KEVIN YOU SAVED MY GARDEN’S LIFE, I SAW THIS POP UP IN MY FEED AND I REMEMBERED I LEFT MY GATE OPEN AND ALL OF MY SEED PACKETS AND TOOLS OUT!!! I have so many deer and raccoons, this literally saved my garden lol, I ran out with a flashlight immediately and now I’m back to watch this video.
Planted my first chamomile seeds like two days ago, now I'm getting as much info as possible from all the seeds I planted... I had head of chamomile for tummy unease, but not for period pains, definitely gonna try this one
@@emmaschauer5409 you seep it for 5-10 minutes (until it looks like filtered apple juice) and then remove the things. It is also okay tasting when cold.
Favorite chamomile recipe is super easy: steep the dried flowers in warm milk, instead of water, remove them after about 10 minutes and add some honey. It honestly does wonders if you're having trouble sleeping 🥰 Growing my own chamomile for the first time this year and just transferred them out into the garden. So exited to see how it pans out!
I have roman chamomile growing in between pavers in a part-shade area of my yard, and oh my goodness the sweet apple smell when I step over them is pure magic.
Great timing! Here in the Netherlands a big supermarket chain hands out little seedstarter packets with your groceries and chamomile is one of them. Now I know how to properly look after it
Dog car sickness or anxiety while in a car. We use camomile when we go on trips with our dog, Nick. Sometimes he just starts to feel icky, like driving on a dark, you guessed it, desert highway. Once we see him start to feel icky, we’ll put 1 tea bag in his no-spill water bowl. Swirl it around, wait about 5 or so minutes and let him start lapping it up. Not more than 20 minutes later, he’s looking, acting and appears to feel better. Good luck in the car and the garden and until next time keep on gardening.
I love making things from dandelion, you should try dandelion syrup. But a word of warning if you are going to make tea out of the roots, it is BITTER and I haven’t found out how to make it better yet, but just be aware it won’t be floral 😂 certainly shocked me
I use chamomile on my started plants to prevent dampening off! I had a ton of plants die that way, but I started making cold brew chamomile tea and putting it in a spray bottle and soaking the soil each day. Worked like a charm!
Where's the merch that says "give it that boop"?! 🌼 AND "botanical blessings" with Kevin looking like a saint?! ✌🏽 I'd buy that merch in a heartbeat! 😂
My mother-in-law is Navajo and they call this Navajo tea. She lives with my husband and I now and I would like to grow some camomile for her. On the reservation, I'm sure the tea grows closer to the ground. Also, they get stem and flowers to dry for tea, not flowers only. Delicious! Edit: I am concerned of getting this in North Texas as last month kicked us into full blown summer. I do have some very shaded areas.
I was JUST telling my mom that I'm going to look into planting chamomile for her since té de manzanilla has always been a staple in her pantry. Thanks!
@@truthinlovemama Fill whatever size jar 2/3rd full of fresh camomile flowers. Cover with 100 proof vodka up to the very brim. Close the jar so it’s air tight. Set in a cool dark place for 8 weeks. Strain and decant into smaller bottles and store in a temp stable dark environment. Lasts for up to 5 years. I wouldn’t make less than a pint at a time (since it is a go to) unless it’s just not blooming well when I really need to make more. Sometimes it takes a while to gather enough fresh blossoms to make the tincture but sticking the fresh blossoms in the freezer while waiting to harvest more is okay over a week or two. I use colored glass bottles with fitted eye droppers, they seem to keep things fresh and potent longer. Also have to really force myself to label everything, including dates!
I'm growing German Chamomile in my side plot, a really cool thing I discovered is that we have a wild Chamomile endemic to San Diego called pineapple weed and its growing all over my yard, the flowers taste lightly of pineapple and have a sweet flavor.
So I planned to grow some. Forgot to plant it. But luck was on my side, and some seeds from other plots blew in. I am so happy. I have 10 chamomile plants flowering. SO indeed 50 percent bonus.
I was literally harvesting some chamomile when my phone alerted me to this video! I started chamomile 2years ago and it has come back every year. This year, my goal is to dry and store it for tea. I’m a huge tea drinker! Great video!
Don't forget Wild Chamomile (Matricaria Discoidea) also called Pineappleweed, Disc May Weed and a few other names. It has a beautiful pineapple fragrance and makes a superb tea.
Just planted mine out yesterday, started the seeds around 3/15 after cycling peppers and maters to potting up. Also calendula, borage, salvia, and heartsease(viola tricolor) planted out yesterday. I love calendula, chamomile, my ground stevia, and lemongrass tea. It's also good with wild violet and lemon. Turns a nice pink color when adding citrus to violets.
Chamomile is native here and it just naturalises everywhere. Some pets and animals actually really enjoy them as well, try giving leaves, stems and flowers to rabbits for example...🐰🌱
My chickens like chamomile. I'm letting it naturalize all over my garden because it makes a sweet filler for bouquets, the chickens get the trimmings whenever I cut a bunch.
I'm growing german chamomile in my greenstalk, too, with strawberries and garlic. I didn't thin it at all, since I'm growing in the greenstalk, I am okay with the plant growing smaller. I love your auto-booper. It reminds me of this metal tube squeezer I have with a crank on it. So much fun to squeeze all the toothpaste and hand cream tubes flat. Gadgets bring out the silly in us.
I've got Chamomile, Echinacea, Fuchsia, True Jasmine, Lavender, and Pineapple Sage growing for my tea. :3 I have both German and Roman Chamo growing, cuz I wasn't sure which I needed.
@@lanetower3411 Mine are just babies, for now, so I've only used a few of the flowers. I want to try the leaves but I might kill them, this early. Only about 6 inches tall, outside of the flowering stalks.
Chamomile has gotta be my single most favorite versatile herb: it's helpful for sleep & stress if you drink it, it's really good for yr hair & brings out some slightly warm blonde highlights in blonde / dirty blonde / *maybe* very light brown hair (natural, afaik: i don't think it'll do anything to treated hair but I'm not 100% sure tbh), it's also really good for yr skin- moisturizing, soothing, and it smells really nice. I like to do a really long, strong brew with predominantly chamomile (& a buncha other stuff too, but you can still benefit from just chamomile alone- I just always go way tf overboard with everything)- brew strong & then steep until completely cool- like 3-24hrs. You can use that as a conditioning/smoothing leave-in hair tea (pour it on: leave it- no rinse) after shampooing, conditioning, & maybe patting dry. You can use that same hair tea as a stand-alone toner or pre-lotion spritz for yr face &/or entire body, & you can also add it to say like a simple alcohol-free natural witch hazel or rosewater (or both) toner. (Keep refrigerated, discard after a week for sure, maybe stick to 3 days to be extra safe). Hahaha srsly you could steep these flowers & sip the resulting tea while steeping *yrself* in a tub full of this and (as long as yr not allergic to the ragweed family, ofc), you'll end up not only relaxed & kind of enchanted (if yr dorky for plants, I guess) but supremely externally moisturized & smelling like a beautiful meadow. It's f*cken magical. Loveliest, most versatile little flower ever. Oh! Also! In addition to a chamomile spritz being useful for damping off issues, supposedly many plants thrive at *every* stage of their growth just simply from being planted near chamomile. Idk if this is proven & haven't tried it myself but I'm about to give it a go. I think of it like a sweet, soft-spoken little gentle nurturer. Like if chamomile were a person, it'd be one of those really sweet, thoughtful, gentle, helpy little girls who all the animals love & who naturally toddle up to anyone who is having a rough time to ask what's wrong / comfort them. Little bebe angel flowers. D'awwww
Thanks, Kevin! Chamomile is one of my favorite herbs to dry for tea because it cheers me up during those cold winter months! I have found two issues to adjust to. One is bugs: Thrips and aphids like my chamomile so I harvest it and then let the flowers sit on a blanket outside for a few hours until...they go away. Second is bitterness: Chamomile tea (the real medicinal stuff) tastes a bit bitter so honey or mixing dry chamomile with mint or lemon balm can cut that bitterness back. But it turns out that bitterness stimulates healing responses in our body. That's my two cents. Otherwise, it's super easy to grow and a happy harvest. :) (Zone 5B New England)
if it's bitter you could also look at conditions. Maybe your soil is too fertile? Try growing it in pure sand. The stuff I pick in the wild here in the netherlands is sweet.
@@albertheijnpindakaas Oh, interesting! Thank you for that tip! I will experiment this growing season and see if I can't get that chamomile to be less bitter. Many thanks.
@@colleenwnek3404 You might also look into which type (Roman vs German) you are growing ... Roman is sweeter, smells a bit like apples whereas German is sweet but not as sweet and smells more like a fresh bale of straw when a layer of it is being strewn out for animal bedding ... unlike the older straw more often used in gardening.
I have litterally been thinking about growing chamomile all week!! I know you say you'd prefer clear cut seasons but I wish I lived in your climate!!! Sending love from the rainy UK! ❤️
I live a little bit North of him, iirc, up in Oregon - I'd trade you our sun for your rain in a heartbeat, lol ^^ It's only mid April and it's already 80-some degrees F (or over 28 degrees C) and extremely bright/hot outside. Normally we'd have rain all winter up through June, but this year we've only had little bits of rain here and there. I can't remember the last time it rained tbh, this summer's gonna be brutal =(
@@lindsaycarskadon8876 seeing your comment for the first time now, makes me kind of emotional. 🥺 “Brutal” was a spot on prediction for this summer in the PNW. I’m in south eastern Washington, and this was the worst summer in 23 years by all accounts. Devastating heat and drought for farmers, livestock, and gardeners. We’ve had 3.9 inches of rain total this year. We average only 8.5”-9.5” in a normal year. Two months of 100°-117°F, without a drop of rain. Only to see that Oregon had it even worse. Then the poor east coast had rain that wouldn’t let up for weeks. The juxtaposition of struggle is real!!! Wishing all of us everywhere a less extreme growing season in 2022. 💚
I bought a box of bagged chamomile tea, 5 years ago. I opened up one of the bags and sprinkled half of it over some soil. It sprouted and I broke up the seedlings when they were about an inch tall and put it all over my garden. It’s amazing!
This is exactly how I got mine to grow last year. I sowed seeds on top of my starter mix, used vermiculite, kept them under grow lights and eventually moved to a raised container bed in the backyard. I had quite the abundance of chamomile for tea. I adore the scent and flavor in tea!!
Thanks for sharing… I plan to use grow lights too, just wondering how many hours do you leave it under the grow lights per day? Also, do you water it with a spray bottle daily? Thank you.
@@LadyLLLL because it is “fake” light or less lumens than the sun (of course), I left mine on nearly all the time, shutting off when i wud go to bed and turning on immediately when I got up. If I forgot to shut off @ night, it didn’t matter really.
@@CiaofCleburne Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. Think I’ll try leaving my grow lights on for about 6-8hrs a day and see how it goes… 😅 I’ve never used grow lights before, so this would be my 1st attempt at growing something from ‘scratch’. 😅
lol blueberry auto booper does looks like a fun tool that could work on other berries too. I must buy one. Chamomile tea is a great de stresser. You seem to be stress relieved by the aromatherapy while harvesting. One of the two chamomile you mentioned Roman or German, turns blue in color when made into an essential oil that diffused in air or applied to skin is also a de stresser. Cheers
I haven't planted mine yet but will plant outside fairly soon, I can't keep up with so many starts at this point in time. I'm just proud of myself for raising a few tomato and pepper plants from seed. I have quite a few flowers to plant including milkweed, St. John's Wort, sun flowers and others. Excellent information, thank you.
I've grown both Roman and German chamomile. Roman is perennial, while German is annual. I plant my Roman at the edge of my border with my German behind it. Tea making is so satisfying. BTW just got my seed starting 6 packs. They're incredible! They'll obviously last forever. I like the generous hole at the bottom that I can use to poke my seedlings out for transplant. Another great video!!!
I just transplanted out my chamomile the other day, how timely! thanks kevin. I also like to use chamomile and other flavors in baked goods - buns, biscuits, scones, and little cookies.
I planted a little chamomile plant in a pot on my porch. This spring it is EVERYWHERE! all over my property, it is gorgeous! I’m hoping it will spread to my pasture so my cow and horses can munch on a little ♥️❤️
I like how you just eat everything you harvest! I am groeing chamomile from seeds as well, super easy, and just in case it does not make it, I am super lucky because in my are it grows wild everywhere !
Kevin, I planted my chamomile seeds last week...first time. What perfect timing for you to make this video. You are my "Espiratu" animal! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Seriously, though...I'm going all out in my urban garden this year thanks to you. (Just started reading your book, too.) Also loving Epic Homesteading. Appreciate all you do for us learning gardeners out here.
I grew this in the community garden, starting it the summer before covid and then leaving it to grow over covid when I couldn't get out at all really. I did great all by itself with completely natural watering and no help from me. I ended the garden lease after summer and went to clean up the garden, harvesting all of the chamomile heads to dry for tea. I put them all on my dehydrator and set it to run, then went about my work at home day. An hour later I nearly passed out! The soporific warm chamomile smell was so delightful and overpowering. I was dazed, and couldn't stay awake. It was kind of incredible. It wasn't like an emergency, just very peaceful and relaxing like taking a benadryl. If I ever needed proof that it calms you down and makes you sleepy, I certainly got it for myself! But of course, it's been used for thousands of years just for that reason. And that's why I drink it every night at bedtime!
Roman chamomile is very good for your skin. The essential oil and even more commonly the hydrosol (the water left over from the oil distilling process) are amazing skincare products. If I had more room, I'd grow both.
I simply opened a chamomile tea packet and sprinkled some to three vacant pots I had. It germinated today!!! After two days. I can’t believe it. Now I am watching your video to learn how to keep it alive :)
Kevin, I just came across your channel and I am loving it 🥰 I just purchased some chamomile seeds, i make calendula, chamomile and Mullen tea every day, to help with disconnected tissue disorder I was ordering my teas from Amazon and I tried to get the best organic I can possibly get my hands on, but let’s be honest unless you grown your own, you really don’t know if what you’re getting is what your paying for. I would love to grow my own, saw your instructions and I believe I can do this. Thanks for sharing,
I love Chamomile! It is super easy to grow. I just planted some last year and just let some of the flowers seed and it came back all on its own this year! Can't wait for fresh chamomile tea!
Love chamomile. I direct sowed it in 8a (SC) in the top of my garden tower probably 4 years ago now, and it just reseeds itself every year. Cool tea maker gadget, it looks both pretty and really handy for loose leaf :)
I just started mine and saw them sprouting!! Hopefully theyll flourish like yours. I would like to try using them not only for tea but in oils or soaps.
I've always had them in the garden and not realized that I could drink them! lol I just cut them for my vase. Now, I know what else I can with them. Thanks!
Planted German chamomile recently and and the seeds have germinated now. Your tips will be a big help. A friend just gave me a tea pot like you have. Will use it to steep my home made teas! I am working on my tea plot. So far lemon balm, chocolate mint, lemon grass and newly planted chamomile! Thank you again!
Chamomile tea is lovely. Last night I had a cup from flowers I harvested last summer. If you are paranoid about the seeds drying out, instead of vermiculite, you can cover the seeds with any transparent plastic. Saran-wrap, a sandwich bag, an old shopping bag, etc. So long as it lets light through, you are good (if it's semi-transparent make sure it has a good light source like a sunny window to get through the plastic to the seeds.) This will keep the moisture in and let light through. I agree about using that tool, and had a similar tool in mind last year when I was harvesting chamomile. If you are looking for an excuse to be outside, of course skip it, enjoy the time picking the flowers. But when the summer heat really comes on in July and August, squatting in the sun for 15 mins to harvest one or two cups of tea was a bit much. To dry them out I put a days worth of harvest, a couple ounces, in a big brown paper shopping bag, closed the bag, and put it in my hot attic. After 3 or 4 days they were well dried and then I would transfer them to a jar. Mine looked quite a bit dryer than yours. I have a sweet tooth so I like to add a tsp of honey for flavor and a tsp of sugar for more sweetness. Speaking of tea, I am curious about growing Yaupon. It's an evergreen shrub native to North America, and the leaves contain caffeine. I've read the flavor is a bit like tea and yerba maté, and can be smokey depending on how the leaves are roasted. I bought some dried leaves to taste test, just waiting for them to get here. The shrubs get fairly large, 5m to 9m, and one shrub could probably provide a substitute for all the tea/coffee someone might want for a year. Very cool. I am not sure if it's suitable for your climate, but I thought you might be interested.
When you brought out the berry harvesting tool I immediately thought of Jonna Jinton 🥰 she lives in the north of Sweden and her family uses ones made of wood to harvest berries in the woods around her house
Thats a truly epic idea to harvest the flowers with that blueberry picker! Here in finland every household has one (or more) 😂 we use if for picking wild bilberries and lingonberries.. but it also works surprisingly well for GOOSEBERRIES 😀
My chamomile just started flowering. I just planted them outside today. I loved this video. I love chamomile tea ❤️. So fun to learn to grow and dry yourself. Thank you for how to dry it! I'm on my way...
Great video! I was merely searching for information on the water to loose chamomile ratio and found a bunch of crap videos, but yours had it all. Thanks!
Just received your beautiful book. Absolutely wonderful. 2 hours today enjoying the information and just stunning photos . I recommend this book to all your viewers. I ordered after I watched your micro greens class a few weeks ago and I'm so happy with it. Thank you.
You "booping" made my day! :-D OH! I got my epic seed cells yesterday! So happy! I thought they would arrive too late to use this spring but I'll be able to use them for my '6 and 4 weeks out' seeds. Mainly flowers and squash. I only needed ~ 300 but the price for 1 pack of 720 cells was less than 3 pks of the 144 cells. They are so sturdy they'll last years and years! I plan to give a few (96 cells) away to friends who garden. Many thanks to you and your staff.
Another great video Kevin, I tried to grow chamomile and covered them with to much soil, now I know when I try again they will germinate, thanks for sharing 🌱
You are a life saver. I have tried for many years to grow Chamomile. I always covered it with a light amount of soil. I hope this changes my luck with these little tiny seeds. Thank you. I don't know why I always thought when they said surface sow. They meant just below the surface. Derp!
I literally bought chamomile seeds at the nursery yesterday. Whatever I’m growing, Kevin is ready to help.
Same! Mine starting spouting.
Lol me too...i was just about to look for some youtube videos 😂
I just bought chamomile tea from the store and used that. It works great and is so much cheaper. 💜
That happened to me with citrus and strawberries! It’s the season I guess 😂
Sounds fun and delicious. Thanks for the vid.
KEVIN YOU SAVED MY GARDEN’S LIFE, I SAW THIS POP UP IN MY FEED AND I REMEMBERED I LEFT MY GATE OPEN AND ALL OF MY SEED PACKETS AND TOOLS OUT!!! I have so many deer and raccoons, this literally saved my garden lol, I ran out with a flashlight immediately and now I’m back to watch this video.
Wow! Good timing.
Lol, what a legend
Legend!!!
Bruh 💀
😂😂 2 years old but this is hilarious. I hope your garden is thriving!!
Chamomile, orange peal, cinnamon, cloves makes a real good tea. In order of amounts.
I just use a dinner fork to harvest. Used to do by hand but age and arthritis eventually made it too painful so started using dinner fork.
Recipe for a period pains tea: one teaspoon chamomile, one flower head calendula, and a few leaves of mint per mug :)
Planted my first chamomile seeds like two days ago, now I'm getting as much info as possible from all the seeds I planted... I had head of chamomile for tummy unease, but not for period pains, definitely gonna try this one
❤️❤️❤️ awesome!
Any idea on where to get measurements for teas to help with aches and colds?
I'll have to try this, thank you. 💖
@@emmaschauer5409 you seep it for 5-10 minutes (until it looks like filtered apple juice) and then remove the things. It is also okay tasting when cold.
Favorite chamomile recipe is super easy: steep the dried flowers in warm milk, instead of water, remove them after about 10 minutes and add some honey. It honestly does wonders if you're having trouble sleeping 🥰
Growing my own chamomile for the first time this year and just transferred them out into the garden. So exited to see how it pans out!
Oh, that sounds lovely! Im growing this year for the first time, I am definitely trying this!
I grow my own chamomile and gonna try your recipe. Sounds yummy ty
I do this with coconut milk, cinnamon and honey. Call it baby drink.
I have roman chamomile growing in between pavers in a part-shade area of my yard, and oh my goodness the sweet apple smell when I step over them is pure magic.
Great timing! Here in the Netherlands a big supermarket chain hands out little seedstarter packets with your groceries and chamomile is one of them. Now I know how to properly look after it
That is just wonderful!!
I love this idea and demand the U.S. start doing it!
U.S needs to take notes
you should do a garden bed with a variety of tea plants
Growing chamomile for the first time this year. Had my first tiny harvest today. It's wonderful.
The auto-booper 😂 love it. Chamomile lavender is one of my favorite herbal combos!
Dog car sickness or anxiety while in a car. We use camomile when we go on trips with our dog, Nick. Sometimes he just starts to feel icky, like driving on a dark, you guessed it, desert highway. Once we see him start to feel icky, we’ll put 1 tea bag in his no-spill water bowl. Swirl it around, wait about 5 or so minutes and let him start lapping it up. Not more than 20 minutes later, he’s looking, acting and appears to feel better. Good luck in the car and the garden and until next time keep on gardening.
My chamomile actually survived the winter and I'm hoping to make some tea with it along with some dandelion
Same rule applies to dandelion. You want em just after they have fully opened.
@@skitzoradio369 Yup. That's how I've been harvesting them
ooo that sounds good!! let me know how it tastes.
@@citrus4419 Will do
I love making things from dandelion, you should try dandelion syrup. But a word of warning if you are going to make tea out of the roots, it is BITTER and I haven’t found out how to make it better yet, but just be aware it won’t be floral 😂 certainly shocked me
chammomile is also great infused to make skin salves 👍🏽amazing for eczema
I was going just to grow chamomile from seed today but I didn't know how so thank you Kevin you the MAN!!!!!!!
Same! 🥰
I already started them in a container, compared to mine, Kevin's seedlings look like they are on sterroids :)).
I use chamomile on my started plants to prevent dampening off! I had a ton of plants die that way, but I started making cold brew chamomile tea and putting it in a spray bottle and soaking the soil each day. Worked like a charm!
A car's dash under the front or rear windshield in the sun can work well as a free dehydrator
great idea lol can I directly sun dry flowers and herbs?
@@wasabiy817 some will fade or lose flavor in the sun, check some sources. I usually shade-dry
@@bustedkeaton thanks for the tips
and your car will smell great
So excited for my +50% more chamomile flowers! 🌼💕
It just grow randomly on a big pot I was so surprised and I'm so happy she is already flowering! What a gift ❤
What a lovely coincidence! I just planted some chamomile 6 days ago, and they're already germinated!
I've been trying to grow chamomile in a flower box. I didn't realize I had wild, native chamomile (matricaria discoidea) growing in my yard!
Those plants love growing along my front walkway!
I love adding dried peppermint leaves to the chamomile flowers!
Can we please have a calendula care video now? 😍✨
Where's the merch that says "give it that boop"?! 🌼
AND "botanical blessings" with Kevin looking like a saint?! ✌🏽
I'd buy that merch in a heartbeat! 😂
For real 🤣
Yessss
Especially the 'Botanical Blessings' one.
My mother-in-law is Navajo and they call this Navajo tea. She lives with my husband and I now and I would like to grow some camomile for her. On the reservation, I'm sure the tea grows closer to the ground. Also, they get stem and flowers to dry for tea, not flowers only. Delicious!
Edit: I am concerned of getting this in North Texas as last month kicked us into full blown summer. I do have some very shaded areas.
I was JUST telling my mom that I'm going to look into planting chamomile for her since té de manzanilla has always been a staple in her pantry. Thanks!
Same. It was my dad's go-to for tummy aches when I was a kid.
I've been thinking about it the past week. Funny how that works.
Yay ! Grow flowers !
Manzanilla con anise ❤
You took me back, when you said te de manzanilla, I could here my mom saying it, oh how I miss her.
Thank you for that
Something about your demeanor is just so calming I love learning from you 🌱
Camomile tincture is a go to. Easy to make too. Can’t wait for this season’s harvest.
You soak the chamomile in alcohol? For how long? What do you use it for? I have some chamomile seedlings right now I am looking forward to using.
@@truthinlovemama Fill whatever size jar 2/3rd full of fresh camomile flowers. Cover with 100 proof vodka up to the very brim. Close the jar so it’s air tight. Set in a cool dark place for 8 weeks. Strain and decant into smaller bottles and store in a temp stable dark environment. Lasts for up to 5 years.
I wouldn’t make less than a pint at a time (since it is a go to) unless it’s just not blooming well when I really need to make more. Sometimes it takes a while to gather enough fresh blossoms to make the tincture but sticking the fresh blossoms in the freezer while waiting to harvest more is okay over a week or two. I use colored glass bottles with fitted eye droppers, they seem to keep things fresh and potent longer. Also have to really force myself to label everything, including dates!
@@Lauradicus thank you!!!
I'm growing German Chamomile in my side plot, a really cool thing I discovered is that we have a wild Chamomile endemic to San Diego called pineapple weed and its growing all over my yard, the flowers taste lightly of pineapple and have a sweet flavor.
I have heard of the pineapple weed and it’s really delicious 😋 from everything I have heard. Wish I had some of those here
So I planned to grow some. Forgot to plant it.
But luck was on my side, and some seeds from other plots blew in. I am so happy. I have 10 chamomile plants flowering. SO indeed 50 percent bonus.
Kevin you insisted so much on how the stems are NOT bothering you I feel like it really got to you :)))
You do a good job with bringing more detail and information than is typical of YT videos.
I was literally harvesting some chamomile when my phone alerted me to this video! I started chamomile 2years ago and it has come back every year. This year, my goal is to dry and store it for tea. I’m a huge tea drinker! Great video!
Don't forget Wild Chamomile (Matricaria Discoidea) also called Pineappleweed, Disc May Weed and a few other names. It has a beautiful pineapple fragrance and makes a superb tea.
Thanks for the scientific name! I’m going to go look it up, now.
Just planted mine out yesterday, started the seeds around 3/15 after cycling peppers and maters to potting up. Also calendula, borage, salvia, and heartsease(viola tricolor) planted out yesterday. I love calendula, chamomile, my ground stevia, and lemongrass tea. It's also good with wild violet and lemon. Turns a nice pink color when adding citrus to violets.
Chamomile is native here and it just naturalises everywhere. Some pets and animals actually really enjoy them as well, try giving leaves, stems and flowers to rabbits for example...🐰🌱
I have a small patch of chamomile that comes back every year and I feed it to my rabbits. They love it and it smells lovely as they munch on it.
Im trying to make paper out of the leaves. How would I harvest them
My chickens like chamomile. I'm letting it naturalize all over my garden because it makes a sweet filler for bouquets, the chickens get the trimmings whenever I cut a bunch.
Could you also show how to grow lavender?
I grew it in class, pretty much just drop it in and water. Itll take a bit for the actual lavender to grow so be weary.
I'm growing german chamomile in my greenstalk, too, with strawberries and garlic. I didn't thin it at all, since I'm growing in the greenstalk, I am okay with the plant growing smaller. I love your auto-booper. It reminds me of this metal tube squeezer I have with a crank on it. So much fun to squeeze all the toothpaste and hand cream tubes flat. Gadgets bring out the silly in us.
I've got Chamomile, Echinacea, Fuchsia, True Jasmine, Lavender, and Pineapple Sage growing for my tea. :3 I have both German and Roman Chamo growing, cuz I wasn't sure which I needed.
Pineapple sage!!! Never heard of it, sounds interesting!
@@mult1coloured, I have pineapple sage in my garden. It smells pretty much like pineapple! Hence the name. The hummingbirds love it a lot.
I had no idea you could make fuschia tea!
I have pineapple sage. It grows huge. Do you use the leaves or flowers in your tea? BTW, rose petals make nice tea , too.
@@lanetower3411 Mine are just babies, for now, so I've only used a few of the flowers. I want to try the leaves but I might kill them, this early. Only about 6 inches tall, outside of the flowering stalks.
German Chamomile if left to seed, can reseed in the area it’s planted, especially if the area has favorable conditions
So OK to plant outdoors in Zone 6 and it will grow back in the spring?
I love my tea maker the one that poured over the cups but I gotmy at Tabata
Chamomile has gotta be my single most favorite versatile herb: it's helpful for sleep & stress if you drink it, it's really good for yr hair & brings out some slightly warm blonde highlights in blonde / dirty blonde / *maybe* very light brown hair (natural, afaik: i don't think it'll do anything to treated hair but I'm not 100% sure tbh), it's also really good for yr skin- moisturizing, soothing, and it smells really nice.
I like to do a really long, strong brew with predominantly chamomile (& a buncha other stuff too, but you can still benefit from just chamomile alone- I just always go way tf overboard with everything)- brew strong & then steep until completely cool- like 3-24hrs. You can use that as a conditioning/smoothing leave-in hair tea (pour it on: leave it- no rinse) after shampooing, conditioning, & maybe patting dry.
You can use that same hair tea as a stand-alone toner or pre-lotion spritz for yr face &/or entire body, & you can also add it to say like a simple alcohol-free natural witch hazel or rosewater (or both) toner. (Keep refrigerated, discard after a week for sure, maybe stick to 3 days to be extra safe).
Hahaha srsly you could steep these flowers & sip the resulting tea while steeping *yrself* in a tub full of this and (as long as yr not allergic to the ragweed family, ofc), you'll end up not only relaxed & kind of enchanted (if yr dorky for plants, I guess) but supremely externally moisturized & smelling like a beautiful meadow. It's f*cken magical.
Loveliest, most versatile little flower ever.
Oh! Also! In addition to a chamomile spritz being useful for damping off issues, supposedly many plants thrive at *every* stage of their growth just simply from being planted near chamomile. Idk if this is proven & haven't tried it myself but I'm about to give it a go.
I think of it like a sweet, soft-spoken little gentle nurturer. Like if chamomile were a person, it'd be one of those really sweet, thoughtful, gentle, helpy little girls who all the animals love & who naturally toddle up to anyone who is having a rough time to ask what's wrong / comfort them. Little bebe angel flowers. D'awwww
Thanks for all the wonderful information I love chamomile tea
Thanks, Kevin! Chamomile is one of my favorite herbs to dry for tea because it cheers me up during those cold winter months! I have found two issues to adjust to. One is bugs: Thrips and aphids like my chamomile so I harvest it and then let the flowers sit on a blanket outside for a few hours until...they go away. Second is bitterness: Chamomile tea (the real medicinal stuff) tastes a bit bitter so honey or mixing dry chamomile with mint or lemon balm can cut that bitterness back. But it turns out that bitterness stimulates healing responses in our body. That's my two cents. Otherwise, it's super easy to grow and a happy harvest. :) (Zone 5B New England)
if it's bitter you could also look at conditions. Maybe your soil is too fertile? Try growing it in pure sand. The stuff I pick in the wild here in the netherlands is sweet.
@@albertheijnpindakaas Oh, interesting! Thank you for that tip! I will experiment this growing season and see if I can't get that chamomile to be less bitter. Many thanks.
@@colleenwnek3404 You might also look into which type (Roman vs German) you are growing ... Roman is sweeter, smells a bit like apples whereas German is sweet but not as sweet and smells more like a fresh bale of straw when a layer of it is being strewn out for animal bedding ... unlike the older straw more often used in gardening.
I have litterally been thinking about growing chamomile all week!! I know you say you'd prefer clear cut seasons but I wish I lived in your climate!!! Sending love from the rainy UK! ❤️
Hey there, I've got chamomile seeds a week old under a light and all is good. Hope to have them outside in about a month, London.
@@gingernightmare9152 great to know! Im just starting out my gardening adventure really so never sure of myself! London also :)
I live a little bit North of him, iirc, up in Oregon - I'd trade you our sun for your rain in a heartbeat, lol ^^
It's only mid April and it's already 80-some degrees F (or over 28 degrees C) and extremely bright/hot outside.
Normally we'd have rain all winter up through June, but this year we've only had little bits of rain here and there. I can't remember the last time it rained tbh, this summer's gonna be brutal =(
@@lindsaycarskadon8876 wishing you the blessing of rain 🙌🌧️
@@lindsaycarskadon8876 seeing your comment for the first time now, makes me kind of emotional. 🥺 “Brutal” was a spot on prediction for this summer in the PNW. I’m in south eastern Washington, and this was the worst summer in 23 years by all accounts. Devastating heat and drought for farmers, livestock, and gardeners. We’ve had 3.9 inches of rain total this year. We average only 8.5”-9.5” in a normal year. Two months of 100°-117°F, without a drop of rain. Only to see that Oregon had it even worse. Then the poor east coast had rain that wouldn’t let up for weeks. The juxtaposition of struggle is real!!! Wishing all of us everywhere a less extreme growing season in 2022. 💚
Paused the video, purchased the seeds, then continued to watch. Thanks.
Mine have just sprouted under the grow light 😎
I bought a box of bagged chamomile tea, 5 years ago. I opened up one of the bags and sprinkled half of it over some soil. It sprouted and I broke up the seedlings when they were about an inch tall and put it all over my garden. It’s amazing!
This is exactly how I got mine to grow last year. I sowed seeds on top of my starter mix, used vermiculite, kept them under grow lights and eventually moved to a raised container bed in the backyard. I had quite the abundance of chamomile for tea. I adore the scent and flavor in tea!!
Thanks for sharing… I plan to use grow lights too, just wondering how many hours do you leave it under the grow lights per day? Also, do you water it with a spray bottle daily? Thank you.
@@LadyLLLL because it is “fake” light or less lumens than the sun (of course), I left mine on nearly all the time, shutting off when i wud go to bed and turning on immediately when I got up. If I forgot to shut off @ night, it didn’t matter really.
@@CiaofCleburne Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. Think I’ll try leaving my grow lights on for about 6-8hrs a day and see how it goes… 😅 I’ve never used grow lights before, so this would be my 1st attempt at growing something from ‘scratch’. 😅
@@LadyLLLL gardening is never a failure…its a series of experiments until you find what works!! 😉
16 hours lights on and 8 off
lol blueberry auto booper does looks like a fun tool that could work on other berries too. I must buy one.
Chamomile tea is a great de stresser. You seem to be stress relieved by the aromatherapy while harvesting.
One of the two chamomile you mentioned Roman or German, turns blue in color when made into an essential oil that diffused in air or applied to skin is also a de stresser. Cheers
I haven't planted mine yet but will plant outside fairly soon, I can't keep up with so many starts at this point in time.
I'm just proud of myself for raising a few tomato and pepper plants from seed.
I have quite a few flowers to plant including milkweed, St. John's Wort, sun flowers and others.
Excellent information, thank you.
I've grown both Roman and German chamomile. Roman is perennial, while German is annual. I plant my Roman at the edge of my border with my German behind it. Tea making is so satisfying. BTW just got my seed starting 6 packs. They're incredible! They'll obviously last forever. I like the generous hole at the bottom that I can use to poke my seedlings out for transplant. Another great video!!!
I just transplanted out my chamomile the other day, how timely! thanks kevin. I also like to use chamomile and other flavors in baked goods - buns, biscuits, scones, and little cookies.
I planted a little chamomile plant in a pot on my porch. This spring it is EVERYWHERE! all over my property, it is gorgeous! I’m hoping it will spread to my pasture so my cow and horses can munch on a little ♥️❤️
Well this completely makes so much sense as to why I haven’t had any luck planting it before. Fabulous! Thank you!!
You should try chamomile and spearmint. It helps relax me before I go to bed.
I like how you just eat everything you harvest! I am groeing chamomile from seeds as well, super easy, and just in case it does not make it, I am super lucky because in my are it grows wild everywhere !
Perfect timing! I was just about to start planning an edible flower garden for my tortoise :)
You are literally always here when I need you!! You’re amazing Kevin! Thanks!
Kevin, I planted my chamomile seeds last week...first time. What perfect timing for you to make this video. You are my "Espiratu" animal! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Seriously, though...I'm going all out in my urban garden this year thanks to you. (Just started reading your book, too.) Also loving Epic Homesteading. Appreciate all you do for us learning gardeners out here.
I grew this in the community garden, starting it the summer before covid and then leaving it to grow over covid when I couldn't get out at all really. I did great all by itself with completely natural watering and no help from me. I ended the garden lease after summer and went to clean up the garden, harvesting all of the chamomile heads to dry for tea. I put them all on my dehydrator and set it to run, then went about my work at home day. An hour later I nearly passed out! The soporific warm chamomile smell was so delightful and overpowering. I was dazed, and couldn't stay awake. It was kind of incredible. It wasn't like an emergency, just very peaceful and relaxing like taking a benadryl. If I ever needed proof that it calms you down and makes you sleepy, I certainly got it for myself! But of course, it's been used for thousands of years just for that reason. And that's why I drink it every night at bedtime!
There is not a question I have searched for that you don't have an answer for! Thank you so much for your detailed videos!
threw some seeds into one of the gardens two years ago, now it is everywhere. this stuff spreads wildly and is a good cover for flower gardens.
Roman chamomile is very good for your skin. The essential oil and even more commonly the hydrosol (the water left over from the oil distilling process) are amazing skincare products. If I had more room, I'd grow both.
I simply opened a chamomile tea packet and sprinkled some to three vacant pots I had. It germinated today!!! After two days. I can’t believe it. Now I am watching your video to learn how to keep it alive :)
Kevin, I just came across your channel and I am loving it 🥰
I just purchased some chamomile seeds, i make calendula, chamomile and Mullen tea every day, to help with disconnected tissue disorder I was ordering my teas from Amazon and I tried to get the best organic I can possibly get my hands on, but let’s be honest unless you grown your own, you really don’t know if what you’re getting is what your paying for.
I would love to grow my own, saw your instructions and I believe I can do this.
Thanks for sharing,
I love Chamomile! It is super easy to grow. I just planted some last year and just let some of the flowers seed and it came back all on its own this year! Can't wait for fresh chamomile tea!
Yayyyy. I’m growing Chamomile now. Such a wonderful flower.
Love chamomile. I direct sowed it in 8a (SC) in the top of my garden tower probably 4 years ago now, and it just reseeds itself every year. Cool tea maker gadget, it looks both pretty and really handy for loose leaf :)
I just started mine and saw them sprouting!! Hopefully theyll flourish like yours. I would like to try using them not only for tea but in oils or soaps.
I've always had them in the garden and not realized that I could drink them! lol I just cut them for my vase. Now, I know what else I can with them. Thanks!
Planted German chamomile recently and and the seeds have germinated now. Your tips will be a big help. A friend just gave me a tea pot like you have. Will use it to steep my home made teas! I am working on my tea plot. So far lemon balm, chocolate mint, lemon grass and newly planted chamomile! Thank you again!
Chamomile tea is lovely. Last night I had a cup from flowers I harvested last summer. If you are paranoid about the seeds drying out, instead of vermiculite, you can cover the seeds with any transparent plastic. Saran-wrap, a sandwich bag, an old shopping bag, etc. So long as it lets light through, you are good (if it's semi-transparent make sure it has a good light source like a sunny window to get through the plastic to the seeds.) This will keep the moisture in and let light through. I agree about using that tool, and had a similar tool in mind last year when I was harvesting chamomile. If you are looking for an excuse to be outside, of course skip it, enjoy the time picking the flowers. But when the summer heat really comes on in July and August, squatting in the sun for 15 mins to harvest one or two cups of tea was a bit much. To dry them out I put a days worth of harvest, a couple ounces, in a big brown paper shopping bag, closed the bag, and put it in my hot attic. After 3 or 4 days they were well dried and then I would transfer them to a jar. Mine looked quite a bit dryer than yours. I have a sweet tooth so I like to add a tsp of honey for flavor and a tsp of sugar for more sweetness.
Speaking of tea, I am curious about growing Yaupon. It's an evergreen shrub native to North America, and the leaves contain caffeine. I've read the flavor is a bit like tea and yerba maté, and can be smokey depending on how the leaves are roasted. I bought some dried leaves to taste test, just waiting for them to get here. The shrubs get fairly large, 5m to 9m, and one shrub could probably provide a substitute for all the tea/coffee someone might want for a year. Very cool. I am not sure if it's suitable for your climate, but I thought you might be interested.
When you brought out the berry harvesting tool I immediately thought of Jonna Jinton 🥰 she lives in the north of Sweden and her family uses ones made of wood to harvest berries in the woods around her house
Thats a truly epic idea to harvest the flowers with that blueberry picker! Here in finland every household has one (or more) 😂 we use if for picking wild bilberries and lingonberries.. but it also works surprisingly well for GOOSEBERRIES 😀
I have German and Roman chamomile seeds sprouting now after watching this video on how to plant the seeds!! So excited!
I liked how you just popped up
You do a really good job of teaching without coming off like you know everything. I really appreciate your videos, wish you all the success!
I will try to grow chamomile for tea
We’re growing German chamomile this year so I’m excited
My chamomile just started flowering. I just planted them outside today. I loved this video. I love chamomile tea ❤️. So fun to learn to grow and dry yourself. Thank you for how to dry it! I'm on my way...
Great video! I was merely searching for information on the water to loose chamomile ratio and found a bunch of crap videos, but yours had it all. Thanks!
I bought chamomile seeds for the first time this year and now I can't wait to start them! Thank you for the tips :)
I just bought chamomile seeds and basil for my magical garden thank you you’re a great teacher
oh my god ! Thank you so much for another great video xxxxx
Just received your beautiful book. Absolutely wonderful. 2 hours today enjoying the information and just stunning photos . I recommend this book to all your viewers. I ordered after I watched your micro greens class a few weeks ago and I'm so happy with it. Thank you.
My favorite use for chamomile: just pop it in a vase! It's super cute and doesn't have too strong of a fragrance. :)
You "booping" made my day! :-D OH! I got my epic seed cells yesterday! So happy! I thought they would arrive too late to use this spring but I'll be able to use them for my '6 and 4 weeks out' seeds. Mainly flowers and squash. I only needed ~ 300 but the price for 1 pack of 720 cells was less than 3 pks of the 144 cells. They are so sturdy they'll last years and years! I plan to give a few (96 cells) away to friends who garden. Many thanks to you and your staff.
This was super helpful; I had started some chamomile from seed last month, but it's my first time growing it.
Thank so much. I am growing chamomile for the first time this year. I am trying to slowly grow my medicinal garden.
Thank you!! I just started chamomile it just started sprouting and I’m going to transfer it outside soon! That and Calendula!
Thanks!
Awesome! If you don’t have a dehydrator you can turn on your oven light and let that do the work. Not perfect but it works for proofing bread too!
What a great idea! I’d love to make tea from my own garden. Thanks for the inspo Kevin.
That boop machine you used is made for harvesting lingonberries. I grew up in 🇳🇴.
Saw all the patches of daisy in the fields where I live and suddenly realised it is chamomile.. Nature is a wonder
Another great video Kevin, I tried to grow chamomile and covered them with to much soil, now I know when I try again they will germinate, thanks for sharing 🌱
I watch this guy on RUclips. I was looking to plant A certain type and it brought me here. Sure I trust his Advice! Ty
I found some growing wild at the river while picking wild blackberries, i came home with a great haul!
You are a life saver. I have tried for many years to grow Chamomile. I always covered it with a light amount of soil. I hope this changes my luck with these little tiny seeds. Thank you. I don't know why I always thought when they said surface sow. They meant just below the surface. Derp!