Growing Chamomile from Seed: Gardening for Beginners – Growing Flowers from Seed – Cut Flower Farm

One of the really cool things about something like keeping a blog is that you don’t have to be organized. I mean, you kind of need to be organized – you have to plan ahead in regards to what pictures and video clips you absolutely need to take to actually publish some type of content. I’m not talking about that though. Garden notes – I don’t ever bother to write garden notes or keep track of the specifics about growing things from season to season because, for the most part, I post them here. Since I basically post my growing notes online, I can simply do quick search to see what my past self had to say about whatever topic.

Since it’s snowing today (UGH!), I decided to take a look back on the blog and see what was happening in the garden this time last year. As it turns out, the chamomile flowers were already in FULL BLOOM, and looking absolutely gorgeous. This year’s chamomile hasn’t even started to show any signs of flower buds yet. I guess we’re way behind.

Now, let’s take a closer look into how insanely easy growing chamomile really is! In this post, we’ll specifically be talking about German  Chamomile that’s most commonly found in the herb garden. Over the years, I’ve gotten quite a few comments regarding “wild chamomile”. I’ve honestly never encountered such a thing, personally. So, with that said – never, ever consume anything which has not positively been identified as safe by a professional. Foraging can be fun, but it can also be dangerous. Don’t take the risk! Be safe!

I like to refer to chamomile as a cool season annual, as it truly grows and thrives in the fall and spring time when the temperatures are mild. Being a cool season annual also means that it has a surprising ability to withstand cold temperatures. As a beginner gardener, I was for some reason, under the assumption that garden plants wouldn’t grow through the winter. I was SO wrong. 

Determining when to plant will greatly depend upon where you live. Here in my zone 6b/7 garden, I prefer to make a planting in both fall and spring. Most years, the chamomile seeds (which germinate in the fall) will have no issues surviving my winter; which includes ice, snow, and temperatures in the teens. If you’re concerned that your winter is too harsh for the seedlings to survive, there’s always the option to cover them with some form of protection, like a cheaply made polytunnel, or to simply wait until the soil can be worked in the spring. Plants resulting from seeds that were direct sown in the fall often grow to be much larger and be much more prolific. Here in my climate, it gets quite warm in the spring quickly. This results in smaller plants from spring sown seeds. 

While it is possible to get a head start on the garden by starting seeds indoors or in seed starting trays, I find that the seeds are so incredibly tiny (and robust) that it’s simply not worth the effort. Most packages of chamomile seeds that can be ordered online are filled with thousands of seeds. Even though they are small, they are mighty! In fact, each year chamomile reseeds itself in various places around the yard. I personally really like this attribute, but understand why some may feel the need to control it.

As long as the plants do not succumb to the cold over winter, german chamomile is relatively carefree. I have yet to encounter any issues with bug or animal damage in my yard. Plants started in the fall will usually begin to bloom around April where I live. Having an early harvest of apple-scented chamomile blooms is perfect for spring when not much else is happening out in garden patch.

Want to see what chamomile looks like in my garden? Check out the video below!

Have you ever grown chamomile before? Tell me all about it in the comments down below! If you liked this post, be sure to share it! It would mean so much to me! I hope you’re having a wonderful day!

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