Plant sweet woodruff in spring or fall, about 10 to 14 inches apart, with the crown at the soil line. Keep the new plants moist until they take hold.
Plant in spring or fall, about 10 to 14 inches apart
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring, or fall while the soil is still workable | Planting into frozen ground, or setting plugs in midsummer heat without water |
| Spacing | About 10 to 14 inches between plants | Crowding them as if they will never run |
| Crown | The crown even with the soil surface | Burying the stems, or sitting the root ball high and dry |
| After | Water until the new plants take hold | Letting a new planting dry out in the first month |
Set sweet woodruff from a nursery pot or a division, not as a lawn seed mix. Space the plants about 10 to 14 inches apart so the rhizomes can close the gap. [1] About a foot apart is the same job. [2] Shade, watering after it is established, and lookalikes stay on How to Grow Sweet Woodruff.
- Plant in spring, or in fall while you can still work the soil.
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and a little wider. Mix a little leaf mold or compost into poor, dry soil.
- Set the crown even with the soil, firm the backfill with your fingers, and water it in.
- Space plants 10 to 14 inches apart, then keep the soil moist until new growth shows. [3]
When should I plant sweet woodruff?
Plant in spring, or in fall while the soil is still workable. Midsummer is harder unless you can water often.
How do I plant sweet woodruff?
Set the crown at the soil line, space plants 10 to 14 inches apart, and water until they take hold.
Divide a clump in spring or fall
Division is the usual home start. Lift a clump, pull it into pieces with roots attached, and replant the same day. You can move a patch through the growing season if you keep the pieces moist until they take hold. [4] A cutting after bloom is possible, but it is more work than a division.
- Water the patch the day before so the soil holds together.
- Lift a clump with a fork, and pull it into fist-sized pieces with roots and several stems.
- Replant each piece at the same depth, 10 to 14 inches apart, and water it in.
- Keep the new plants moist until you see fresh growth.
Can I divide an established patch?
Yes. Divide in spring or fall. Keep the pieces moist until they take hold.
Sow ripe seed in place, or give it a winter of cold
Seed works, but it is slower than a pot or a division. Sow it where you want the carpet as soon as the seed is ripe in late summer. Spring sowing is slow unless the seed gets a period of cold first.
- Collect ripe seed in mid to late summer, or buy a packet labeled Galium odoratum.
- Rake a shady, moist patch, scatter the seed on the surface or cover it very lightly, and water with a fine rose.
- For a spring start, keep the seed cold and moist through winter, then sow it in shade.
- Wait. Germination is often uneven. Fill gaps with divisions rather than sowing again and again.
Can I start sweet woodruff from seed?
Yes, but it is slower than a nursery pot or a division. Sow ripe seed in place in late summer, or give stored seed a winter of cold.
If a new plant wilts after a hot week, water it and check that the crown is not buried or sitting high and dry.
FAQ
Should I start from seed or buy a pot?
Buy a pot or take a division if you want a carpet this season. Seed is slower and often uneven.
Do I fertilize when I plant?
No. Mix a little leaf mold or compost into poor soil, water it in, and skip a heavy feed at planting.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Illinois Extension -
https://extension.illinois.edu/landscaping/sweet-woodruff - [2] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sweet-woodruff-galium-odorata/ - [3] Cornell Home Gardening -
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenea6bc.html - [4] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/galium-odoratum/
This note is part of Galium Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors