Tips To Grow Calendula In Your Garden

Calendula commonly known as “Pot Marigolds” are brightly colored flowers that belong to the same family as daisies and chrysanthemums. These are found in a variety of bright colors like orange, yellow and lemon. The flowers are daisy like shaped and grow on long stems. In this article todat you can follow ways to grow calendula in your garden.

Calendula flowers are somewhat annual in nature, and the plants bloom throughout the season. They grow from mid-summer till the onset of severe winters. But for their unpleasant odour, these serve as good indoor plants.

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Calendula petals are used in a variety of recipes, from butter to wine. The petals have a lightly bitter flavor but still they are preferred for their intense color. They are also used as cake decoration items.

Growing Calendula
Calendula can be grown directly from seeds or they can be transplanted if grown indoors. It is important that the seeds are sown early before the beginning of summer. Calendula adapts itself very well to the pot culture. Hence it can be grown in well designed pots and can be maintained in the house balcony.

Calendula grows in any kind of soil. It does not require any particular kind of fertilizers but the flowers really bloom well if you add some good amount of compost to the soil.

Sow the seeds early in the season and cover them lightly with ¼” of soil. They require a little bit of sun and shade as well. They tend to show slow growth in extreme heat conditions and warmer climates.

Once the seeds are sown it takes 10-12 days to germinate. Calendula plants grow really fast. So if you sow the seeds well before summer then you can expect the first set of flowers somewhere around mid of summer.

Once the plant starts to germinate and grows a bit, then you can transplant it to your garden area. For those who wish to grow calendula on a larger scale in a wide area can directly sow seeds in that area. However, care should be taken to sow the seed 15” apart.

Maintaining The Plants
Calendula requires very low maintenance. Here are a few tips to maintain the continuous growth of calendula. Follow them & see the beautiful flowers blossom in your garden.

Watering
As stated earlier, calendula grows in most kind of soils. However, it is necessary to keep the soil moist . So it is very important to water the plants regularly or twice a week depending on the climatic condition. In more temperate areas, watering calendula plants regularly will help them to brace the summer heat and the flowers will continue to bloom till mid winters.

Improving Soil Quality
Good quality of soil will produce healthier calendula plants. If you plan to grow calendula in the garden, it is advisable to add mulch around the plants to keep the weeds down. Adding a good amount of compost to the soil goes a long way in maintaining the calendula plants .

Cutting The Blooms
Once flowers bloom and die out, you should cut the dead blooms. This will not only make the plants look neat but will make way for new blooms.

Treatment For Insects And Diseases
Calendula flowers easily attract insects. The most common insect problem are Aphids which can be readily treated by periodical spraying of insecticidal repellent. Mildews can be treated with the help of fungicides.