How to Grow Chamomiles UK | Regional Planting Calendar

Regional Planting Calendar

Region	Sow
Southern England	early March to early May
Midlands	early March to early May
Northern England	early March to early May
Scotland	early March to early May

Southern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring; no UK-region-specific sowing dates given, so a single spring window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	6 - 7.5
Sunlight	5-5 hours direct sun
Soil texture	chalk, loam or sand (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	perennial
Edible parts	flowers, leaves

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: well-drained, tolerates light soil that drains freely (RHS)

Soil pH range

6 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow seed thinly on the surface of damp, peat-free seed compost in spring -- seeds need light to germinate (RHS).
Mat-forming foliage establishment	3	Develops finely divided, aromatic, mat-forming foliage; regular trimming keeps growth compact and bushy (RHS).
Flowering	6	Chamomile grows quickly and can start flowering in as little as ten weeks (RHS).
Establishment to maturity	9	Reaches full maturity over 2-5 years as a perennial mat (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Harvest the small white daisy-like flowers as they open, traditionally dried for chamomile tea; aromatic leaves can also be used. Plants begin flowering in as little as ten weeks from sowing (RHS).

Chamomile, a Mat-Forming Perennial Herb

White petals, yellow centre

RHS: white, yellow-centred daisy-like flowers about 1.5cm across, held above finely divided, aromatic foliage.

Generally pest-free and disease-free

RHS records chamomile as generally pest-free and generally disease-free -- one of the lowest-maintenance herbs on the site.

Flowers in as little as ten weeks

RHS: chamomile grows quickly and should start flowering in as little as ten weeks from sowing.

A low, mat-forming perennial

RHS: a mat-forming herbaceous perennial reaching just 0.1-0.5m in height and spread, taking 2-5 years to reach full maturity.

A magnet for pollinators

Chamomile's open, yellow-centred flowers are popular with butterflies and other pollinating insects.

References

1. RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) - Chamaemelum nobile | common chamomile

   A mat-forming herbaceous perennial with finely divided, aromatic foliage and white, yellow-centred daisy-like flowers 1.5cm across. Native to Western Europe and Northwest Africa, including Great Britain and Ireland. Hardiness H7 (hardy in the severest European continental climates, below -20C). Full sun or partial shade. Soil: chalk, loam or sand; well-drained; acid, alkaline or neutral pH. Height and spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 2-5 years. Propagated by seed or division (division for non-flowering cultivars). Generally pest-free and generally disease-free. Aromatic leaves used as a culinary herb for tea and traditional herbal preparations; flowers are the part traditionally dried for chamomile tea. Regular trimming maintains compact, bushy growth.

1 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.