Why won't my chamomile seed germinate?

The usual reason is sowing it too deep. Chamomile seed is fine and needs light to germinate, so sow it at just 1 mm, barely dusting it over a firmed, moist surface. Keep the surface damp until seedlings appear in 14–21 days.

Is chamomile a good companion plant?

Yes. Grown near cabbages it attracts hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids, and it has a long reputation for improving the growth and flavour of onions and boosting the essential oil content of basil. It is a useful plant to dot through a mixed bed.

Does chamomile come back every year?

The common annual chamomile self-sows readily in cool districts like Ballarat and Orange. If you leave a few plants to set seed, it reappears the following spring on its own. It is easy to keep going once established.

When do you pick chamomile flowers?

Pick the small daisy flowers when the white petals are flat or just starting to bend back, ideally on a dry morning. Regular picking encourages more flowers, and the harvested heads can be dried for tea.

When to plant Chamomile in Cool Australia

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

Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Sow chamomile direct from September to December, scattering the fine seed onto the surface and barely covering it to just 1 mm, as it needs light to germinate. Seedlings appear in 14–21 days, and this hardy annual reaches flowering in 60–90 days. Thin to somewhere between 10 and 40 cm depending on how densely you want the drift, with 15–20 cm between rows. In cool districts like Ballarat and Orange, chamomile self-sows happily once established, returning each year. It also earns its place as a good companion, drawing hoverflies that prey on aphids near cabbages, and reputedly improving the flavour of nearby onions.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

Green months are your sowing window: September to December.

Growing notes

Chamomile is hardy and easy in cool climates, but the seed is where most people stumble. Because it is so fine and needs light to germinate, burying it is the classic mistake. Sprinkle it on a firmed, moist surface, press it down gently, and do no more than dust it over at 1 mm. Keep the surface damp with a fine spray until seedlings appear, as the tiny seedlings dry out fast.

Once up, chamomile is undemanding. It prefers full sun and free-draining soil and tolerates poor ground better than rich, which pushes soft leaf over flower. In the cool, moist conditions of Hobart or Canberra, give it good air movement to prevent damping off in crowded seedling patches; thin promptly.

As a companion it pulls its weight. Planted near brassicas it attracts hoverflies whose larvae devour aphids, and gardeners have long grown it beside onions and basil for a reputed lift in flavour and, with basil, essential oil content. Pick the daisy flowers when the petals are flat or just beginning to reflex, ideally on a dry morning, and dry them for tea. Regular picking keeps more flowers coming. Leave a few plants to set seed and chamomile will quietly reappear the following spring.

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

Why won't my chamomile seed germinate?: The usual reason is sowing it too deep. Chamomile seed is fine and needs light to germinate, so sow it at just 1 mm, barely dusting it over a firmed, moist surface. Keep the surface damp until seedlings appear in 14–21 days.
Is chamomile a good companion plant?: Yes. Grown near cabbages it attracts hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids, and it has a long reputation for improving the growth and flavour of onions and boosting the essential oil content of basil. It is a useful plant to dot through a mixed bed.
Does chamomile come back every year?: The common annual chamomile self-sows readily in cool districts like Ballarat and Orange. If you leave a few plants to set seed, it reappears the following spring on its own. It is easy to keep going once established.
When do you pick chamomile flowers?: Pick the small daisy flowers when the white petals are flat or just starting to bend back, ideally on a dry morning. Regular picking encourages more flowers, and the harvested heads can be dried for tea.

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