The name of the common marigold or garden marigold (Calendula officinalis) refers to the characteristically shaped seeds with their curled sickle shape. Thanks to its easy care, the widespread flower has been an integral part of Central European farm and monastery gardens for several centuries.
When and how are marigolds sown?
The marigold is sown in April or May directly into the bed in a sunny to partially shaded location with well-drained soil. Germination takes about 8 to 15 days at 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, marigolds can also be grown indoors.
Sow the marigold directly in the bed
Since marigolds grow quickly in full sun to partial shade locations with soil that is not too wet, you can easily sow the popular dried flower and medicinal plant directly in the garden bed. However, you should wait until April or May to do this so that the sensitive young plants cannot be damaged by late night frosts. At a germination temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, the germination of Calendula flower seeds takes around 8 to 15 days. There are many reasons to sow the seeds of the pretty-looking marigold in the garden:
- the decoratively colored flowers
- use as a cut flower
- the harvest for use as a medicinal plant
- use as a snail barrier around the lettuce bed
Prefer the Calendula officinalis indoors
The marigold can also be grown indoors for a particularly strong start to the outdoor season. To do this, sow three to five of the seeds in a pot with soil that is as nutrient-poor as possible (€6.00 on Amazon) and only cover them lightly with substrate. Moisten the fresh seeds well and place them in a bright and evenly warm place. It is important to use sowing soil that is as low in nutrients as possible, otherwise the plants can shoot up too early and too strongly and then tolerate being planted outdoors less well. You can also regulate the growth of young plants that are growing too vigorously by placing them in the house either slightly warmer and brighter or colder and less bright.
Simply harvest the flower seeds yourself
Many hobby gardeners still remember playing with the ringed calendula flower seeds as children and sowing them themselves. After all, the sickle-shaped seeds are relatively large and significantly easier to grasp than many other flower seeds. Harvesting is therefore quite easy: just wait until the withered flowers of the calendula have turned into a grey-brown wreath of dry seeds. These are ripe when they peel easily when touched. Of course, you have to leave at least a few wilted flowers on the herbaceous plants and you must not remove all of the dead flower heads during the flowering period for visual reasons.
Tip
You don't necessarily have to choose either if you want to harvest the petals and seeds of marigold for nutritional and medicinal purposes. Regularly cutting off individual flower heads stimulates the calendula to produce more flowers. Therefore, harvest petals for drying as a tea base as early as possible in the summer so that you can leave the later flowers until the seeds are fully ripe.
