Chamomile Seeds for Home

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the classic tea chamomile, beloved for its delicate daisy-like blooms with bright white petals fanning out around a domed golden centre. The flowers carry a soft, sweet apple-like fragrance and are the source of the gentle, soothing chamomile tea enjoyed worldwide. The lacy, feathery foliage adds an airy texture to beds and pots, while the steady bloom draws bees and other pollinators, making it as ornamental as it is useful.

Planting

Surface-sow the seeds: press them gently onto the soil and do not cover them, as chamomile needs light to germinate. They sprout best under warm, alternating temperatures of about 20°C at night and 30°C by day, emerging in roughly 10 to 14 days. Grow in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct light; it also tolerates partial shade of 2 to 6 hours. Space plants about 20 cm apart in rows around 45 cm apart. In Egypt, sow as a winter (Rabi) crop in autumn, around late September into October, for a spring harvest.

Fertilizing

Chamomile is a low feeder and needs little fertilizer. Where soil fertility is poor, work a balanced 20-20-20 N-P-K feed into the soil before sowing or transplanting, at roughly 90 kg per hectare. Avoid overfeeding, since excess nutrients push leafy growth at the expense of flowers.

Care

Chamomile thrives in well-drained soil, including clay or loam, and even grows in poor ground. Because it is shallow-rooted, water to keep the upper soil moist but never waterlogged. Start indoors and transplant out when seedlings reach 2.5 to 5 cm with 3 to 4 true leaves, or thin direct-sown plants to clusters of 2 to 3 every 20 cm. Watch for aphids, the main pest, plus occasional mealybugs, thrips, powdery mildew, downy mildew and rust. Harvest flower heads at full bloom, snipping just the bloom from the stem; regular picking prolongs flowering.