Growing Chamomile in Australia: The Complete Guide
Chamomile is an easy annual herb to grow, needing full–part sun with regular watering.
Chamomile is one of the easy additions to a home garden, and this article walks through everything behind our one-page printable guide in a bit more depth.
Grown for the flowers
Unlike most herbs grown for leaf, chamomile is grown for its small daisy-like flowers — picked and dried for tea. Regular picking encourages more blooms.
Planting Chamomile
Method — surface sow — seed needs light to germinate, don't bury it. Soil — well-drained, moderately fertile. Timing — sow in spring or autumn.
Keeping It Growing Well
A few things matter most here:
- Keep soil surface moist until germination.
- Pick flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming.
- Water moderately — avoid extremes of wet or dry.
- Let a few flowers go to seed at season's end for self-sowing.
What Can Go Wrong
The key things to get right:
- Aphids — occasional cluster on stems; hose off.
- Powdery mildew — humid, crowded conditions; space well.
- Few other issues — a generally easy, trouble-free plant.
- Poor germination — usually from burying seed too deep.
When and How to Harvest
Signs — flowers are fully open, petals starting to fold back slightly. Method — pick flower heads by hand. Curing — dry flowers flat on a screen or paper in a warm, airy spot. Storage — dried, airtight, a year or so.
That's the full picture behind chamomile. The printable A4 version of this guide — with the quick-reference gauges and diagram in one page — is available on the main guide page below.