Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 11:56 am
There are many growing conditions for different plants, one essential for a chamomile plant is water. As the plant grows, it may need water in much or less quantity.
As a gardener, you may be used to other plants’ watering requirements, but probably not that of Chamomile. And this may be because it’s your first time gardening the herb. Thus, you may wonder how your chamomile plant will fare.
So, how often to water chamomile plant? It’s best to water your chamomile plant once or twice every week when the plant is still tender. Nonetheless, there’s no exact time frame or schedule to follow in watering your chamomile plant throughout its life cycle because many factors could affect this. For example, as the plant grows, it will need less water.
Do Chamomile Need A Lot Of Water?
As earlier said, too much water may be dangerous to the well-being of some plants, though some plants may be able to survive. At the same time, some plants may die off due to a lack of water.
As a gardener or farmer, you need to be cautious of this fact and know if your plant requires water in large or small quantities.
Chamomile doesn’t require a lot of water.
Therefore, one inch of water per week will be okay for a growing chamomile plant or seed. This statement means if you’re in an area where there’s at least one inch of rainfall weekly, you wouldn’t need to worry.
Avoid watering the plant with too much water because it will make the plant rot and die. Also, as the plant matures, the plant will need less water if conditions are kept constant.
Also, Chamomile is moderately drought tolerant. That means that this herb can withstand drought conditions, though this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t water it.
Chamomile usually needs more water at the beginning stages of its germination and growth.
Be sure to water this herb during dry periods. You could even stick your hands to the soil to see if it’s moist. If the soil is moist, there’ll be no need for water whereas, if the soil is dry, you’ll need to give it water.
Some factors could affect the quantity of water a Chamomile Plant may need. One of them is the weather condition.
Chamomile will require a lot of water on hot days when evaporation occurs rapidly on soil surfaces. Therefore, a chamomile plant will use more water on sunny and dry days than cloudy days.
Humidity can affect the quantity of water a Chamomile Plant may need as the amount of water this plant needs will increase with decreasing humidity. This case is the same with evaporation. Therefore, this herb will use more water as humidity decreases.
Lastly, if you want your Chamomile plant to flower, more water may be needed even though water is less required in its latter growing stages. Note that the soil should not be very moist. The moisture must always reach the roots!
Independent of these factors, a chamomile plant doesn’t need a lot of water and will thrive due to its drought-tolerant ability.
How Often Should I Water My Chamomile?
Since a chamomile plant doesn’t require much water, you’ll not have to water it regularly.
However, during its period of germination and growth, water it weekly until it’s matured enough to tolerate drought conditions. You could even use a rain gauge to check if your Chamomile plant needs more water.
Furthermore, Chamomile typically develops a shallow root system and can dry out if not watered regularly during early propagation stages. Therefore, it would be best to water this plant whenever the soil feels dry below the surface.
Also, Chamomile can tolerate drought conditions and may need water only in extreme drought situations. However, you may also need to consider certain factors to know how often you water your chamomile plant.
The geographical region where you live is one of them. Chamomile will grow where there’s rainfall without even water as the rain will provide the water.
Also, well-drained soil will be okay. The southeastern part of the UK typically has a better climate and is a suitable geographical region.
Whether you’re growing your chamomile plant in a pot or garden will be a determinant too. If growing in a pot, I’ll advise you to water the plant once the soil starts getting dry. However, make sure you don’t waterlog the plant because it will rot.
Furthermore, the pot needs to have enough holes in the bottom for drainage. Finally, your soil generally needs to be drained whether you’re planting in a garden or indoors.
These factors can affect how often you water this herb, so be sure to also look into them. Independent of these factors, just water your chamomile plant weekly till it gets established.
What Are Other Essential Growing Conditions For My Chamomile?
Even though water is essential to the growth of your chamomile plants, they’re some significant predicaments that most farmers or gardeners ignore when growing this herb.
Unfortunately, this ignorance goes a long way In affecting the quality and quantity of their yields. You’ll need to be mindful of the following;
- Chamomile performs quite okay in poor soil, although it will thrive better when a 5-10-5 fertilizer is applied. It would be best to use this fertilizer at a rate of three ounces per every ten linear feet of space. Preferentially, you can apply a light layer of well-rotted compost manure.
- Your chamomile plant can survive most weather conditions though it will be best grown in a slight chill atmosphere, full sun, and partial shade. Also, space them eight inches apart. I advise you also mulch around the soil to keep it moist. Ensure to control weeds.
- Growing indoors in pots won’t be a bad idea. You may even decide to plant in winter. But make sure that your chamomile plant is on a South facing window spot, giving the plant 4-5 hours of light per day.
Temperatures of 68⁰F will be needed, so you could place your Chamomile plant near a radiator if the area where you keep it is too cold. The soil should be drained.
Summary
Chamomile is an easy herb to grow. Watering this plant is just weekly throughout a growing season till it becomes established and drought-tolerant if there’s no rainfall. However, this fact doesn’t guarantee you to give your chamomile plant much water.
An inch of water weekly is okay. As earlier stated, if you live in a rainy region, you wouldn’t even need to water it. Other factors may affect this.
Make sure the soil is moist throughout the growing season. You could even use a rain gauge to test the availability of moisture (water).
Growing conditions like fertilizer and compost application will enable your chamomile plant to thrive best. Conditions like cool weather, full sun, and partial shade will be okay too. Always make sure that the soil is drained properly.
Trust you’ve gained a lot through this article. Prove it by an improvement in the growth of your Chamomile!
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