Good King Henry - Chenopodium bonus-henricus
120 Seeds
Sow April - May
Hardy perinnial.
Height 60cm (24in), spread 45cm (18in).
Prefers a rich, well-drained soil in a sunny position.
Good King Henry is notoriously hard to germinate. It can either be sown in pots in October or November, or alternatively it can be sown in the Spring.
The seed should be sown in a gritty compost. In the Autumn they should be covered with about 1cm (1/4") of compost (they require dark to germinate) and left outside to allow the winter weather to break down the dormancy. Nothing will happen until Spring as soon as the weather is conducive. In the Spring the seed should only be lightly covered as it needs light to germinate (since it hasn't been chilled). Germination could take weeks or months. These seeds don't transplant very well. We recommend sowing these seeds where you plan to plant them.
Stems are tall, slender, ridged and green. Arrow-shaped leaves are dark green with white mealy undersides. Tiny greenish-yellow flowers appear in early summer on spikes where the leaf joins the stem.
