Woodruff grows in many forests as a ground cover and has been collected as a medicinal plant and aromatic for centuries. The plant can be grown in a suitable location or in your own garden.
How can I grow and harvest woodruff in the garden?
Woodruff in the garden requires a shady place, preferably under trees or bushes, loose, moisture-retaining soil and protection from waterlogging. Sown in autumn, it can be harvested in spring and used in the kitchen.
The perfect location for the woodruff
The woodruff only grows in the wild in certain places in forests with predominantly deciduous trees. Therefore, it can only form harvestable stocks in the garden if the location and care meet its needs. Choose a spot for the woodruff under a tree or under bushes that is protected from direct sunlight. The soil should be as loose as possible and store moisture well, but the location should not be prone to waterlogging. Although woodruff is generally hardy, at higher or exposed altitudes it should be covered with a layer of leaves in winter.
Growing woodruff in a pot
Basically, woodruff can also be grown in pots like other herbs and medicinal plants. However, woodruff tends to suffer from drought damage more quickly than herbs from the south such as rosemary and oregano. That's why a shady place is mandatory, even if you're growing it in a pot on the balcony or terrace. In addition, the planter should be large enough, as the woodruff spreads its roots in the ground and thus multiplies. It will be easier for you to keep the woodruff evenly moist in the pot if you first line the planter with a little clay and then fill it with a permeable substrate.
Woodruff sowing and harvesting
So that you can harvest woodruff for use in the kitchen in the spring before it blooms, you must sow the seeds the previous autumn. Pay particular attention to the following factors:
- cover the seeds about 0.5 centimeters deep with soil
- to ensure even moisture during the germination phase
- not to sow the individual seeds too close together
Tips & Tricks
If you already have woodruff stocks in your garden, you can also propagate them by dividing excavated rootstocks.
