When to Plant Horehound?

Spring Planting

• Horehound is cold hardy and unfussy about soil conditions and nutrient levels. Its seeds germinate most quickly and readily when planted in spring at intervals of 6 to 9 inches or more between seeds, if cultivating en masse for harvesting. Bury the seeds 1 inch deep in tilled soil. Water in the seeds at planting and once every 7 days until you see shoots, and water infrequently thereafter. Horehound only blooms in its second year, so plan for a year of furry gray-green foliage only.

Digging and Dividing

• Horehound self-seeds and can be planted as seed, but its roots can also be dug, divided and planted as new plants. This is a common cost- and time-saving practice in large-scale commercial and personal cultivation operations. Gently dig the root balls up with a hand trowel or spade and cut them into smaller pieces with a sharp garden knife. If digging and dividing, leave some foliage on each new plant to support its capture of light to feed the new root growth. Plant newly divided plants at the same soil level on their stems and water them in well. The best time to dig and divide is in the fall, but it can also be done in the spring if you do not mind the likely disruption of the summer season bloom.