Bench & calendar
Grow lab
Legal, growable plates only. Restricted species stay in the catalog as law-and-habitat notes — they have no protocol here.
This month on the bench
Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Lean, well-drained, pH 6–7.5. Rich soil makes floppy plants.
- Sow
- Direct-sow in early spring; press seed, do not bury (needs light).
- Harvest
- Pick fully open heads on dry mornings; dry in shade on screens.
- Days to harvest
- 60–70 days from sow to first flush
- Flavor
- Apple-sweet, hay, and a faint bitterness — like a warm orchard in a cup.
Grow tips
- Press seed on the surface — it needs light to germinate.
- Lean soil. Rich beds make floppy stems and fewer flowers.
- Pick heads as they open on dry mornings; a midsummer cut often brings a second flush.
Step 1 of 5
Prepare a sunny bed
Rake a fine tilth. Chamomile resents transplanting, so sow in place.