In many regions of Central Europe, the woodruff can be collected in the forest, especially under beech stands. For use in the kitchen, it can also be sown relatively easily in pots or in the garden.
When should you sow woodruff seeds?
Woodruff seeds can be sown between September and December, ideally in a location with little direct sunlight, sufficient moisture and loose, humus-rich soil. Later sowing is possible until February if the ground is free of snow and not frozen.
The Woodruff Seeds
The seeds of the woodruff are relatively small and form at the tips of the plants as soon as the flowering period of the woodruff is over in April and May. You can either collect the seeds in the forest or buy them from specialist seed shops. It is ideal for the development of the plants if you sow the seeds as soon as possible in the intended location, so that no transplanting is necessary in the first year. This would harm the development of the plants and the sensitive roots.
The right time for sowing woodruff
The woodruff is one of the so-called frost germinators, which makes a somewhat unusual sowing time necessary. The aromatic and medicinal herb has the best chance of growth if the seeds are sown between September and December. On snow-free and not frozen ground, later sowing is still possible until February. When choosing the location, pay attention to the following factors:
- as little direct sunlight as possible
- a sufficiently moist location
- a loose and humus-rich soil
After sowing, cover the seeds only thinly with soil so that the seedlings can easily reach the indirect sunlight in spring. It is important that you do not harvest the woodruff plants the next spring after sowing them in autumn or winter, otherwise they will have a very difficult time spreading and multiplying in the location.
The Propagation of the Woodruff
If all location factors are right, caring for the woodruff requires very little to no effort. The plants sow their seeds in their neighborhood with the wind and also form root runners. That's why the forest plant is also suitable as a ground cover with delicate white flowers in spring.
Tips & Tricks
If you carefully dig up woodruff cuttings with the roots in the fall and plant them in the garden, you can sometimes harvest some stems for woodruff punch or desserts the following spring.
