How to Grow Calendula: A Comprehensive Guide for Gardeners

Calendula, commonly known as pot marigold, is a vibrant flower that brightens UK gardens with its orange and yellow blooms. Learning how to grow Calendula is straightforward, making it ideal for both novice and seasoned gardeners. This guide covers planting, care, and harvesting, ensuring you can cultivate these cheerful flowers successfully.

Key Points

• Research suggests Calendula is easy to grow, thriving in full sun and well-drained soil.
• It seems likely that sowing seeds directly after the last frost yields the best results.
• The evidence leans toward regular deadheading to encourage continuous blooming.
• Calendula’s versatility as an edible and medicinal plant makes it highly desirable.

Takeaway List

Here are the top 10 takeaways for growing Calendula:

1. Sow Directly: Plant seeds directly in the garden after the last frost.
2. Full Sun: Choose a location with at least 6 hours of sunlight daily.
3. Well-Drained Soil: Use moderately fertile, well-draining soil.
4. Regular Watering: Keep soil moist until plants are established.
5. Deadheading: Remove spent blooms to promote continuous flowering.
6. Companion Planting: Grow near vegetables to attract pollinators.
7. Pest Resistance: Monitor for powdery mildew in humid conditions.
8. Harvesting: Pick flowers in the morning when fully open.
9. Self-Seeding: Allow some flowers to seed for next year’s growth.
10. Versatile Use: Use petals in salads, teas, or for medicinal purposes.

Planting Tips

To grow Calendula, sow seeds directly in spring after the last frost, about ¼ to ½ inch deep in well-drained soil. Choose a sunny spot, as full sun promotes abundant blooms. Space seeds 4-6 inches apart, thinning to 8-16 inches once seedlings emerge.

Care and Maintenance

Water regularly until plants are established, then water when the soil feels dry. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage flowering, and feed with a high-potash fertiliser every few weeks. Watch for powdery mildew in humid conditions and ensure good air circulation.

Uses and Benefits

Calendula’s edible petals add a peppery flavour to salads and teas, while its medicinal properties support skin healing. As a companion plant, it attracts pollinators, benefiting nearby vegetables like tomatoes.

Introduction

Calendula, often called pot marigold, is a versatile and vibrant flower that enhances any UK garden with its bright orange and yellow blooms. Known for its ease of cultivation, Calendula is perfect for gardeners of all levels. This comprehensive guide on how to grow Calendula covers everything from sowing seeds to harvesting flowers, ensuring you can enjoy its beauty and benefits. Whether you’re aiming to brighten your borders or harness its edible and medicinal properties, this article provides all the tools you need.

What is Calendula?

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an annual flower native to the Mediterranean, belonging to the Asteraceae family alongside daisies and sunflowers. Its daisy-like flowers, typically yellow or orange, bloom from spring to autumn. Despite its common name, pot marigold, it is distinct from true marigolds (Tagetes). Historically, Calendula has been valued for its ornamental, culinary, and medicinal uses, making it a popular choice for UK gardens.

Why Grow Calendula?

• Aesthetic Appeal: Its cheerful blooms add colour to borders, containers, and vegetable patches.
• Edible Flowers: Petals offer a peppery flavour for salads, teas, or as a saffron substitute.
• Medicinal Uses: Known for anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, used in balms and teas.
• Companion Planting: Attracts pollinators and repels some pests, benefiting nearby crops.
• Low Maintenance: Easy to grow, ideal for beginners and busy gardeners.

How to Grow Calendula

To successfully grow Calendula, follow these detailed steps tailored for UK gardeners.

1. When to Plant

• Direct Sowing: Sow seeds directly in the garden after the last frost, typically March to May in the UK. In milder regions, autumn sowing can yield winter blooms.
• Indoor Starting: For earlier blooms, start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, around January to February, and transplant after hardening off.

2. Where to Plant

• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours daily) is optimal for vibrant blooms, though partial shade is tolerated with reduced flowering.
• Soil: Use well-draining, moderately fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. Avoid overly rich soil to prevent excessive foliage.
• Location: Suitable for garden beds, containers, or as a border plant. It thrives in vegetable patches as a companion plant.

3. How to Plant

• Seed Depth: Sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep, covering lightly with soil, as light can inhibit germination.
• Spacing: Space seeds 4-6 inches apart, thinning to 8-16 inches once seedlings reach 1-2 inches tall.
• Watering: Keep soil consistently moist during germination, which takes 7-14 days.

4. Care and Maintenance

• Watering: Water regularly until plants are established, then water when the top inch of soil is dry. Mature plants are drought-tolerant but benefit from occasional deep watering.
• Fertilising: Apply a high-potash liquid fertiliser, such as tomato feed, every 2-3 weeks to boost flowering. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers to prevent lush foliage at the expense of blooms.
• Deadheading: Regularly remove spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming. Pinch or cut just above a leaf node.
• Pest and Disease Control: Calendula is generally pest-resistant but may attract slugs or snails in damp conditions. Powdery mildew can occur in humid, crowded settings; ensure good air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Remove affected leaves and use a fungicide if needed.

5. Harvesting

• When to Harvest: Pick flowers in the morning when fully open for optimal quality, typically from June to September.
• How to Harvest: Cut stems or pinch off flowers just above a leaf node. Use fresh or dry for culinary or medicinal purposes.
• Drying: Spread petals in a single layer in a cool, dry place to dry, then store in an airtight container.

6. Propagation

• Self-Seeding: Calendula readily self-seeds if flowers are left to develop seedheads. Allow some to mature for natural reseeding.
• Saving Seeds: Let seedheads turn brown and papery, dry indoors for a few days, separate seeds, and store in a cool, dry place (e.g., a fridge) for sowing next spring.

Common Varieties

Choosing the right variety enhances your garden’s appeal. Here are popular options to grow Calendula:

• Calendula officinalis ‘Indian Prince’: Deep orange with crimson centres, 45cm tall, ideal for cutting.
• Calendula officinalis ‘Calexis Yellow’: Double, bright yellow flowers, 40cm tall.
• Calendula officinalis ‘Snow Princess’: Creamy white blooms, 40cm tall.
• Calendula officinalis ‘Touch of Red Buff’: Beige-pink with brown tips, 60cm tall, great for arrangements.
• Calendula ‘Power Daisy Yellow’: Low-growing, bushy, prolific, no deadheading needed, 40cm tall.

Top 10 Tips for Growing Calendula

1. Start Early: Sow indoors in late winter or directly after the last frost for a head start.
2. Maximise Sunlight: Ensure at least 6 hours of direct sun for optimal blooms.
3. Ensure Drainage: Amend heavy soils with compost to improve drainage.
4. Deadhead Regularly: Remove faded flowers to extend the blooming season.
5. Use as Companion Plant: Grow Calendula near tomatoes or beans to attract pollinators.
6. Water Wisely: Deep, infrequent watering promotes strong roots.
7. Fertilise Sparingly: Use high-potash feed to boost flowers, not foliage.
8. Monitor Pests: Check for slugs and snails, especially in wet weather.
9. Harvest Often: Frequent picking encourages more blooms.
10. Save Seeds: Collect seeds in autumn for cost-free planting next year.

Uses of Calendula

• Culinary: Add fresh or dried petals to salads, soups, or teas for a peppery flavour. Use as a natural food colouring or saffron substitute.
• Medicinal: Create balms or teas for skin healing, anti-inflammatory effects, or to soothe minor burns and rashes. Always consult a healthcare professional before medicinal use.
• Garden Benefits: Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and repels some pests, enhancing vegetable garden health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Further Reading

• Easiest Flower to Attract Bees and Butterflies
• BBC Gardeners World: How to Grow Calendulas

Conclusion

Learning how to grow Calendula opens the door to a rewarding gardening experience. Its vibrant blooms, ease of care, and versatile uses make it a standout choice for UK gardens. By following this guide, you can cultivate thriving Calendula plants, enjoying their beauty and benefits from spring to autumn.