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Actual size of the green part of the cutting (grown outside) is roughly one and a half to three centimetres high when you buy it. Their roots will have been shaken free of soil and posted in a plastic bag. Take them out on arrival and plant or pot up as soon as possible. Either that or stand the roots in water - but plant as soon as you can.

Camomile Treneague.       50 rooted cuttings for £20.

(Chamomile Treneague)   100 for £35.    

                                                           200 for £65.    

                                          500 for £130.   

Plenty available from April 1st 2010.        

                                             

                        all prices include carriage paid by me - usually First Class post.

              Payment by cheque to ‘J.A.Wood' with order please.

             6, Stanley Street, Beaumaris, Anglesey. LL 58 8 ET.

                                    (tel: 01248 810 661)

                          e-mail : zallen5@btinternet.com

            This is the low-growing, non-flowering camomile, (chamomile), for making a scented lawn that requires no mowing.

            Other places to plant just a few camomile could be in crazy paving, in plant spaces in a patio, around a garden seat, or even as a path with stepping stones set at ground level where people tread or the wheelbarrow goes. Or even make a raised proper-style bed with pillow as shown at a Chelsea Flower Show!

            It gives off its scent when trodden or laid on (slept on?) or pinched.

            However it does not like very alkaline – chalky – soil.

            It does like a well-drained sunny site.

            Prepare the ground as you would for a grass lawn – a nice seedbed from which all larger stones and roots of dock or dandelion or other perennial weeds have been removed. Top-dress the soil with a light general fertiliser if your soil is in poor condition otherwise do not feed your 'lawn' . .   - if there is strong, soft growth in the autumn the plants will suffer in a cold, wet winter.

            Plant the young chamomile cuttings about three to six inches apart in staggered rows and do not let them dry out for the first week or so. I suggest 4 inches gives quite a quick cover but six inches is acceptable if you are patient!

            It is important to keep your lawn free of all weeds especially in the early stages. Camomile is not as competative against weeds as is grass.

    Please be aware that the word 'lawn' carries implications that without due care may result in disappointment. Although your camomile lawn does not require cutting it does need looking after. It is not as resiliant in winter as is grass. I would not recommend kicking a football around on it during winter!

     Where it does not get trodden on it can grow to a height of three or four inches if your soil is a bit rich..

      In late autumn or early spring any of its 'runners' (which grow out rather like a spread hand) that have not rooted are likely to die back in very cold weather. I recommend that you take cuttings of these and (protecting them over-winter from frost) use them in spring to fill any gaps if they do appear. I suggest taking each 'bud' which appears at the end of each 'runner' with about a quarter inch of runner stem, bury the stem part so that the 'bud' rests on the potting compost in a seed tray about 2cm apart. You can also wait until spring and then take the unrooted buds with a bit of old runner and plant them direct in any gaps that appear in your 'lawn'.

      In some difficult winters the greeness of your lawn may suffer and may look bare. However the end of each 'branch' remains as a bud of green and this will produce growth in the spring again. (and each of your original young cuttings should throw off about eight or more side growths during the summer) For instance, a small patch of my stock plants suffered severely from very wet weather this January and a few patches looked brown except for the little end-buds; (the same can happen with severe frost). I top-dressed this area with a fine covering of sand and potting compost and all will be well in a month's time. You can equally well plant your cuttings in these gaps if they occur. And this is why I recommend the taking a number of cuttings in the autumn.

          

       Your chamomile, (camomile) lawn does require a bit of care!

Have a lovely scented summer!