How to Care for a Horehound Plant

Horehound, a member of the mint family, is favored because of its use in old-fashioned candy and in easing coughs and colds. However, horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is also an attractive perennial plant that will grow in poor, rocky soil where nothing else will grow, as long as the soil drains well. Plant horehound seeds about three weeks before the last frost in spring, as horehound won't germinate in cold weather.

Things You'll Need

• Horehound seeds
• Tiller, shovel or garden fork
• Watering can or hose with spray attachment
• Hoe
• Mulch
• All-purpose granular or liquid fertilizer

Instructions

1. Select a sunny, well-drained spot to plant horehound seeds. Use a tiller, shovel or garden fork to cultivate the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Don't amend the soil with compost, manure or fertilizer.

2. Plant horehound seeds on top of the soil. Cover the seeds with a light layer of soil, no more than 1/4 inch.

3. Water the area lightly immediately after planting. Use a watering can or a hose with a spray attachment to avoid washing the seeds from the soil. Keep the soil slightly moist until the seeds germinate. After that time, one watering every week is enough. Be sure the soil dries out between each watering.

4. Thin the horehound when the seedlings emerge from the soil. Allow 10 inches between each plant.

5. Harvest the leaves as desired during the first year, but never remove more than one third of the leaves at a time. After the first year, the plants will be established and will produce more leaves.

6. Pinch blooms off the plants before they go to seed, otherwise horehound can self-seed and can become invasive. Usually, blooms won't appear until the second year.

7. Use the tip of a hoe to carefully remove weeds around the horehound plants. Apply a 1-inch layer of mulch such as dry grass clippings or shredded bark to help deter weeds and to keep the soil temperature even.

8. Fertilize horehound plants every spring, using an all-purpose granular or liquid fertilizer. Never fertilize in late summer or autumn, as new growth will make the plant more susceptible to cold weather.

References

• Utah State University: Horehound in the Garden
• Urban Sustainable Living: Growing Herbs: Horehound