Planting chamomile is also very easy in your own garden. In this article you will find out what you have to consider and how to use the medicinal plant.
From a soothing chamomile bath to classic chamomile tea to hair coloring: you can use chamomile in many ways.
You don’t have to collect or buy the medicinal plant: you can also plant chamomile yourself, for example in your garden or in a pot on the balcony. In this article you will learn everything you need to know from sowing to harvesting.
Planting chamomile: the preparation
The real chamomile belongs to the daisy family and reaches a height of up to 50 centimeters. If you want to plant chamomile, note the following points so that it thrives in your garden:
Location:
Chamomile originally comes from southern Europe. Therefore, the plant prefers a warm and sunny location.
Floor:
The real chamomile thrives best on permeable and dry soil. You should definitely avoid waterlogging.
Chamomile gets by with few nutrients. It is enough to spread a little mature compost at the beginning.
If the soil is too hard, you can fold in some sand to loosen it up.
mixed culture:
Basically, the real chamomile is a frugal neighbor in the vegetable patch. It thrives particularly well next to:
Kohlrabi
onions
Leek
celery
potatoes
Nasturtium
Planting and caring for chamomile
Real chamomile is an annual plant. The medicinal herb is frugal and easy to care for.
Sowing:
Chamomile belongs to the light germs. Therefore, when planting chamomile, it is sufficient to press the seeds to the soil instead of covering them completely.
From the end of April you can sow chamomile outdoors. Before doing this, you should loosen the soil and remove weeds.
You can also plant chamomile in a pot, as it does not have particularly deep roots.
In the field you should keep a distance of 40 centimeters between the individual rows.
After a week or two, the seeds will begin to germinate.
After a month you should thin out between the young plants if necessary so that they have about 20 centimeters of space.
Care:
Chamomile makes few demands on the soil and therefore does not need fertilizer.
You should water chamomile occasionally, but not too frequently. The soil should only be slightly damp – under no circumstances should the water accumulate.
To encourage the growth of additional shoots, you can prune the plants after flowering.
Harvest:
When the flower heads are two-thirds dead, you can harvest the flowers.
The best time is a sunny day after the dew has dried. This is when the essential oil content of the flowers is at its highest.
You can use the fresh buds or dry them beforehand. You should definitely dry and store chamomile away from light so that the active ingredients are preserved.
This is how chamomile works
It is worth planting chamomile: As a medicinal plant, it has a broad spectrum of effects and can be used to treat various ailments. A study from 2011 dealt extensively with the healing properties of chamomile:
Anti-inflammatory properties: The essential oils and flavonoids contained have an anti-inflammatory effect. You can cleanse wounds with a strong infusion of chamomile. For small injuries or inflammation of the gums, you can use the infusion as a mouthwash. You can also inhale chamomile to relieve symptoms when you have a cold.
Soothing for the stomach: chamomile tea soothes the intestinal mucosa and has an antispasmodic effect. That’s why it helps with diarrhea or nausea, for example. The antispasmodic effects of chamomile can also relieve menstrual cramps.
Good for the skin: wraps or ointments with chamomile are used as home remedies for inflammation and skin irritation. You can also treat eczema with chamomile. A facial steam bath can also help with blemishes.
Anti-cancerous properties: Especially in skin, breast and prostate cancer, chamomile was able to significantly reduce the cell growth of cancer cells.
Prevents colds: Chamomile as a tea or in a cold bath relieves cold and flu symptoms.
Good for the psyche: chamomile also has a calming effect on the human psyche. For example, it can provide relief in the event of tension, anxiety disorders or sleep disorders.
