How to Grow Calendula from Seeds with Little Effort

Discover all the secrets to growing calendula from seeds! This post will outline how you can accomplish this quickly, and easily no matter if you are starting inside or outside.

Calendula officinalis is a beautiful herb to add to your garden. It is considered a hardy annual which means it is very easy to grow. Calendula herbs can even handle a light frost as it gets growing.

You may also hear it referred to as “English marigolds”, or “pot marigolds”.

It is not only nice to look at, but it is a great companion herb as well. It will welcome pollinators, and may deter pests which is especially helpful in your veggie garden.

You can use it in cooking, as a fabric dye, and in many DIY skin care products. It is also self seeding which means if you let the flowers dry up and drop seeds in the garden, they may germinate for you next spring with no effort on your part.

You might notice that calendula will flower more in cooler temperatures. Much like tomatoes, the flowering can really slow down in the heat of the summer. That being said, it will happily grow in most gardens with full sun to partial shade.

Now, let us get on to the ‘how to’ of growing calendula from seeds!

Table of Contents:

• Quick Reference for Calendula Seed Planting
• Benefits of Growing Calendula from Seed
• Growing Calendula from Seed Indoors
• Direct Sow Calendula in the Garden
• Winter Sow Calendula Seeds
• FAQs

Quick Reference for Calendula Seed Planting

• preferred temperature to germinate: 70 F (21 C)
• sow seeds 1/4 inch deep
• days to germination: 3-14 days depending on the method used

Benefits of Growing Calendula from Seed:

I love growing all my herbs from seed for a few reasons.

First, it is so fun and exciting watching the plants sprout and grow. Second, it lets me get a head start on the garden season by starting seeds indoors in the winter.

Third, growing herbs from seeds is a great way to save money. One seed packet can produce so many plants for a fraction of the price.

The last and most exciting benefit of growing calendula from seed is that you get more variety to choose from. Here are some fun varieties you could try from Richter’s herbs.

I am trying the Erfurter Orange Calendula this year.

Growing Calendula from Seed Indoors

I usually start my calendula seeds indoors as I find it to be the most reliable method. I also like that I will get flowers earlier since the plants will be further along when the weather warms up outside.

It is best to start your calendula seeds indoors in late winter. I do not do any special treatments on my calendula seeds and have had them germinate in as early as 3 days at regular room temperature. We keep our house around 67-70 degrees in the winter.

Materials Needed:

• Calendula Seeds
• Potting Mix
• Seed starting pot or tray
• Small watering can or spray bottle
• Grow lights or a bright south facing window

Steps:

1. As always, you want to start by pre-moistening your soil
2. Fill your pot or seed starting tray to about a 1/4 from the top of the container
3. Make a small hole with your finger about 1/4 inch deep
4. Place a few calendula seeds in each hole, cover over with soil and gently pat down
5. Water or mist over the top of the soil so it settles in nicely around the seeds
6. Place some plastic wrap over the pot or tray to lock in the moisture and set in a warm spot in your home
7. Once you see sprouts, that is your que to remove the plastic wrap and place them under a grow light

Check your little sprouts daily. I find that the grow lights can really dry out the soil quickly. If you notice the soil feels dry, is lighter in colour, or the container feels less heavy you will want to water.

The seedlings will need less water at first, but will require more water as they grow and their root system expands.

When the temperatures are above 10 degrees Celsius you can start to harden off your seedlings. Do this by introducing them to the outdoors for about 1 hour, and then slowly increase the time each day. I usually do this over a week or two.

Prepare a nice sunny spot in your garden by fluffing up the soil and adding some compost. Plant our your seedlings after they have hardened off and temperatures are no longer dipping below freezing. A light frost may be ok, but I like to wait.

If you really want to get them outside but are worried about the cold, then you could always add some frost fabric over them.

Direct Sow Calendula in the Garden

This is a great method if you do not want to invest in any sort of indoor grow setup. However, germination will take longer, and may not be as uniform.

If I am going to direct sow calendula in the garden, I like to do so in the early spring when a light frost is still possible. Frost is ok for the seeds, and early leaf growth, but would not be so good for the flowers.

Materials Needed:

• Calendula seeds
• Small hand rake
• Watering can

Steps:

1. Find a nice sunny spot in your garden and use a small hand rake to fluff up the soil
2. Work in some compost as you loosen up the soil
3. Make holes about 1/4 inch deep where you want your plants to grow
4. Add 2-3 calendula seeds per hole
5. Cover over with soil and gently pat down
6. Finally, water in with a gentle flow of water to help the soil settle in around the seeds
7. Optional: You may add a small glass jar or something similar to warm the soil more, keep in moisture, and make sure no squirrels dig through that area

Germination can take anywhere from 1-2 weeks when you direct sow calendula from seeds in the garden. Make sure to remove any glass jar from the seeds as soon as you see sprouts so you do not get issues with mildew or damping off.

You can also easily succession sow your seeds throughout the spring and into early summer to get more flowers as the season progresses.

Another bonus to this method is you do not need to worry about hardening off your seedlings since they are already used to the outdoor growing conditions.

Winter Sowing Calendula Seeds

Since calendula is a hardy annual and can handle mild frosts it is a great candidate for winter sowing. This is a great project to recycle old containers, and would be fun to do with the kids.

You are created a mini greenhouse for your calendula. Another benefit of winter sowing calendula is that you do not need to worry about hardening off your seedlings, or providing any type of grow light because they are getting all natural light from the sun.

This is such a super simple and cheap method of starting your seeds.

Materials Needed:

• large old plastic jugs (milk jugs/apple cider/water jugs)
• seeds
• potting mix
• duct tape

Steps:

1. prepare you jugs by cutting around the base about 4 inches from the bottom or just below the handle, but don’t cut all the way around. Leave a small section at the handle to act as a hinge.
2. Add some drainage holes to the bottom of your container with a nail and hammer or drill.
3. Pre-moisten your potting mix first, then add some into the bottom of the plastic jug up to about a 1 inch from where you cut.
4. Lightly sprinkle your seeds on the top of the soil.
5. Add a thin layer of potting mix over top, gently press down, and water in.
6. Take some duct tape and tape around the base where you made your cut so it is all nicely sealed.
7. Leave your jug outside with the lid off in a spot that gets sun.

Your jug should get moisture from rain and snow, but still check on them once in a while to make sure the soil is staying moist

Germination will take longer with this method, but it will happen eventually. You can expect it to be about 2 weeks or longer depending on the temperature.

Your calendula will already be hardened off, so when it is warm enough, you can just plant right out in the garden. I like to divide the plants into clumps and plant them that way.

FAQ:

1. How long does it take to grow calendula from seed?

The amount of time it takes to grow calendula from seed will vary depending on the method you are using. With the right care and conditions, you can expect to get flowers in about 6-8 weeks after the seeds have come up.

I get the fastest germination time from starting calendula seeds indoors (3 days). Direct sowing or winter sowing can take much longer before you even see sprouts (up to 2 weeks).

2. Do i need to soak calendula seeds before planting?

I have not soaked calendula seeds, and I do not think it is necessary. I usually start calendula seeds indoors, and the germination time is so fast that I don’t think it is worth it.

However, if you are direct sowing outdoors, it could be a good way to give them a boost.

3. Why are my calendula seeds not germinating?

There are a few reasons why your calendula seeds may not be germinating.

The first thing I would check is the age of your seeds. If the seeds are quite old the germination rate may be very low, and therefore decrease your odds that they will germinate at all.

The soil may not be moist enough. You want to keep the soil evenly moist while the seeds are germinating.

Another issue could be the temperature. Calendula seeds prefer to germinate around 70 degrees F. If it is much colder than this, it could just be taking a while.

This leads me to my last thought – you may just need to give it some extra time. It could be up to 2 weeks before your little calendula sprouts emerge.

4. Can you scatter calendula seeds?

You can scatter calendula seeds, however I would not recommend it. I like to get the most out of my seed packets, and ensure optimal germination rates.

By scattering calendula seeds you risk some of them not germinating as well. I also like my calendula plants to be in very specific spots, and feel that I have less control of that when just scattering seeds.

If I were to scatter them, I would fluff up the soil with a rake, scatter my seeds, then gently sprinkle more soil over top and water in.

Now get out there and give it a try!

Well, that is all I have for you on starting calendula from seeds. I hope you found this article useful and feel inspired to put down the phone, and get out there to give it a try.

Comment below with any questions, or to share which method you will be trying out.

Until next time!