How to Grow Pot Marigold (Calendula Officinalis)

A favorite of herb and cottage gardens, this easy, cheerful annual (grows just one year) comes in bright yellow, orange, cream and apricot. Plants grow 1 to 2 feet tall, covering themselves in strawflowerlike blossoms. Cool-season annuals, they do best in spring or fall.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fertilizers
• Garden Hoses
• Garden Spades
• Garden Trowels
• Mulch
• Plants

1. Buy healthy, green plants with no signs of wilting or disease. Plants should be stocky, with plenty of leaves. It's actually a plus if they don't have any flowers on them - they'll divert their early energy into root development rather than flowering.

2. Choose a site in full sun with poor to rich, well-drained soil.

3. Plant seedlings in a prepared bed in early spring to mid summer (in USDA zones 3 to 8) or in fall to spring (in zones 9 to 11). Set 8 to 10 inches apart.

4. Keep soil evenly moist. Mulching is a good idea.

5. Trim faded flowers to promote longer blooming.

6. Fertilize every four to six weeks, or work in a slow-release fertilizer at planting time.

7. Discard plants after heat arrives and they become ratty-looking.

Tips & Warnings

• True to its name, pot marigold is great for containers.

• Pot marigold (Calendula) is not the same as typical marigold (Tagetes). Each plant has different needs, and they do not look similar.