Herbs

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A group to share knowlege and ideas about growing and using herbs.

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Latest Activity: Jun 3

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Comment by Silja Baer on February 5, 2010 at 5:40pm: Hi Ariane and Earl,
I have German Chamomile seeds and have grown plants from those seeds easily (happy to share). I don't think you will be able to get much of a plant this season anymore and don't really think that splitting roots will help. German Chamomile is an annual and dies down BUT it is happily self seeding and once you have it it will come back the next year. All in all an easy to grow plant and the tea tastes good.

Cheers Silja

Comment by Ariane Craig Smith on February 1, 2010 at 3:31pm: Hey thanks folks for all the chamomile advice! I have come to the conclusion that I will have to hunt out another plant - probably the german variety - thanks for the offer of seeds Lynn. I'm in Auckland so it might just be easier for me to get a whole new plant! It seems a shame to sacrifice the plant but maybe the only thing to do. Whether it is a mis-labelled pyrethrum or just an unpleasant culitivar, I don't want this one re-seeding!

Comment by Fionna Hill on February 1, 2010 at 1:10pm: It looks as though you can make tea from the Russian one too according to Kings Seeds.

6185
Chamomile Roman
Botanical Name: Chamaemelum nobile
A traditional ground cover in English gardens since before Tudor times. When cut like grass it gives off a delightful fragrance. The low growing airy stems have yellow-white florets borne singly on long stems from mid-summer to mid-autumn. Can also be used as herb tea or hair rinse like the German variety. Best sown in trays or plug trays and transplanted out when it reaching 2-4 true leaf stage. Space at up to 20 plants or clumps per square metre. Use hedge clippers, weed eaters or lawn mowers on high to maintain shape and height.

Perennial; 18-24 degrees; 10-14 days; 30cm height; 15cm apart; 1.2; Transplant; 2000 seeds; Medicinal.

Comment by Fionna Hill on February 1, 2010 at 1:07pm: I know nothing about camomile buttThis is the entry from the Kings Seeds web catalogue.

6180
Chamomile German
Botanical Name: Matricaria chamomilla or Matricaria recutita
An upright annual, not a ground cover, like the Roman variety Chamaemelum nobile. Chamomile tea made from the flowers of this variety is very popular in Europe as an aid to digestion. Also used as a hair rinse for lightening hair colour.

Annual; 18-24 degrees; 10-14 days; 30cm height; 15cm apart; 1.2; Transplant; 1000 seeds; Medicinal.

Comment by Earl Mardle on February 1, 2010 at 11:46am: Ariane. You may have struick the same problem I had a while back.

I have a couple of great Chamomile plants and I thought they had seeded and produced all sorts of offspring.

I planted them up and was delighted to see that they had produced hundreds of big fat flowers which I eventually used in a tea that was vile.

I concluded that either
1. it had crossed with the pyrethrum plant which looks very similar or
2. It WAS a pyrethrum.

Maybe Kings had the same problem, either at the seed collection stage or, more probably, the labelling stage, they DO look very similar.

I'm hoping to get some new seeds this year and will label them carefully, but I'd also like to try splitting the root and replanting, at least that way I'd know what I was getting. Any advice folks?

Comment by Lynn on January 31, 2010 at 7:03pm: Awww, I can imagine! Roman chamomile is the lawn chamomile...and I have never tasted tea from those flowers, so I can't say what you should expect, Ariane. I wonder if anyone else knows.

Comment by Kali on January 31, 2010 at 7:03pm: Ariane, if it helps there are some seeds on my german chamomile plant you could try growing, mine tastes fine

Comment by Ariane Craig Smith on January 31, 2010 at 6:00pm: Hi Lynn, the tag says Roman Chamomile, which according to my research should be fine. But the taste is definitely unpleasant - and I tried brewing with fresh flowers, dried flowers, and with just a few heads - and they all came out tasting bad. Maybe it's just that plant - I am heart-broken as I've been waiting with excitement for it to flower and it is now a sizeable plant.

Comment by Lynn on January 31, 2010 at 5:20pm: Are you at all aware of exactly which chamomile? I haven't personally experienced a bitterness problem with my recently harvested German Chamomile flowers. However, not all herbals teas purchased in the shops is equal.

Comment by Ariane Craig Smith on January 31, 2010 at 4:28pm: I have a chamomile plant which I purchased from Kings and have just started harvesting the flowers. I tried to make a cup of tea from them today, however the tea was strongly bitter and unpleasant - not at all the flavour I am familiar with for chamomile tea! Does anyone know if this is normal/have you had the same experience? I am reluctant to drink this - could it be the wrong variety of chamomile?