Calendula Seeds

• Calendula Seeds
• The Calendula Plant
• How to Sow Calendula
• How to Grow Calendula
• Tips for Growing Calendula
• Diseases and Pests
• Uses and Curiosities

Calendula Seeds

Calendula (Calendula officinalis), also known as pot marigold, is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow, thanks to excellent seed germination and fast growth, making it ideal even for beginner gardeners.

The Calendula Plant

It has a bushy habit, reaching 30 to 60 cm in height depending on the variety, with lance-shaped, slightly velvety leaves up to 15 cm long. The daisy-like flowers display yellow, orange or bicolor petals, often with a central disc of a matching shade. Numerous ornamental hybrids exist, differing in flower size, plant height and stem length, some suited for cut-flower use.

How to Sow Calendula

Sowing can be done at two times of year: March-April, once temperatures stay reliably above 15 degrees C, or late September-early October for earlier flowering the following spring. Seeds are usually broadcast or started in trays and lightly covered with soil; germination takes 7-14 days on average. Seedlings started in trays should be transplanted outdoors about a month after germination, once sturdy enough to handle.

How to Grow Calendula

It prefers sunny spots, though it tolerates partial shade at the cost of fewer flowers. It adapts to most soil types but grows best in rich, loose, slightly acidic, well-drained soil, with waterlogging carefully avoided. For lush, floriferous plants, space specimens at least 30 cm apart. Water regularly from spring through late summer, reducing frequency once plants mature, while feeding every 15-20 days with a potassium- and phosphorus-rich fertilizer encourages more abundant blooms, which continue from May until the first autumn frosts.

Tips for Growing Calendula

Regularly deadheading spent flowers and pinching the main growing tips encourages side shoots and therefore more blooms. In pots, choose a container with good drainage and a layer of expanded clay at the bottom. Calendula also tends to self-seed, ensuring plants return the following year without needing to sow again.

Diseases and Pests

A hardy plant, resistant to most pests. Powdery mildew can occasionally appear in conditions of poor air circulation or prolonged waterlogging; good drainage and adequate plant spacing help prevent it.

Uses and Curiosities

Besides its ornamental value, calendula is grown in vegetable gardens as a natural companion plant: its root system deters nematodes from cucumbers, squash and zucchini, while its flowers help protect tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes and strawberries. The petals are edible, great in salads or candied, and the buds can be pickled like capers. Dried flower heads have been used for centuries in herbalism for their soothing, healing and anti-inflammatory properties, a classic ingredient in skin creams and infusions.