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.
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| How to grow, plant and care for calendula? |
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.
Do not worry, I have mentioned and discussed all these important points in this article on how to grow, plant, and care for calendula. So keep reading carefully!
Growing Season
Calendula can be germinated 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 weather. 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!
Transplantation
Calendula Care
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| Calendula Care |
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.
