Plant germander in spring, or in fall. Set the crown at the same depth it grew in the pot, and space wall germander 12 to 18 inches.
Plant in spring, or in fall
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring, or fall while the soil is workable | A midsummer plant-out into dry heat |
| Depth | Crown at the nursery soil line | Burying the stem, or perching the root ball high and dry |
| Spacing — wall germander | 12 to 18 inches | A boxwood-tight row with no air |
| Spacing — tree germander | A shrub's room, not an edging gap | Treating the silver shrub as a 12-inch knot plant |
Set a nursery plant in spring or fall so roots settle before summer heat or a hard freeze. [1] Skip a peak-summer plant-out unless you can water on a hot-week schedule. American germander still wants the same window, on ground that will stay moist.
When should you plant germander?
Spring or fall. Avoid midsummer heat unless you can water through establishment.
How to plant germander
Work one plant at a time: set the hole, place the crown, then water to settle the backfill.
- Confirm Teucrium on the tag — not germander speedwell and not boxwood.
- Choose full sun and ground that drains for wall, Iranian, and tree germander. Give American germander moister meadow ground.
- Dig a hole up to twice as wide as the pot and no deeper than the root ball. Set the crown at the nursery soil line. Backfill with the native soil; do not bury the stem. [2]
- Space wall germander 12 to 18 inches apart. Leave American germander room to colonize. Give tree germander shrub room, not an edging gap. [3]
- Water thoroughly, then keep the root ball from drying through the first growing season. After that, dry-sun types take missed waterings better than a soggy crown.
How deep do I set the crown?
Match the soil line in the pot. Dig wide, not deeper than the root ball.
Space 12 to 18 inches — and what fails
Twelve to 18 inches is the room a wall-germander edge needs before the plants knit. A groundcover planting can sit near 2 feet. [4] Tree germander is a shrub first: give it room, not a knot-garden gap.
- Packed plants — mildew pressure rises and you cannot shear. Hold 12 to 18 inches on wall germander.
- Tree germander in a 12-inch hole — the silver shrub still wants shrub width. Site it as a shrub.
- Buried crown — stem rot starts at the soil line. Match the nursery depth.
- Midsummer plant-out — the plant stalls. Wait for spring or fall.
- American germander in a dry gravel strip — it wants moist ground. Do not copy a wall-germander hole onto it.
How far apart do I plant?
Twelve to 18 inches for wall germander. Give American germander colony room, and tree germander shrub room.
If the plant sits in a soggy hole, lift it and reset the crown at the old soil line in drained ground.
FAQ
Can I start from seed?
Possible, but slow. A nursery plant is the usual plant-out. Sow seed in fall, or in spring after a cold start.
Can I start from cuttings?
Softwood or semi-ripe cuttings root in summer. A nursery plant is still the usual plant-out.
Why did the plant fail?
Usually a waterlogged hole, a buried crown, or a midsummer plant-out that dried out. Reset depth and timing. American germander also fails in drought gravel.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Harvest to Table -
https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-teucrium-germander/ - [2] MyGardenLife -
https://mygardenlife.com/plant-library/germander-teucrium-chamaedrys - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/teucrium-chamaedrys/ - [4] UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County -
https://ucanr.edu/blog/uc-master-gardeners-diggin-it-slo/article/teucrium
This note is part of Teucrium Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors