrients from chamomile! Otherwise, the weed can suffocate the chamomile. Weed the area once a week.
   • Chamomile attracts bees and butterflies, but is not susceptible to pest infestation, so you should not treat it with pesticides.
4. 4 To protect your plants during the winter, cover them with coniferous branches. Chamomile can survive the winter, but it needs little protection from dry, cold winds. At the beginning of the cold season, place a few coniferous branches over the chamomile area.

Method 4 of 4: Picking Chamomile Flowers

1. 1 Wait approximately 60–65 days for the plants to mature. Usually, it takes about two months from the time of planting the seeds to the appearance of flowers. Chamomile will bloom in the first half of summer, or about two weeks after you transplant the seedlings outdoors.
2. 2 Cut flowers during the summer as soon as they emerge. Chamomile should bloom throughout the summer. After you cut the flowers with your garden shears, new ones will appear in their place. As a result, you will collect and dry many flowers, so there will be enough for a whole year!
   • Cut each flower at the base of its own stem. After that, you can cut off the excess stem to dry only the flower.
3. 3 Dry collected flowers away from dust and sunlight. Place the flowers on a tray and hide it in the closet. Wait for the flowers to dry completely. This will take about 1-2 weeks. Flowers when properly dried should crumble easily when touched.
4. 4 Store dried flowers in a tight-fitting glass jar away from sunlight. To prevent the flowers from spoiling, store them in a dry, dark place. You can pour the dried flowers into a glass jar and place it in your kitchen cabinet next to your regular tea.
5. 5 To make tea, use one teaspoon of dried flowers per cup (250 milliliters) of water. It is convenient to use an infusion ball for this. Add about 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of dried flowers to a teaspoonful ball and soak it in hot water for a few minutes.
   • Although it is best to use dried flowers, tea can also be brewed with fresh chamomile flowers. In this case, take double the number of colors.
   • A little honey can be added to sweeten the tea.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   "To enhance the flavor of the tea, add a sprig of mint to your cup or teapot."

   
   

   

   Maggie moran

   Home and garden specialist Maggie Moran is a professional gardener from Pennsylvania.

   Maggie moran
   Home and garden specialist

6. 6 Use chamomile tea to help other plants. Chamomile helps prevent fungal infections, promotes seed germination and repels pests, so it can be used in the garden as a natural remedy.
   • Sprinkle chamomile tea several times a week to protect plants from fungal infections. Spray the plants in the morning to dry them in the sun. Fungal infection often affects young shoots.
   • To help the seeds germinate, soak them in mild chamomile tea for 8-12 hours before planting.
   • To use chamomile as an insecticide, make a triple-strength tea (use more chamomile tea bags) and let it brew for 24 hours. Then you can spray the plants with this infusion - this will scare away pests.
   • Thanks to its strong scent, chamomile tea serves as a natural pest repellent.