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leira_gw

Fast chamomile germination

leira
12 years ago

Apropos of not much, I thought I'd report that even though my (fairly old) German Chamomile seed packet promised germination in 10-15 days, I got sprouts in less than 36 hours.

The seeds are sharing a 3 cells of a 6-pack with something else, so of course I picked something that also reported long-ish germination times (though not nearly as long as 10-15 days). Sometimes I wonder where the seed companies come up with these dates!

For those wondering, the seeds were sown on the surface of the seed starting mix, under a humidity dome, under fluorescent lights, on a heat mat, in the basement.

Comments (6)

  • fatamorgana2121
    12 years ago

    Congrats! Chamomile is as pretty as it is useful. It can self-sow. I've had chamomile coming up in a corner of my veggie garden for the last few years. I leave or move the volunteers and continue the cycle.

    I often interplant flowering herbs in my veggie beds to help attract pollinators. And so chamomile, borage, and calendula all reseed themselves throughout my veggie beds.

    FataMorgana

  • leira
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I've had chamomile in the garden before (from this same aging seed packet, even), and sometimes it has re-seeded, but a combination of things kept it from really getting established long-term. I've been making too many changes in my herb bed, I guess. Part of me is hoping that this batch of seedlings will be the last ones I start explicitly.

    I do like the idea if having flowers and herbs in the vegetable bed, but I've been reluctant, since I like to be able to clear out and amend the whole vegetable bed at once. However, this objection mostly has to do with perennials...maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let some re-seeding annual flowers and herbs in. Hmmmm.

  • fatamorgana2121
    12 years ago

    Annual herbs do work nicely in the veggie bed as there is nothing to move in the spring. But if you do start perennials in the veggie bed, which I have done many times, plant them in one end that is easy to work around or move them as you need in the spring before amending or tilling. I find the veggie garden a great place to pamper young seed grown perennials until they are ready to be moved elsewhere.

    FataMorgana

  • batyabeth
    12 years ago

    I've killed chamomile every time. That's if it gets to the stage where I can see it die. Usually I plant seeds and get nothing at all. And yes, I'll try again this year!

  • sammyyummy
    11 years ago

    congrats//ive tried mine but have not been successful.
    ive resorted to the baggie method still nada.

    a question to all of you: when im preparing the soil (in general and for chamomile) for sowing (i only use the soil in my backyard and shovel it into plastic yogurt cups with holes at the bottom), do i have to water the soil well (bottom up method) or do i just moisten the topmost layer with a spray bottle)

    thanks

  • leira
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I moisten my potting mix before putting it in the pot. In the case of the chamomile, I sprinkled the seeds on top and didn't cover them. I used a humidity dome until after germination.