How to Grow Calendula - First Aid Remedy and Garden Delight

Heirloom Calendula is a beautiful annual flower known for its edible and medicinal properties. We'll give you all the tips you need to grow this low-maintenance flower.

• Start calendula seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. 
• Calendula seeds can germinate at 55- 60ºF. 
• Plant seeds 1/4" deep.
• Calendula seeds need darkness to germinate.
• Keep seeds moist until they germinate in 7-14 days. 
• Once seeds sprout, use grow lights indoors.
• Water seedlings from the bottom to avoid damping off. 

• Once seedlings are several inches tall and have at least 2 sets of true leaves, they can be hardened off for transplanting outdoors.
• Calendula will grow to maturity and start blooming in just 6-8 weeks.

When selecting a location for planting, choose a sunny location with rich soil that drains well. Calendula can reach 10 to 24 inches tall, so give it space to grow. 

Calendula grows well in nutrient-rich, loose soil. It can be grown in containers as long as the containers drain well. Just make sure you have good, rich potting soil.

Healthy calendula plants have more blooms than foliage. Keep picking the flowers, and they’ll keep growing more. The plants will re-bloom in about 2 weeks. Calendula will even bloom and grow through the winter in temperate regions. Once a hard frost kills off the plants, you can pull them out and add them to your compost.

To harvest calendula for drying, cut the flowers when they are fully bloomed. The whole flower head can be dried, and then the petals removed, or remove the petals and dry them separately. Place the flower heads or petals in a dry, well-ventilated space away from sunlight. The petals are dry enough for storage when they crush or break instead of bending. Store dried petals in airtight containers away from light.

To collect seeds for the next growing season, let the blooms continue growing until they go to seed. Then, you can let calendula self-sow or save the seeds to plant where you want them to appear next season.

Calendula is both a beautiful annual flower and a medicinal herb. Heirloom calendula varieties mature quickly and produce continuous blooms, making them popular in flower gardens. In addition, the vibrant color of calendula blooms has been used for centuries to dye fabrics, foods, and cosmetics. Sometimes called “poor man’s saffron,” it adds color rather than flavor to rice and baked dishes.

While Calendula officinalis is edible, it is not prized for its flavor, which is often described as spicy and bitter. However, calendula is valued for its medicinal benefits. 

• Calendula has long been used for its anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and astringent properties. 
• It is a traditional remedy for burns, wounds, and rashes. It has been documented to encourage skin healing and may also help stop bleeding, which makes it a great choice as a first-aid herb. 
• Calendula is added to creams and ointments for external use on acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, dandruff, fungal nail infection, ringworm, and athlete’s foot.

Calendula can soothe all kinds of skin irritations and wounds from acne, eczema, and skin ulcers. Calendula aids in the healing process and can be applied to both open and closed wounds. 

• To make a medicinal-strength calendula tea, boil 2 cups of water and pour over 2 tablespoons of calendula petals. Let it cool. Drain off petals or use them to apply as a paste to skin ulcers. 
• To help skin heal, soak compresses in calendula tea and apply twice a day. 
• Steep dried petals in warm oil to make an ointment that soothes irritated skin.

Cautions: Calendula may cause or promote uterine contractions - Avoid internal use during pregnancy. Allergic reactions can occur in people with allergies to plants in the Aster family.

Calendula has been used for years to treat dogs. Studies have shown calendula helps manage mange, eases itchy skin, and assists in healing wounds. 

• Use medicinal-strength calendula tea to spray directly on the fur of itching dogs. 
• Rinse wounds with calendula tea. 
• To stop bleeding, press a tea-soaked compress on the wound. 
• To accelerate wound healing, apply a tea-soaked compress directly to the wound.

Calendula flowers are beautiful, useful, and so easy to grow from seed. Add a variety of heirloom calendula blooms to your garden to enjoy for their beauty and medicinal uses.