Annual
Pot marigold
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in June | Flowers in July | Flowers in August | Flowers in September | Flowers in October | |||||||
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | Plant in May | Plant in September | ||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in June | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October |
Overview
Calendula is a cottage-garden and allotment staple with sticky, aromatic leaves and bright daisy flowers in orange, gold, apricot and cream. The petals are edible and add colour to salads and rice dishes. 'Indian Prince' is deep orange with a dark reverse, 'Snow Princess' a soft cream with a dark centre, and 'Touch of Red' has petals tipped bronze-red. It is not the same plant as French or African marigolds (Tagetes), which are half-hardy.
Where to grow pot marigold
Sun gives the most flowers, though light shade is tolerated. Pot marigolds are happy in almost any well-drained soil, including poor ground. Sow them along vegetable beds, in cottage borders, gravel or patio pots, where they draw hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids.
Planting
Sow seeds 1cm deep where they are to flower from March to May, and thin seedlings to about 30cm apart. A September sowing produces plants that overwinter in most of the UK and flower early the following year. Seed can also be started in modules.
Care through the year
Spring
Thin seedlings and pinch out tips for bushier plants. Protect from slugs.
Summer
Deadhead every few days to keep flowers coming. Water only in prolonged dry spells.
Autumn
Sow for early blooms next year. Collect curled seeds from ripe heads.
Winter
Autumn-sown seedlings usually survive outdoors; in cold northern gardens, a cloche helps.
Pruning
No regular pruning. If plants become leggy and tired in midsummer, cut them back by a third to encourage fresh growth and a second flush.
Propagation
Grow from seed; it is one of the easiest flowers to raise. The large, crescent-shaped seeds can be saved, and plants self-seed freely, so you may never need to buy seed again.
Common problems
Powdery mildew coats leaves with white dust late in the season, especially on dry soil; give plants space and water at the base, then remove badly affected plants. Blackfly and slugs are the main pests. Pinching out early aphid-covered shoots helps.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect pot marigold:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in March, April, May and September. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.