how do you sow chamomile seed

Scatter the fine seed on a firmed, moist surface and barely cover it at about 1 mm, as it needs light to germinate. Keep the surface consistently damp with a fine mist until seedlings appear in 14–21 days.

when to grow chamomile in a hot dry climate

Sow direct from March to September so the crop grows and flowers through the cooler, milder months. Chamomile struggles in arid summer heat, so autumn and winter sowings work best.

is chamomile a good companion plant

Yes, it attracts hoverflies that eat aphids and is said to improve the growth and flavour of nearby onions and the essential oil content of basil. It makes a useful, low-maintenance addition to a mixed bed.

when do you pick chamomile flowers for tea

Pick when the white petals are fully open and just starting to bend back from the yellow centre. Harvest on a dry morning and dry the flowers in the shade before storing.

When to plant Chamomile in Arid Australia

Sow chamomile in arid Australia from March to September. Method: raise seedlings,sow direct. Seeds germinate in 14-21 days, with harvest roughly 60-90 days after sowing.

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Sow chamomile direct from March to September, scattering the very fine seed on the surface and barely covering it at just 1 mm, as it needs light to germinate. Seedlings appear in 14–21 days and the plant flowers in 60–90 days, so autumn and winter sowings deliver blooms through the milder months. Thin plants to anywhere from 10 to 40 cm apart depending on how dense a patch you want, with rows 15–20 cm apart. In Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie, this cool-season crop dodges the summer extremes that would otherwise scorch it.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to September.

Growing notes

Chamomile is an easygoing hardy annual that thrives in the cooler, brighter months of an arid year and struggles in the heat, so timing is everything. Sown in autumn or winter, it establishes quickly and flowers freely into spring before the weather turns fierce.

Because the seed is dust-fine and surface-sown, the common failure is losing it before it germinates: a single hot, dry day can bake the surface and kill emerging seedlings, and heavy watering washes the seed away. Sow into a firmed, moist bed, water with a fine mist, and keep the surface consistently damp until seedlings are up. A light scatter of fine mulch or vermiculite helps hold moisture without burying the seed.

Once established chamomile is undemanding and drought-hardy, preferring full sun and free-draining soil; it dislikes rich, wet ground. It makes a good companion in the garden, drawing hoverflies that prey on aphids and reputedly improving the growth and flavour of onions and the oil content of basil grown nearby. Harvest the daisy-like flowers when the white petals are fully open and just beginning to reflex, picking on a dry morning and drying them in shade for tea.

Chamomile at a glance

Sowing depth	1 mm
Plant spacing	10-40 cm
Row spacing	15-20 cm
Germination	14-21 days
Days to maturity	60-90 days
Frost tolerance	Hardy
Method	Raise Seedlings,Sow Direct

Companion planting

Grows well with

Basil Onion Basil Onion Cabbage

Basil: Enhances essential oil content in basil

Onion: Improves onion growth and flavour

Basil: Enhances essential oil production in basil

Common questions

how do you sow chamomile seed: Scatter the fine seed on a firmed, moist surface and barely cover it at about 1 mm, as it needs light to germinate. Keep the surface consistently damp with a fine mist until seedlings appear in 14–21 days.
when to grow chamomile in a hot dry climate: Sow direct from March to September so the crop grows and flowers through the cooler, milder months. Chamomile struggles in arid summer heat, so autumn and winter sowings work best.
is chamomile a good companion plant: Yes, it attracts hoverflies that eat aphids and is said to improve the growth and flavour of nearby onions and the essential oil content of basil. It makes a useful, low-maintenance addition to a mixed bed.
when do you pick chamomile flowers for tea: Pick when the white petals are fully open and just starting to bend back from the yellow centre. Harvest on a dry morning and dry the flowers in the shade before storing.

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