We all know chamomile: this beautiful white daisy which, in the common imagination, is immediately associated with relaxing herbal teas. Industry makes extensive use of it, which is why chamomile can be found on the shelves of every supermarket, but why not try growing these humble and precious flowers yourself?
Let’s start by saying that real and good chamomile ( feverfew ) is easily found in the spontaneous state , especially on mountain trails and fallow land, and is also considered an indicator species for loamy soils which tend to compact on the surface. Sometimes it can be confused with the » fake chamomile » ( odorless chamomile ), which can however be recognized, after careful observation, by the incomparable fragrance , and through the interior of the empty flower head. False chamomile does not smell the same and does not have medicinal properties.
chamomile cultivation it’s simple and without a doubt it can be done organically, below we discover everything necessary to be able to include this relaxing flower among our crops.
Contents [Ocultar]
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chamomile plant
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how to sow
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how to grow
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Collection and use
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Opportunity: growing chamomile to earn money
Contents
chamomile plant
Chamomile belongs to the Compositae family, it is an annual herbaceous plant erect stem about 50 cm high and much branched.
The leaves are light green and the inflorescences are flower heads that appear between May and September, they are numerous and fragrant.
We can find this plant also spontaneous, it grows even above 1500 meters of altitude, mountain chamomile it is considered particularly useful for medicinal purposes, as it grows in uncontaminated soil and clean air.
adapted train
For chamomile plants to deliver their full potential in terms of scent and medicinal properties, the best exposure is full sun . The plant prefers dry soils even poor, and tolerates a certain rate of limestone.
When tilling the soil, it is good to incorporate 3 or 4 kg per square meter of mature compost, because although chamomile also adapts to poor soils, maintaining a good level of organic matter in the soil is always important, regardless of the culture it contains. But later, no other special fertilization is needed for this species.
how to sow
Planting chamomile is very simple and can be done in spring , directly in the middle of the floor, by extension. In this way, in fact, we obtain a beautiful layer of chamomile that evenly covers the entire dedicated surface.
Therefore, it is important finely prepare the seedbed carry out the main tillage, which will be done with a shovel, or better still with a pitchfork, so as not to turn over the slices of earth but simply move them in depth, then continue breaking up the clods with a hoe and leveling the surface with the rake. Once the land is refined it’s possible wet it all with the diffuser shower, evenly distribute the seeds and cover it with a veil of earth passed through a sieve.
Alternatively, especially if the surface is large, the classic technique spreading the seeds out, covering them best with a rake and watering them afterwards is always a good thing.