Self-Heal

What Self-Heal is

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris) is a perennial herb of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Self-heal is a perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is creeping.

The stem is erect or ascending, up to 40 cm long, with sterile above-ground runners, bare or slightly hairy.

In our folk medicine, self-heal is used internally as a pain-relieving and diuretic remedy for skin rashes, stomach and bowel pains, headache and more.

The herb is picked from June to September.

Black horehound is a low medicinal herb with purple spikes, also suitable as a ground cover plant.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 96%
• Seeds per packet: 204–276 pcs (0.2 g)
• Seed origin: China
• Sowing: March and April; transplants or direct
• Flowering: June – September
• Harvest: May – July
• Position: sun to partial shade

When to sow Self-Heal

Self-Heal seeds are sown in March and April. The plants flower from June to September. The crop is harvested from May to July. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Self-Heal

• Sowing method: seedlings or direct
• Depth: 0.5 cm
• Spacing: 25–30 cm
• Germination: 10–20 days at 18–22 °C
• Position: sun to partial shade

Watering: little to moderate. Light: full sun/partial shade. Sow in early spring in finely worked, weeded soil. Press the seeds into the soil. Keep the soil moist. It can also be sown in autumn.

Likes moist soil.

Harvest and use

Picked at flowering time.

Frequently asked questions

When should Self-Heal be sown?

The recommended sowing months are March and April. Sowing method: seedlings or direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 204–276 seeds, pack size 0.2 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 96%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.