English Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
SKU:
$0.25
$0.25 - $5.60
$0.25
This old-fashioned flower has a long history as both an ornamental garden plant and as an herb. When dried, the petals of Calendula flowers provide a culinary substitute for saffron; in times past, they were used to give a rich color to cheese or butter. Medicinal uses included treatments for measles and smallpox, as well as for dressing wounds on the battlefield. As well as being the traditional flower for October birthdays, calendula symbolizes sorrow and sympathy.
Scientific Name: Calendula officinalis
Also Known As: Scotch Marigold, Pot, Marigold, Marigold, Calendula, Ruddles
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): 45-60 days
Light: Plants prefer full sun but will tolerate light shade in warmer areas.
Water: Low
Soil Moisture: Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees and Butterflies.
Containers?: Yes. Plant in large containers filled with organic potting soil.
Height: 12-24”
Spacing: 10-12”
Sow Depth: 1/4"
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: narrow, slightly hairy pointed leaves and bright orange 3-4” double blooms.
Also Known As: Scotch Marigold, Pot, Marigold, Marigold, Calendula, Ruddles
Grown as: Annual
Maturity (Blooms): 45-60 days
Light: Plants prefer full sun but will tolerate light shade in warmer areas.
Water: Low
Soil Moisture: Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees and Butterflies.
Containers?: Yes. Plant in large containers filled with organic potting soil.
Height: 12-24”
Spacing: 10-12”
Sow Depth: 1/4"
USDA Zone: 3a-9b
Produces: narrow, slightly hairy pointed leaves and bright orange 3-4” double blooms.
STARTING English Marigold Seeds INDOORS FOR SPRING
Start your English Marigold seed indoors under your grow lights 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Sow your seeds ¼” deep in 2" Soil Blocks or individual pots. Keep this cool season species evenly moist at a temperature of 60-65 degrees until germination, which should take place within 5-15 days.
TRANSPLANTING ENGLISH MARIGOLD SEEDLINGS OUTDOORS FOR SPRING
Transplant your English Marigold seedlings outdoors 10-12” apart after the last frost date of your area. Once established, this species does not need regular watering. For the best blooms, it should not be over-watered. To keep the plant bushy and neat, occasionally pinch off the tops of the developing stalks. If deadheaded regularly, it will produce profuse blossoms all season long; in hotter regions, it may stop blooming in the heat of summer and begin again in fall. This plant will readily reseed itself. Calendula can also be grown in containers.
STARTING ENGLISH MARIGOLD OUTDOORS FOR SPRING
Direct sow your English Marigold seeds in early spring. Sow them outdoors 1/4" deep and space them 10-12" apart.
STARTING ENGLISH MARIGOLD OUTDOORS in Fall
Direct sow your English Marigold seeds in Fall. Sow them outdoors 1/4" deep and space them 10-12" apart.
Once established, English Marigold does not need regular watering; for the best blooms it should not be over-watered. To keep the plant bushy and neat, occasionally pinch off the tops of the developing stalks. If deadheaded regularly, it will produce profuse blossoms all season long. In hotter regions, it may stop blooming in the heat of summer and begin again in fall. This plant will readily reseed itself. Calendula can also be grown in containers.
For fresh flowers, cut the stems long and place them in water immediately. For culinary use, cut flower heads that have just opened; spread them out away from direct sunlight to dry completely, turning them occasionally. When the flowers are crisp and dry, store them in an airtight container for up to a year. The dried petals can be used in place of saffron, or as a garnish to add color and spice to dishes.
When the developing seed turns from green to pale tan and easily comes loose from the head, remove the seed heads. Spread them out to dry away from direct sunlight, then thresh them to separate the seed from the husk. Store the seed in a cool, dry place.
Calendula’s edible flowers and spicy leaves add zest to summer salads and will draw plenty of ooohs and ahhs when presented in a meal.
Allies: Some companion gardeners believe a border or interplanting of calendula protects plants against asparagus beetles, tomato hornworms, and other insects' this may be due to a masking effect or a repellent created by the pungent scent of its foliage. It is reputed to repel dogs when plants around shrubs and trees.
Companions: The cheerful flowers of calendula are a great accent for herb gardens and flower borders. This compact annual fits in easily with vegetable garden plantings. In Poland, growing calendulas among cabbage resulted in fewer problems with aphids, cabbageworms, and diamondback moths. A recent study in India showed that calendula extract reduced feeding by tobacco cutworms.
Enemies: None Known.
Companions: The cheerful flowers of calendula are a great accent for herb gardens and flower borders. This compact annual fits in easily with vegetable garden plantings. In Poland, growing calendulas among cabbage resulted in fewer problems with aphids, cabbageworms, and diamondback moths. A recent study in India showed that calendula extract reduced feeding by tobacco cutworms.
Enemies: None Known.
Suggested varieties
Asparagus: Mary Washington (Heirloom) (Asparagus officinalis​)
$0.25 - $5.60
This member of the lily family originated in the Mediterranean countries; the ancient Greeks and Romans greatly favored it. According to legend, Julius Caesar required his asparagus to be served with melted butter. By the 16th century, the kings of England and France had claimed it as their special delicacy, causing the vegetable to be nicknamed the "food of kings." Louis XIV of France had his own supply growing year round in greenhouses, since he greatly enjoyed it. In the Renaissance, asparagus was considered an elegant vegetable and often found at the tables of the wealthy. Asparagus came to America with the colonists, and has since grown wild all over the United States.
Cabbage: Early Jersey Wakefield (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$0.25 - $5.60
The first Early Jersey Wakefield cabbages were raised in 1840 by a man named Francis Brill of Jersey City, New Jersey. Thirty years later, seed companies all over the region offered this seed for sale; growers appreciated its early harvest and small, tender heads.
Cabbage: Late Flat Dutch (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$0.25 - $5.60
Late Flat Dutch cabbage can be traced back to 1840, when the earliest mention of this variety is found in the seed records of the Netherlands. German immigrants carried the seed with them to America, where it spread; by 1924, it could be found in local seed catalogs such as D. M. Ferry & Company.
Cabbage: Red Acre (Heirloom) (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
$0.25 - $5.60
Cabbage is considered one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, since historians trace it back to 4,000 BC in China. The Romans also cultivated it and praised it for its healing qualities; philosophers Pythagoras and Cato both made the lowly cabbage the subject of a book. Jacques Cartier brought the first cabbage to America in 1536. Cabbages were quite popular in colonial America, being pickled and preserved in every possible way to provide food for the winter.
Cabbage, Chinese: Pak Choi (Heirloom) (Brassica rapa var. chinensis)
$0.25 - $5.60
Chinese cabbage dates back to the 15th century in China, when a pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty considered it nutritionally beneficial. Later it became the main ingredient in kim chi, the national dish of Korea; Japanese soldiers also discovered Chinese cabbage and took it home with them after the war. Americans became familiar with this vegetable in the late 19th century.
Tomato: Amana Orange (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
The Amana Orange tomato is an Iowa heirloom obtained from Gary Staley of Brandon, Florida, who named it for the Amana Colonies of Amana, Iowa. The Amana Colonies, a National Historic Landmark since 1965, were completely self sufficient German Pietist communities. The Colonies imported with them their traditions and handcrafts from Germany, including heirloom vegetables such as Amana Orange.
Tomato: Beefsteak (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$0.50 - $5.60
Seed expert Peter Henderson introduced this tomato in 1894, naming it "Henderson's Crimson Cushion." Later renamed Beefsteak, it became a favorite of gardeners in the Northeast. It was developed for resistance to fusarium wilt and nematodes, as well as meaty flesh for eating fresh or cooking.
Tomato: Black Krim (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Black tomatoes originated in Russia, and first reached the United States with solders returning home from the Crimean War. Black Krim, considered one of the best of the black tomatoes, comes from the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea. Lars Olov Rosenstrom of Sweden found this excellent variety in Krim, Russia in 1990.
Tomato: Green Zebra (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Seed expert Tom Wagner of Everett, Washington bred Green Zebra from several green tomato varieties, including Evergreen. Since he was young, Tom had been fascinated with green tomatoes, but was disappointed with their tendency to crack. He set out to create a new green tomato, and Green Zebra was the result; he first offered it for sale in his seed catalog in 1983.
Tomato: Hillbilly (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
This multicolored heirloom tomato originates in the mountains of West Virginia. Ohio gardener Jerry Lee Bosner introduced this seed to Seed Savers Exchange for commercial use in 1994.
Tomato: Italian Roma (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Tomatoes first arrived in Italy with the return of European explorers from South America, bringing with them the unknown "tomatl," a member of the nightshade family that was considered poisonous for centuries and only used for decoration. Though Italians didn't discover the merits of tomatoes as a vegetable until the 18th century, they quickly became a staple ingredient in Italian sauces and pasta. The Roma tomato, also called an Italian plum tomato, performs excellently for sauces because of its low water content.
Tomato: Purple Cherokee (Heirloom) (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
$1.00 - $5.60
Craig LeHoullier, a Seed Savers Exchange member, PhD chemist, and gardening enthusiast, received the seeds of Cherokee Purple in the mail from J. D. Green of Tennessee. Mr. Green stated that his neighbor had obtained the seed from Cherokee Indians in the area, who had developed this variety and grown it for generations. LeHoullier, being greatly impressed with the purple tomatoes, sent them to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Johnny's Seeds, who both began to produce them commercially in 1991. Cherokee Purple, in addition to the famous Brandywine tomatoes, caused the popularity of old fashioned heirloom varieties of tomato.