Chamomile tea

I actually made tea with fresh chamomile and boy I was out before I drank the whole cup. The fresh stuff is so much more powerful than the dried. Anyone else try this? I used roman chamomile.

I had one "brew" last year; but the chamomile got away from me and all turned yellow. I'm not sure if mine is roman or german - I had both and whatever it was that seeded itself is what I have.

The tea is also a good fungicide - use it to water seedlings to prevent damping off, spray it roses with black spot and hollyhocks with rust.

I know the Roman smells like apples. I'll remember the fungicide part, good to know.

I started mine from seed and it germinated but that's it. It's not growing it has remained the same microscopic size for about a month now. My DH threw the rest out in the garden and I think that might have been a mistake but it's not germinating.
-Juli

I've made mistakes like that. I threw some pennyroyal seeds out in the garden by accident. - I wonder if I am going to have pennyroyal everywhere.
What kind of chamolile did you plant?

I believe it was the German Chamomile. I had tried to start it in a seed pot and then after about a month it didn't get any bigger so I potted up the little sprouts to a larger pot to see if that made any difference. But it's still the same size. I'm wondering about setting the pot outside to see if it makes a difference. The chamomile that my DH threw out in the garden hasn't germinated yet and it's been a few weeks.
-Juli

I've read that German Chamomile doesn't like hot dry conditions.

Ok, I sniffed the chamomile, and I apparently have some of each. The lower growing smells like apples (thanks, Mobi) and the taller doesn't have much scent at all. I pulled some and hung it up - I need the space for other things. The roman is mostly smaller seedlings at this point and I have semi- isolated it in the bigger part of the garden on the east side of the walk [aren't you glad I got that straight? ; ) ] so I will be careful to let some of those plants seed. I just like the smell and it is a much nicer looking plant.

Mine sat in teh same tiny state for weeks, then all of a sudden burst forth into beig enough plants to transplant. First time I ever had success with it from seed (adding a bit of peroxide to the seed starter seemed to help). Now, its thriving. Just saw my first buds today.

As for the tea, I love a cup with a touch of mint added. Great for tummies as well as helping you fall asleep.

Barb

Hi! Hope you don't mind if I stick my nose in! I have a wonderful book by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and Maggie Stuckey, called "The Bountiful Container." Even tho it is specifically about container gardening, it has tons of information on herbs. They have a good section on Chamomile. They say:

"Although chamomile plants are fairly tough once they're established, they do not prosper if watering is neglected. When they are still young and have not developed a strong root system, they can also be damaged by too much sun."

They also mention that seeds of Roman chamomile germinate best in warm soil (70 degrees) and German in cooler (55 degrees). That German is far better for tea, although Roman has a sweeter fragrance while growing.

Kathleen: they mention that German chomomile grows into small, upright shrub with tiny, daisylike flowers on feathery stems. Roman chamomile grows in a completely different fasion - small spreading mounds, low to the ground, with foilage that is similar to the German.

Anyway...this is a great book, and there is a lot that I find very useful. Hope this helps...

Tracy

Is this the book you're talking about, Tracy? It sounds fabulous. :)
http://davesgarden.com/gbw/c/235/

Oh, and welcome to DG!
Donna

Hi Donna! Thanks for the welcome! What a wonderful place this is! I've already found excellent advice from many sources!

Yes!! This is the book I'm talking about. I tried to find it in the Garden Bookworm, and didn't locate it. I posted a positive comment to it...thanks for pointing it out. It really is a great book...I highly recommend it!

Take care!

Tracy

Huh! I probably should have grown the Roman kind then. What he threw out in the garden never germinated and the stuff in the pots is still microscopic. I'll have to look for some Roman seed unless anybody has any that has gone to seed yet and want to trade for something?
-Juli

Julie64, I have seeds if you want some...

Barb

Look you, I'm just gonna have to pick up and move to your house or something. I have some Jacob's Ladder(blue) Polemonium caeruleum if that is something you want or I've got some zinnias that are green called Envy.
-Juli

Oh, yes, both if possible. Now, what exactly have I promised you besides this Chamomile? Please, please remind me as we've been on several different threads and I am losing track. And, what other seeds are you looking for, just in case...

Barb

You are too cool! I will reimburse you postage along with the those seeds. I think the other thing was the Sister Julie's Wintergreen Mint but I don't think anybody actually got those. Everybody ordered them but then when shipments came nobody really got them. If we could get just one plant we could start shoots off it and make a mint(tee hee!, play on words there!)
Thanks!
-Juli

So, what else do ya want??? And, if you are sending me things, why do you keep offering to reimburse me, woman?

Barb

Because I know BassetDaughter can also use some unusual seed if I can find some for her Seeds of Hope(did I say that right?). Because everytime anybody wants or needs something you are the first one to respond with asking for nothing in return. Because pay it forward at some point has to pay it backwards. I appreciate all that you do for other people too not just for me.
-Juli(trying not to sound too maudlin)

Aw, well, shucks... I'm only doing for others what has been done for me here...

And, yes, its Ellie's Seeds of Hope. Just finished another 30 seed kits for a sale on Wednesday....

Barb

Barb - Do you sell these seed kits on this site? I'd be interested if you do.

Barb, I didn't know the sale was this close....

Are you doing different sales at different times then?

~* Robin☺

This message was edited Jun 25, 2005 1:55 PM

I'd be interested in a seed kit, too...

Tracy

Barb,
Thank you again! I got the R. Cham. seeds and will send you something tomorrow/Monday. Thanks!
-Juli

We have on-going sales, at MS Family Events over the summer. The big seed sale will be in the late fall/winter time frame. There will be a plant/seed sale in Septemer as well.

The kits are not yet on the site, as I have to write the page and determine the postage. They are a little chinese food box, a bag of miraclegro potting mix and a package of seeds. I currently have:

Jingle Bell Peppers
Pansies
Marigolds
Sweet Dani Basil
Catnip

I had nasturtium but sold them out and am awaiting more seed for those. They are $3 a piece. Why don't you email me if your're interested, so I don't hyjack this thread... Hope to have them up on the site today or tomorrow...

Barb

Well now I feel inspired to plant some chamomille. I love chamomile tea, and the fungicidal property is a very valuable thing to know! My mom has been looking for a good fungicide solution for her roses. Those are the only pesticides she uses, and now she won't have to! Thanks for the great info!

danak, between garlic juice and chamomile tea spray, I never buy any pesticides, etc.

Barb

That's great info to know! I just took a graduate level class on pesticides, but we didn't spend much time talking about alternative methods. I don't buy pesticides either, but my lawn and garden suffer the consequences! It's my goal to learn what I'm doing, and then I can have a thriving organic garden that can be an example to others. Thanks for the tips!

If I don't have chamomile this year, does tea from teabags work, or is it not strong enough?

Dana

Good question! I would try it in a "test" area first. But, i've found that store-bought herbal teas tend to be weaker than ones made from the straight dried or fresh flowers.

Barb

The Chamomile I bought earlier this year; when I ran out of my own; came from a local heath food/ natural herbal store and they were pretty potent.

Yes, I did save enough (of my own) for reseeding this year.

~* Robin☺

This message was edited Jun 29, 2005 9:20 PM

I was thinking more of the Celestial Seasonings, etc., Robin. I've never bought chamomile tea in a health food store. Always grown it... Good to know those are better.

Barb

I've used the tea bag chamomile and it worked fine - I don't think you can really mess up dried leaves and flowers. It's gotten so dry so fast here that the German chamomile has come and gone. The Roman chamomile is just starting to bloom and looking very good. I'll have to watch it though. I'm just not used to hot dry weather!

Shhh! Don't tell that to my chamomile; they've just started to peek through the soil.

~* Robin☺

lol, maybe it will encourage them to grow tall and lush!

I have some chamomile (German, I think, from the above description) growing and would like to know when/how to harvest it so I can make my own tea. I noticed the petals fall off the flowers -- do I cut before that? Then what?

Kathleen

P.S. mine is several months old and not very big, either.

I just take the flowers or just the yellow part and brew it with regular tea then strain it. That seems to work fine. I have always cut it before the end of its season but I don't see why you can't harvest it whenever you want. You don't need a lot, just a coupleof the flower heads for a cup.

Dumb question: you have to dry the flower heads first, right? Or not? I've never done this before either, and to my surprise, I found a chamomile plant in the garden here at our new house! Glad I didn't pull it thinking it was a weed. :)

Thanks,
Dana

Dry or fresh works fine.

Barb

Wonderful, thanks!

Here's a photo of the dried chamomile tea I bought from Frontier Herbs, a whole pound, LOL. I'll never use it all up! It appears to be just flower heads.