You may have heard of St. John’s Wort before, as it is a common ingredient in many health and beauty remedies. St. John’s Wort has been credited for helping with all sorts of issues and is also hailed as one of the most beautiful herbs around. As you can see, the bright blooms not only make you feel better by looking at them, but St. John’s Wort is a common ingredient in many mood stabilizing products. If you are curious about growing St. John’s Wort in your own garden, take a look at the tips below for How to Grow St. John’s Wort!
How to Grow St. John’s Wort
How to plant St. John’s Wort:
It is difficult to find St. John’s Wort as seedlings. Chances are you will need to plant this herb from seed. To help aid the seeds in germination, it is advised that you soak the seeds in water overnight prior to planting. This helps soften the outer coating and can speed up the growing process.
When planting your St. John’s Wort seeds, there are a few things to keep in mind. You want to be sure you don’t plant them too close to other herbs and flowers as they tend to smother those plants out. If this is a concern for you and you can’t find a solo spot, planting in a flower pot is advised.
When planting your St. John’s Wort seeds, choose a spot with full sun and nutrient rich soil. Plant your seeds 5-6 inches in depth and 3 feet apart. The average St. John’s Wort plant can grow up to three feet tall and spread out a good two feet wide, so be sure you are planting it in an area where it is free to spread out. If using a flower pot for planting, be sure you only add a few seeds per 8-12 inch pot and thin out any weak seedlings to avoid crowding.
How to care for St. John’s Wort:
This plant is quite hardy and can handle hot temperatures as well as dry or less than perfect soil. Your care for this plant is much like the care for other herbs in the sense that 1-2 inches of water per week is sufficient. Add a layer of mulch around the base to help keep moisture locked in.
Weeds around St. John’s Wort are not much of a concern since they tend to smother out anything around them. Should you see weeds while the seedlings are getting established, you can simply remove them by hand. The same goes for pests you might see on the plant. You might see some snails or slugs, but for the most part insects don’t draw to the plant. You can remove them by hand when you see them or simply use a food safe insecticide.
How to harvest St. John’s Wort:
Many gardeners like to use the blooms and leaves for teas, capsules, and tinctures. You should always consult with your doctor before using St. John’s Wort in any of these methods as they could interfere with other medications you are on or have unpleasant side effects.
If you wish to use it just for decoration, the blooms look lovely in a bud vase or even pressed into artwork.
St. John’s Wort is a beautiful as well as beneficial herb that is easy to grow and so easy to care for. Add some color to your yard with this pretty and purposeful plant!
More Herb Gardening Tips
10 Tips for Growing Indoor Herbs
Tips for Growing an Indoor Herb Garden
Would you like to save this article?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Treva says
I am trying to grow St John’s Wort. I have planted my seeds and now I have no idea, which it is… there are so many weeds growing as well. I printed pictures of what the seedlings look like, but I am still not sure what I am looking at…if they have even successfully grown at all…