DESCRIPTION: These are lovely, annual plants native to southern Europe. They grow 1½ to 2½ feet high. Their branching stems are covered with simple, alternate leaves and they produce large flowers in different hues of yellow and orange in the summer. These plants are easy to grow. The main kind is C. officinalis (the Common Pot Marigold), it has light green leaves and short stems bearing single or double, orange, yellow, cream, or white flowers that are 2-3 inches across. These plants are valuable for more than just their beauty. The flower heads, when dried, are used to flavor soups and stews as well as coloring for butter. The florets were once used for healing wounds and as a preventative for sickness. The flowers and shoots of C. officinalis have stimulant and diaphoretic properties. They were once used as a country remedy to treat ulcers, etc. An infusion was used for external application and the drug was also taken internally.
POTTING: When planted outside, these cool-weather plants will flourish in any ordinary soil in full sun. When planted indoors, a light, airy greenhouse, night temperature 45-50 degrees, will do. Plant them in pots or in a bench filled with well-drained garden loam that is enriched with thoroughly decayed organic matter and a bit of 5-10-5 or other fertilizer high in phosphorous. To harvest, snap off mature flowers before they start to wilt. Pull off the petals and soak them in water for a few minutes to float off dust and small insects. The petals are used fresh or dry to add color and a very mild flavor to soups, rice, and cookies.
PROPAGATION - Outdoors: Seeds may be sown in regular soil in a sunny spot in the spring to flower during the summer, starting in July. They'll bloom well into the fall except where the summers are hot and humid. This causes small and few flowers, if any at all, and maybe death. In mild climates, they can be sown in September to provide winter and spring flowers. They may be sprinkled around, or planted in rows 12-16 inches apart. Cover the seeds with one-fourth inch of soil and when the baby plants are an inch high, thin them out to about 12 inches apart. Hoe in between the rows often to keep down the weeds. Remove the flowers as soon as they begin to fade, thus prolonging the flowering season.
Greenhouse: If you lift the smaller, flowering plants from the mid-summer sowing before frost, you can enjoy a few flowers during the winter. Plant them individually, in 6- or 7-inch pots filled with rich soil. Keep the greenhouse well ventilated and light and you can maintain a succession of flowers. The greenhouse should be between 40 and 55 degrees at night. For the best results, sow seeds from mid-July to mid-August to have flowers from October to February. Plant them in a flat or pot inside, or in a sheltered area outside where shade is available until they sprout. Well-drained garden loam that is constantly moist is good for germination. The seedlings should be transplanted to separate 3-inch pots as soon as they're large enough to safely handle. The soil to use for this potting should be loam (good topsoil) of a friable nature. Grow the plants in partial shade until their roots almost completely penetrate the soil. They should then be planted in the place where they are to flower (before they become too cramped) in well-drained garden loam that is enriched with thoroughly decayed organic matter and a bit of 5-10-5 or other fertilizer high in phosphorous. This final potting can be in pots, 6-8 inches in diameter, although they will grow better in benches of soil; either way, they need an airy greenhouse where the temperature drops to 45 or 50 degrees at night in the winter. Plant them 12-15 inches apart in soil that is 5-6 inches deep. If a second sowing of Calendulas is made late in October in the greenhouse, you will have flowers from February to April. Good ventilation of the greenhouse is essential, especially if the plants are a bit crowded. When there isn't adequate ventilation, a leaf spot disease may destroy the crop. Thin them to 7 or 8 branches on each plant and some unnecessary side growths in order to produce large flowers with long stems.
VARIETIES: C. officinalis and its brightly colored varieties are: Chrysantha, Orange Chrysantha, Orange King, Lemon Queen, Radio, Golden Beam and Prince of Orange. C. arvensis (the Field Calendula); C. maderensis (Madeira Marigold).