Back to growing guides
P
FlowersHardyAnnual

Pot Marigold

Pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, is a hardy annual grown for bright daisy-like flowers over a long season. It is valued in ornamental and kitchen gardens alike because the petals are edible, the plants are easy to raise from seed, and they often self-sow gently from year to year.

Basic information

Category
Flowers
Lifecycle
Annual
Hardiness
Hardy
Planting partners
0 companions · 0 crops to avoid

Growth profile

Germination window
7–14 days
Germination temperature
12–18 °C
Plant spacing
30 cm
Row spacing
35 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Height
60 cm
Spread
30 cm

Calendar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sow Indoors
Sow Outdoors
Plant Out
Flowering / Harvest
Timings based on average frost dates in the UK. Sign up to set your frost dates.

Care tips

Sow pot marigolds where they are to flower or raise them in small batches for transplanting, then grow in full sun or light shade in ordinary well-drained soil. Deadhead to prolong flowering, avoid very rich wet ground that pushes soft growth, and allow a few flowers to seed if you want plants to return naturally.

Common pests

Slugs on seedlings, aphids, powdery mildew, botrytis in prolonged damp weather.

Companions

No companion crops have been added yet.

Don’t grow with

No crops to avoid have been added yet.