Wormwood

Wormwood: plant 60 cm (24 in) apart in the row and 80 cm (31 in) between rows, 1 plant per 4 squares. Good neighbours: Apple tree, Pear tree, Plum tree.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	60 cm (24 in)
Between rows	80 cm (31 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 4 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	25 cm (10 in)
Height when grown	90 cm (35 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

Sowing and germination

How it is started	Started in trays, by dividing a clump, from cuttings
Seeds per hole	3
Plants kept after thinning	1
Sowing depth	0.1 cm (0 in)
Soil temperature	from 13 °C, best 18–24 °C
Days to emerge	10–20 days
Light while germinating	Needs light, barely cover
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to plant	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 12 °C

From seedling to plant

After emergence	16–22 °C; take the cover off as soon as they show
Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	5 L, 20 cm (7.9 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Harvest and planning

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 8–16 weeks
Typical yield	0.2–0.6 kg per plant
Botanical family	Asteraceae
Watch out for	Aphids, rust
First crop after	2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

Good neighbours

Why, with the sources →

Plan Wormwood in your garden

Open the free planner, drop Wormwood onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Start Planning Your Garden

Sowing and harvest

Plant out	Apr–May
Harvest	Jul–Sep

My dates for this crop

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

What to plant next to Wormwood →

From the same family

Plants of the Asteraceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Grown much the same way

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

More in Herbs and flowers

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