Chamomile

Growing Guide

Chamomile is easy to grow from seed in spring and is ideal for herb gardens, veg plots, borders and wildflower areas, and also for containers.

Choose a sunny growing site with light, well-drained soil, or a large container filled with soil-based or multi-purpose peat-free compost. Containers should be at least 30cm wide, so they don’t dry out too rapidly, but they will still need watering regularly.

Sow chamomile seeds into warm soil from mid-spring onwards. Sow on the surface, as the seeds need light to germinate. Protect the seedlings from slugs and snails, water regularly until well rooted and thin them to 15–30cm apart if necessary.



Once established, chamomile needs little maintenance. Simply water in dry spells to prevent drying out, and clip back lightly if plants become leggy. The more flowers you harvest, the more plants will produce.

TOP TIPS

Pick newly opened chamomile flowers throughout the summer. Regular harvesting and deadheading will encourage further flowers. The flowers can be used fresh for making tea or dried for later use. Dried flowers can also be used in pot pourri and herbal pillows.

To dry chamomile flowers, spread them out on a tray in a single layer and place somewhere warm and dry, out of sunlight, for a week or two. Once fully dried, store in an air-tight jar in a cool, dark place.