How To Grow Plant & Care For Calendula

Hey, are you interested to learn on how to grow, plant, and calendula care for  flowering plant. If yes, then you are on the right page. In this article Agriculture Review will guide to grow and care for your calendula plant.

So before discussing about calendula plants, grow, plant and care guide. Let us know little about these beautiful flowering plants that are also known as pot marigold. 

Introduction

Calendula or pot marigold is not only a name of species of a flowering plant. But name of a genus that has about 16 to 20 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants.

Pot Marigold is a variety of calendula that we commonly grow and cultivate everywhere in the world. However, many gardeners loves to grow different varieties of calendula for their varying yellow to orange shades.

In ancient times the flowers and plant parts were used as medicinal herb to treat headaches, red eye, fever and toothache. Calendula flowers are also used in culinary purposes for their amazing flavour and to make yellow to orange dyes.

This flowering plant has bright, alluring yellow to orange flowers. And because of the beauty of the flowers it has long been a staple in British cottage gardens. 

In warmer climate or tropical regions calendula can be grown as annual flowering plants during winter season. But in hilly or temperate regions where summer is not much hotter, it can be grown as a short lived perennial plant during summer season.

How to grow calendula?

Growing calendula is a very easy job. As it is a herb that’s why it doesn’t require much care to grow and prosper. But you need to know few points. Such as growing season, potting mix, pot selection, propagation, transplantation, sunlight, watering, fertilizers, pest and disease management, etc.

Growing Season

You can germinate calendula from seeds in late summer or fall in tropical to sub tropical countries like India, and during early spring in hilly or temperate regions that have colder climate. In temperate regions it grows as short lived perennials.

But if you are living in tropical regions then you can grow calendula as winter flowering plants. The best sowing time is from September to November.

Best sowing temperature is in the range of 16 to 18 degrees celsius, above this temperature germination rate decreases.

Potting Mix

Potting mix is a necessary factor to grow a plant successfully if you want to grow them in pots. This alluring flowering plant loves well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. 

To germinate seeds, you can prepare germination potting mix with 60% normal garden soil + 20% river sand + 10% any organic compost + 10% neem cake fertilizer, mix them together.

To grow plant after transplantation, you can prepare growing potting mix with 40% normal garden soil + 20% any organic compost + 20% cocopeat + 20% river sand, mix them very well.  

Selection of Pot

You can grow this flowering plant even in very small pot ranging from 6 inches to 10 inches pot, you can select earthen, cemented or plastic pots depending on your choice, make sure that the selected pot has at least three to four drainage holes at the bottom.

Calendula do not loves wet soil, hence, drainage in the pot should be good to remove excess water, if you want to grow them directly in the ground then choose a spot that is not constantly wet.

Propagation

You can grow calendulas directly from healthy and disease resistant seeds purchased from the nearest seed house, or you can purchase healthy seedlings from the nearest plant nursery and transplant them in your garden to make it more beautiful.

To grow calendula from seeds follow these points very carefully:

• You can either take a germination tray or select a small to medium sized container with drainage holes at the bottom for germination of the seeds.

• Fill this container with germination potting mix and leave some space at the top for watering purposes.

• Water gently before sowing of the seeds, and after watering broadcast the seeds in the growing container. In germination tray sow 2 to 3 seeds in each case.

• Cover seeds with very thin layer of potting mix, and apply water gently so that the seeds do not gets disturbed. Place the germination container in semi-shade, and keep checking for the moisture in the soil regularly.

• Whenever you notice that the top layer of the soil is dry then apply a little amount of water that is enough to moist the soil. Do not overwater!

Within 5 to 7 days you will notice seeds sprouting and new baby seedlings coming out of the soil. You can now place your germination pot under direct sunlight.

Transplantation

You can transplant your calendula plant once it has reached 4 to 5 true leaved stage. It will take near about one month time to reach that stage. Once your plants are ready, its transplantation time.

Fill the growing pots with growing potting mix, make sure that drainage holes doesn’t gets blocked and leave one to two inch space at the top for watering and fertilizer application purposes. 

With the help of a gardening tool like trovel or with your hands take out seedlings from the germination pot very carefully without damaging the plant and the roots, dig a hole in the centre of the growing pot that is enough to hold the roots.

Place the roots in the hole, and cover around the base with soil. Gently apply pressure around the base of the plant to fix it properly in the pot. Apply water gently and place your pot in semi shade for 2 to 4 days.

Once your plant gets well established in the pot then bring it under direct sunlight.

Calendula Care Guide

There are few common points that you need to take care in the growing stages of calendula, but I want to suggest you one thing that this flowering plant doesn’t need much care so you can be carefree sometimes to make them grow properly.

Sunlight

Calendula can grow well if you will place your pot in the region that receives 4 to 6 hours of direct bright sunlight daily, but this plant doesn’t love hot weather or temperature. So prevent your plant during hotter days by placing it under shade.

Watering

You need to water this plant frequently whenever you notice that the top layer of the soil is dry during very early stages of the growth for this plant. Once your plant gets very well established then you will not need to worry about watering much.

But make sure that the soil in the pot doesn’t remain very wet always. This plant doesn’t love too much of water. Over watering can cause rot disease in your plant.

Fertilizers

You should not add inorganic or nitrogen rich fertilizers in this plant as it doesn’t require much care to grow and prosper. Adding heavy amount of fertilizer can seriously damage this plant.

After your plant gets well established in the new growing pot then you can start feeding with one handful of organic manure like vermicompost and half tea spoon of meal after every 30 days. This much amount of fertilizer is sufficient enough for this plant.

Pest & Disease

Pests like Slugs, snails, aphids can sometimes damage your plant but this occurs in very rare cases. To control slugs and snails, you can spray water salt solution on these creatures but make sure that this solution doesn’t get sprayed on plants.

Powdery mildew can sometimes trouble your plant, I have mentioned the link just below to control aphids and powdery mildew, you can check out these links to learn more.

READ MORE: HOW TO CONTROL APHIDS IN PLANTS?

READ MORE: HOW TO CONTROL POWDERY MILDEW EFFICIENTLY

I hope you must have been benefited from my article on how to grow, plant and care for calendula, if you have further queries or problems in growing this alluring flowering plants then you can leave your comment below.

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FAQ’s On Calendula