A classic medicinal herb with white flowers, traditionally used in tea.
About the variety. Annual species that can behave as a biennial if sown late; grows vigorously after transplanting and reaches around 50 cm.
Itinerário técnico
Como cultivar chamomile?
Um guia de cultivo passo a passo, da sementeira à colheita.
pH ideal 6.0 to 7.5Temperatura ideal 15 to 22 °CCompasso Broadcast and thin to 15 to 20 cm between plants
Sementeira
Sow on the surface without covering, because the seed is tiny and needs light to germinate: burying it is why many sowings never come up. Broadcast it, firm lightly and moisten with a sprayer. Germination takes seven to fourteen days. Once established it self-seeds year after year. At about 50 centimetres tall, this variety grows well in a pot twenty centimetres deep with drainage holes. Use a pot at least twenty five centimetres deep with drainage holes, and expect to water more often, because a pot dries out far faster than open ground.
Solo
It is undemanding and prefers poor, light, free draining soils at a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Rich soil gives tall plants that flop over and flower less. It tolerates chalky, dry soils; in heavy, wet ground the seedlings rot. It grows well on verges and in awkward corners where other crops fail.
Clima
It wants full sun and mild weather, between 15 °C and 22 °C. It stands cold and moderate heat well. In a Mediterranean climate it is an autumn and spring crop, and in high summer flowering finishes quickly. Sow in September or October: the plants overwinter as rosettes and flower early in spring. On the Portuguese coast and in southern Spain use spring and autumn and avoid the peak of summer. Inland in Iberia water more through the dry months. In France and Germany the natural season is spring and summer, sowing once the soil has warmed steadily. In Italy the same rule applies as in the rest of the Mediterranean: spring and autumn in the centre and south, spring and summer in the north.
Fertilização
It asks for little and an over rich soil works against it. Soil that was composted for the previous crop is enough, with no extra feeding. Excess nitrogen gives soft, watery growth with little flavour and much greater sensitivity to pests and cold.
Rega
Water lightly until established and then sparingly: it is fairly drought resistant. Excess water gives soft plants and lowers the essential oil content of the flowers. In a pot, water when the surface dries and never leave water in the saucer.
Controlo de Infestantes
Sown densely, the crop covers the soil itself and keeps weeds well in check. The work is concentrated in the first two or three weeks: hand weed or run a hoe very shallowly between the plants. Avoid disturbing the soil once the canopy closes, so you do not damage roots or bring fresh weed seed to the surface.
Controlo de Pragas
Pests are few because the plant's aroma keeps many insects away. Aphids are the commonest problem and gather on the soft shoots, above all on over fed plants: cut off the affected tips and apply potassium soap. Red spider mite appears in dry heat and in pots, and is checked by wetting the foliage in the morning. Slugs and snails devastate seedlings: protect with an ash barrier in the first weeks. Thrips and leafhoppers are occasional and rarely need action.
Doenças
It suffers few diseases. In very dense damp sowings powdery mildew and damping off of the seedlings can appear. Sow more thinly and ensure airflow. Old plants, at the end of flowering, catch powdery mildew easily: pull them and sow again rather than treat. Always leave some space between plants so air can move after rain.
Colheita
Pick the flowers when the white petals are fully open and horizontal and the yellow centre is well raised: that is when oil concentration peaks. Pick in the morning once the dew has dried. Frequent picking pushes new flowering for weeks. Dry in the shade somewhere airy and store in a dark jar. Allow about 60 to 70 days from sowing to the first harvest of this variety. The reference colour is white flower with a yellow centre, and that is what tells you it is ready.
