How to plant and grow a chamomile lawn.

Can I grow a chamomile lawn myself?

Yes you can, A Chamomile lawn can be grown from seed, plugs or turf ready to roll out and laid in the same way as lawn grass. 

 

Follow this guide,

  • The best type of chamomile for lawns.
  • What type of soil is best for planting a Chamomile lawn or pathway?
  • Preparing the ground for laying chamomile lawn turf.
  • Maintenance of your chamomile lawn. 

 

You may also want to try growing chamomile under and around a garden seat, or in and around a pathway. The fragrant aroma will be released each time the seat is used and the pathway is walked on!
You may also want to try growing chamomile under and around a garden seat, or around a pathway.

What is a Chamomile lawn?

Also spelt Camomile, mainly on packs of tea.

Chamomile turf is formed of low-growing aromatic herbs and adds a truly lovely feature to your garden. The finely divided leaves create a feathery appearance and every time you walk across it, the lawn will release its soothing apple fragrance into the air. 

In smaller gardens with an area that doesn't get a lot of heavy wear and tear, a chamomile lawn makes a lovely change to grass and even in larger gardens a chamomile path looks and smells good. 

The best chamomile for lawns is the very compact Anthemis nobilis, It spread to form a dense mat and is the turf we supply and lay.
 
What type of soil is best for planting a Chamomile lawn or pathway?
Chamomile doesn't like waterlogged soil. It grows best in free-draining soil that gets full sunlight. Heavy soil can be ok if grit is added or a raised bed is built to improve drainage. A  raised bed  formed with railway sleepers and filled with loamy soil and then planted with Camomile is a really attractive garden feature both to look at, touch and smell. Makes for interesting conversation too.

Preparing the bed for laying chamomile lawn turf.  
Prepare the ground as if you were laying normal grass turf. Ground preparation for laying a lawn is explained in more detail on my turfing  page. Chamomile turf comes in strips measuring 250mm by 500mm. There are eight strips to a square meter.
bigger folk for years to come.
Maintenance and looking after a chamomile lawn.
The great thing about chamomile is that it doesn't need much watering, feeding or mowing. It grows to a height of about 6cms. The occasional trim keeps any long shoots in control and helps sideways spread.
  •  If your soil is sandy and lacks the quantity of nutrients clay soil contains. Sprinkle a mixture of sieved compost and grit sand over the lawn each spring, and gently tread or rake it in. This helps drainage and encourages the growth of roots from the crushed shoots, making a healthy, dense cushion. 
  • If your soil is mostly clay a good spread of gritty sand over the chamomile will improve the surface drainage. Chamomile doesn't like water logged soil, so brush or gently rake the grit sand, as rolling it may compact the surface.

 

Weeds. Chamomile is a gentle plant and doesn't compete with grass and weeds in your garden. So, you will need to control them. You will be rewarded for protecting your gentle chamomile from the tougher and bigger folk for years to come.

flowerpotman.com

How to prepare the ground for planting a chamomile lawn.

You can grow a chamomile lawn using turf, seeds, seedlings or plugs.

Preparing the area for seeding or planting a chamomile lawn really is the same as for a grass lawn. Dig the area, remove all weeds and as many larger stones as you can. Then, dig in well rotted organic compost.

 More about preparing the ground and laying Chamomile turf here laying turf

You may also want to try growing chamomile under and around a garden seat, or in and around a pathway. The fragrant aroma will be released each time the seat is used and the pathway is walked on!

 

Planting a Chamomile lawn using seedlings or from seed.

Plant chamomile seedlings 15cm apart. Or sow organic compost in seed trays, treating them the same as any seedlings by thinning out and planting when the chamomile has grown into small plants.

 

Sowing Chamomile seed directly onto a prepared bed. 

When preparing the soil, make sure to rake the top as fine as you can. German chamomile is easy to start from seed. Wait until the weather warms up a bit and the frosts are gone. Chamomile seed needs light to germinate, so simply scatter the seed and press firmly onto the soil, but do not cover the seed with soil. Seeds should germinate in seven to fourteen days. Most seed packs come with full instructions.

Caring and looking after a newly seeded camomile lawn.

Water the chamomile lawn until the plants have starting spreading and becoming established. At this stage with your lawn-mower blades on the highest setting give it its first cut. Thinner patches can be replanted with saved seedlings.

 

Plug plants 

Unpack your plug plants as soon as they arrive and water them. Don't worry if some of the compost has become loose. 

Garden-ready plugs can be planted out straight away, if it’s warm enough. Or grown on for a few weeks in a large pot, for sturdier roots.

 

How much does Chamomile turf cost? 
Chamomile turf costs about £50 per square meter, so works out a lot more expensive than grass turf, so you may want to consider growing from seed. See below.

Choose between growing a chamomile lawn from seed or chamomile plant plugs by clicking on the amazon links below for information

20000 seeds
German Chamomile or Wild Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) daisy-like flower with yellow centres and feathery foliage which has an apple aroma when crushed. 
Makes a delicious soothing tea, or an aromatic skin wash and shampoo, dispatched with growing instructions. 
50 plugs for Chamomile lawns and under benches, etc.
  • A pleasantly aromatic plant with small, white, daisy-like flowers
  • Can be used as ground cover and does look a lot like a grass lawn 
  • Flowers: June-August
  • Requires: Sunny position with well-drained soil
  • Height: 10-20cm, plant 10cm apart (75 plugs/m2)