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Harvesting Your Chamomile

Gardening Guide: The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Chamomile - All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Preparing, and Cooking With Chamomile

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Harvesting Your Chamomile

By Norann Oleson

Freshly harvested chamomile blossoms.

Freshly harvested chamomile blossoms.

Your chamomile harvest is ready when the flower petals are white and the centers are bright yellow. The best times to harvest are early in the morning after the dew has evaporated from the flowers, or late in the evening—this is when the oils are most concentrated in the flowers. If it has rained recently, wait a day or two; chamomile is good at retaining moisture, and you don’t want too much moisture when you’re picking the flowers to dry them.

Harvesting chamomile is a labor of love. One. Flower. At. A. Time. OK, it may not be quite that slow, depending on your picking technique. You can pick the flowers one at a time. You can also use a specialized tool called a chamomile rake, but it’s expensive and probably won’t save you that much time. You can spread your fingers and comb through the blossoms, tossing them into your basket as you go. If you really like the chamomile rake idea, there are some DIY plans available online.

If your inner child is screaming to come out, you can pinch the base of the blossom with your thumb and forefinger and just pop the blossom off the stem. It’s a lot like dead-heading (and also a lot like kids sometimes do with dandelions, popping their heads off).

As you pick your blossoms, collect them in a container that breathes, like a basket or even a paper bag. Now, you will certainly wind up with part of the flower stem along with the flower. After you’ve finished harvesting, take the time to snip the stem parts off the blossoms; the stem can add a bitter edge to your tea.

Once you’ve harvested a bunch of your flowers, you’ll notice that you have a lot of stems left over. Some will be in your garden bed or container; some will still be standing. Many of the standing stems will have buds forming lower down; those are future flowers (more tea for you!). As for the stem pieces on the ground—just leave them there. They make a nice mulch, and they’ll decompose quickly and add some nutrients back into the soil.

What’s your favorite way to harvest your chamomile? Do you prefer the hand-combing method, or do you use a chamomile rake? If you harvest the flowers one at a time, do you pop the blossoms off their stems or snip them with scissors? Let us know your favorite way to gather your chamomile harvest.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Chamomile Plants
  • Choosing to Grow Chamomile from Seeds or Seedlings
  • Growing Chamomile in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds
  • Starting with the Right Soil for Your Chamomile Plants
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Chamomile Plants
  • Should You Fertilize Your Chamomile Plants?
  • How—and When—to Water Your Chamomile Plants
  • Companion Planting with Chamomile
  • Diseases That Affect Chamomile
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Chamomile Plants
  • Harvesting Your Chamomile
  • Drying Your Chamomile
  • What Else Can You Do with Chamomile?
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Chamomile
  • How to Harvest Chamomile and Dry it for Tea
  • Plant Profiles

  • Roman Chamomile
  • German Chamomile
  • Recipes

  • Chamomile Fizz
  • Vanilla Chamomile Marshmallows
  • Chamomile Rice Pudding with Tea-Infused Golden Raisins
  • Strawberries with Chamomile-Infused Cream
  • Dairy-free Chamomile Latte
  • Chamomile Tea Using Fresh Chamomile
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Chamomile
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Chamomile
  • Resources about Chamomile
  • Chamomile Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • How to Grow Herbs For Tea in Your Kitchen
  • The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Chamomile—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Preparing, and Cooking With Chamomile

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