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How to grow Calendula (pot marigold) in the UK

Sunny flowers that bring in hoverflies - their babies gobble greenfly and blackfly.

• DifficultyEasy peasy
• WhereBeds or Pots
• Sunfull sun or part shade
• Grows to45cm
• Spacing30cm
• Time to first pickabout 10 weeks
• Typeannual

When to sow, plant and harvest calendula (pot marigold)

Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.

Sowing it outdoors

1. Pull out any weeds and rake the top of your bed until it's crumbly, like cake crumbs
2. Make a little line in the soil (1cm deep) with your finger or a stick
3. Drop the seeds in, about 30cm apart each way
4. Gently cover them with soil and pat it down
5. Water with a watering can that has a sprinkler head
6. Push in a label so you remember what's there

Top tips for growing calendula (pot marigold)

• It seeds itself, so you'll get free plants next year.
• The petals are edible - sprinkle them on a salad.

Looking after calendula (pot marigold)

• Week 4: Snip off dead calendula flowers so new ones keep coming

Soil and feeding

Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.

Harvesting and eating calendula (pot marigold)

Pick flowers for a vase or a salad - the more you pick, the more you get.

How to eat them: Pull the petals off and scatter them on salads or rice - they're mild and peppery.

Companion planting

Grows well with

• Broad beans: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat blackfly
• Runner beans: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat blackfly
• Peas: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat greenfly
• Salad leaves: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat greenfly
• Kale: brings hoverflies, whose babies eat greenfly
• Cherry tomatoes: brings hoverflies and bees
• Big tomatoes: brings hoverflies and bees
• Carrots: brings in helpful insects

Saving your own calendula (pot marigold) seed

Late summer and autumn, as the flowers fade.

1. Stop deadheading a few flowers - let them fade on the plant
2. When the seed heads are dry and brown (and the seeds rattle), snip them off on a dry day
3. Shake the seeds into a paper bag
4. Spread on a plate to dry for a week

Where to buy calendula (pot marigold) seeds

Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon

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Calendula (pot marigold) questions

When should I sow calendula (pot marigold) in the UK?

In the UK, sow calendula (pot marigold) outdoors from mid March to late May or early September to late September. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.

When can I pick calendula (pot marigold)?

Calendula (pot marigold) is ready from early June to late October. Pick flowers for a vase or a salad - the more you pick, the more you get.

How long do calendula (pot marigold) take to grow?

Roughly 10 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.

Are calendula (pot marigold) easy to grow?

Calendula (pot marigold) are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.