How to Grow Indian Patchouli

Fill pots with equal parts of peat, loam and perlite. Moisten the mixture until it is just damp. Mix the tiny seeds with a pinch of sand and sprinkle them across the surface of the soil.

Place the pot where temperatures are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit to germinate. Keep the pot lightly moist. Thin the seedlings to just one or two healthy, strong sprouts after germination.

Move the plants outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Chose a location with full to partial sun and dig in 5 inches of compost to enrich the soil. Plant the plants at least 12 inches apart and water them in until soil compresses around the roots.

Fertilize the patchouli plants every other week during the growing season with a liquid all-purpose fertilizer diluted at the rate recommended by the label. Cut back the spent flowers as they occur.

Cut back the plants to 2 or 3 inches from the ground in the fall and mulch around them with 3 inches of organic matter. This will help the plants survive mild winters in Zone 8 and add nutrients to the soil for the spring renewal.