Take care
Mildly toxic to dogs, cats and horses (vomiting, diarrhea, skin irritation). May cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to ragweed.
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Plant out around your last spring frost. Space plants 8 in (20 cm) apart.
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Transplant (Spring)
From a plantRecommended from a plant- Plant outaround your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 45 days after planting out
Optimal Indoor Start (Spring)
From seedRecommended from seed- Start indoors6 weeks before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off1 week before your last spring frost
- Plant outaround your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 75 days after planting out
Optimal Direct Sow (Spring)
From seed- Sow outdoors4 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 80 days after sowing
Growing chamomile
- Spacing in the row
- 8 in (20 cm)
- Between rows
- 18 in (46 cm)
- Planting depth
- Surface to 1/8 inch
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Well-drained loam, pH balanced
- Germination
- 7-14 days at 60-70°F
- Harvest season
- Summer, Fall
- Mature height
- 12-24 inches
- Life cycle
- Annual
Surface sow seeds; light required for germination. For continuous harvest, succession plant every 2-3 weeks in spring. For fall harvest, sow mid-summer (UMN midsummer-for-fall logic).
Watering. Keep consistently moist during germination and establishment; drought tolerant once mature.
Neighbours
The companion chart →
Cabbage
Onion
MintFeeding
- Seedlings
- Light liquid feed once true leaves emerge.
- Growing
- Moderate, balanced organic fertilizer or compost tea monthly.
- Flowering and fruiting
- Balanced, slightly higher potassium during peak flowering.
- How often
- Every 4 weeks during active growth in average soil; less often if the soil is rich.
- Note
- Avoid excessive nitrogen to promote flower production over leafy growth.
Your chamomile, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.