Calendula is a cheery orange flower that almost grows wild once you have it established in your garden. It is easy to grow and there are also many benefits of Calendula!
Benefits of Calendula
Calendula has been traditionally used for skin irritations. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that make it excellent for rashes and wound healing. There is also some evidence that Calendula may be useful for treating stomach ulcers.
Calendula has also been traditionally used as an aid to digestion as a bitter herb.*
Calendula is generally considered safe. However those that have an allergic reation to herbs in the Asteraceae family should avoid using it.
How to Grow Calendula
Calendula is very easy to grow! The simplest way is to buy seeds and plant them directly in the garden. I have loved the calendula seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds! Once you buy seeds the first time you can save your own every year!
Depending on where you live Calendula seeds can be planted in either the spring or the fall. Where I live in northeast Washington state we have cold winters and I plant my seeds in the spring- usually sometime in April.
Years ago when I lived in California I planted Caledula in the fall so that they would grow and bloom in the cooler season.
Prepare the Bed
Calendula like to grow in full sun and have moderate moisture. They are not to0 fussy about soil, but don’t like heavy clay or soggy soils. To prepare an area to grow Calendula remove the weeds by tilling, hand digging, or sheet composting. Amend the soil with organic compost needed, especially if you have clay soils.
Once you have a fairly smooth seed bed scatter the Calendula seeds and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Keep watered until they sprout 7-14 days later.
Starting Indoors
Alternatively, you can start seeds indoors several weeks before transplanting outside. The benefits of this is that you have larger plants that will produce blooms sooner. The disadvantage is that it is more work and mess to start them indoors.
To start seeds indoors, use a plug tray or a flat with 6 cell packs. Fill each cell with a good starting mix. Place one seed per cell and cover lightly with soil. Keep the soil consistently moist so that they will germinate well.
When the seedlings are a few inches tall thransplant them outdoors into the garden bed. Dig a small hole for each plant and press the soil around them. Space plants about 6 inches apart.
Taking Care of Calendula
Once your calendula is up keep it watered as needed. Calendula can also take mild frosts and still thrive! Calendula does best in mild temperature- between 60 and 80 degrees F.
I haven’t had too much trouble with pests, but some years they get infested with Blister beetles. These are shiny black beetles that can quickly eat all the petals off the flowers. The best solution is to wear gloves and knock the beetles into a pail of water to drown.
If you want the Calendula to continue blooming it is best to remove the flowersregularly before they go to seed. This will not be a problem at all if you are harvesting them for herbal preaparation. Toward the end of the season I always leave enough flowers to produce seed for next year.
Does Calendula Come Back?
Calendula is an annual, which means that the original plant does not come back the following year. However it reseeds itself very easily. My Calendula always drops seeds that sprout early the next year and give me a head start on the season. I also always save some of the seeds to replant.
Harvesting Calendula
Calendula is fairly easy to harvest, simply pinch or cut off the blooms at the base. They are cover with a sticky resin so you may prefer to wear gloves.
Once harvested the petals can be used right away for teas or tincture or dried for later use.
To dry lay the flowers out on a clean cloth elevated on a drying or baking rack. Be sure they have good air circulation. Allow to dry for several days to a week. Alternately dry in an electric dehydrator on the very lowest setting.
Be sure they are fully dry before storing in jars. Store jars in a cool, dark place.
How to Use Calendula
Calendula Oil
There are several ways that Calendula can be used. My favorite is to infuse it to an oil for skinecare. This is done by placing the dried calendula petals into a nourishing carrier oil such as olive oil, coconut oil, or sweet almond oil. You can either use a slow method by allowing the petals to sit in the oil for several weeks. The other method is faster and it involves heating the oil to a low temperature in a double boiler for several hours.
Once the oil has been infused with the calendula the petals should be strained out. Now you have a lovely, nourishing oil that can be used directly on the skin or used in other preparations like salves, lip balm, lotion bar, or body butter!
Calendula Tea
Another way to use calendula is in tea. Chamomile tea is thought to be healing for the stomach and other organs. The petals can be used alone or in combination with other herbs. For a tea that is very tasty to drink try adding lemon balm, chamomile, and a little lavender.
the tea can also be used for other purposes such as in bathwater, as a mouth rinse, or as a hair rinse.
Dried Petals
The dried petals can also be used in a few fun ways! They can be added to a pretty jar of bath salt or used to decorate the top of cupcakes.
Other Herbal Posts
Purchase Calendula Products
Benefits and Uses Of Calendula
Now that you know the benefits of Calendula, plus how to grow and use it I hope that you are inspired to try something new! Let me know in the comments what you do!
Pin for Later
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
Leave a Reply